$~~~~$Gladiators were combatants who fought against criminals, wild animals, and each other during the time of the Roman Empire. They were armed with deadly weapons and in most cases fought till either one of them accepted defeat or was killed. Roman people enjoyed the sight of blood and violent death. They crowded into the arenas to watch gladiator games, just like we watch football, baseball, and tennis matches today.
$~~~~$ Some were slaves bought from different lands under Roman control, and some were prisoners of war. Most of the others were volunteers, a group which once accounted for half of all gladiators. The majority of the gladiators were Thracians, Gauls, and Africans. These combatants were generally skilled fighters and were paid for their services. All of the fighters, both male and female, were well looked after by their owners and rewarded after winning fights.
$~~~~$Roman historians sometimes called gladiators hordearii, a Latin term which means “barley eaters” in English. Chemical analyses of the bones found in a gladiator graveyard indicated that the typical food eaten by gladiators was wheat, barley, and beans. In addition to a plant-heavy diet, gladiators drank plant ashes to fortify the body after physical exertion and to promote better bone healing. The diet that gladiators followed may be unconventional by modern athletic standards, but in the days of the Romans, this was the diet of heroes.