Gladiatorial munera in Hispania

Abstract

The munera gladiatoria are, without a doubt, the performance par excellence inthe Roman world. In Hispania, many citizens felt a true passion for this kind of performances and took an active part in their organization and development. The citizens of Hispania were, from the 1st century AD, as keen on gladiator contests and beast fights as the citizens of the rest of imperial provinces. In Hispania, many amphitheatres were built (Italica, Emerita, Tarraco Conimbriga, etc.), and in Corduba there was a gladiator school, at which those Hispanics who wanted to become gladiators were trained.

In this paper, I analyse mainly the texts and epigraphs that either mention the munera or make explicit reference to those individuals who took a part in them. On account of all these documents, it is possible to conclude that the Roman citizens ofHispania were not alien to the development and evolution of the different amphitheatre performances.