The Unofficial Hunger Games Companion (12 page)

Third Punic War.

Pompeii amphitheater built.

Spartacus revolted. Especially strong men had been trained for decades in gladiator schools, with one of the most prominent schools situated in Capua. Men of diverse ethnicities were trained here, including Thracians, Greeks, Syrians, Gauls, Spaniards, and Macedonians. In 73 BC, 80 gladiators escaped from Capua led by 3 men: the Thracian, Spartacus; and 2 Gauls, Crixus and Oenomaus.

Caesar hosted an extravagant gladiator event.

Circus Maximum included man versus wild beasts.

Caesar hosted another extravagant gladiator event, this time including group battles and several Romans from noble families.

Statilius Taurus amphitheater built.

Roman Empire founded by Emperor Augustus. He mandated that gladiator games would be held every year on fixed dates as well as additional dates that he would add at whim. He pit tens of thousands of men against each other and against wild animals. In his time, there were 176 official feast days, of which 10 were reserved for gladiator events, 64 for chariot races, and the rest for theater. Augustus’s shows massacred 3,500 animals, including crocodiles, lions, bears, and leopards.

Pompey killed 260 lions and 36 crocodiles in the arena.

Emperor Claudius ensured that citizens received
correct allotments of grain
and held brutal gladiator battles at
lunchtime
. In The Hunger Games, not only do the impoverished receive grain allotments, but the officials eat like pigs during tribute training, and before, during, and after the Games.

Nero’s amphitheater burned down. Nero introduced women into the gladiator arena.

Colosseum aka Flavian Amphitheater construction began.