Read “Selections on the Gladiatorial Games,” and then answer the following questions in your own words. 1 – What reasons do these two authors give for disliking the games?

2 – We know that the gladiatorial games were incredibly popular with the common people in ancient Rome, and that the upper class took great pride in paying for the games, presenting them, and openly attending them. Since that is the case, what should we make of these two negative passages? Do you think these men really looked down on the games, or do you think they were just being pretentious, as though they were better than the common people and their forms of entertainment?