Usually "those about to die" in the Roman Colosseum were condemned prisoners, professional gladiators,
Christians, or
animals. The spectacle of the "games" was often
bloody, a tradition likely started in Rome by its earlier conquerors, the
Etruscans.
But not until the reign of Commodus (180-192 AD) did Roman citizens witness wholesale slaughter by a Caesar himself, dressed as a gladiator and acting like a madman. Who was this Emperor, this Caesar, who thought of himself as a god? And who were the gladiators of ancient Rome?