Gladiators and Pompeii

History · Ancient Greece & Rome · ages 7-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What was the Colosseum?
- A Roman marketplace for selling food
- A palace where the emperor slept
- A giant arena for public entertainment
What were gladiators usually?
- Brave soldiers who chose to fight for fun
- Enslaved people or prisoners trained to fight
- Wealthy citizens showing off their skills
Pompeii was buried by ash from an erupting volcano.
Circle one: True False
Why did so many Romans go to the Colosseum?
- To buy bread and vegetables
- To pray to the Roman gods
- To watch gladiator fights and other shows
Where did gladiators fight their battles?
- In secret so no one could watch
- In huge arenas in front of cheering crowds
- Only inside the emperor's private palace
Because Pompeii was buried so quickly, things like houses and paintings were preserved.
Circle one: True False
Why do historians learn so much about everyday Roman life from Pompeii, compared to other Roman towns?
- Because the ash froze the town almost exactly as it was in AD 79
- Because Pompeii kept written records that other towns burned
- Because gladiators lived only in Pompeii
Mia says all gladiators chose to fight because they loved it. What is wrong with her idea?
- Most gladiators were enslaved people or prisoners forced to train and fight
- Gladiators never fought in front of crowds
- Gladiators were actually Roman senators in disguise

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

A giant arena for public entertainment · The Colosseum was a huge stone arena in Rome where crowds watched gladiators fight.
Enslaved people or prisoners trained to fight · Gladiators were usually enslaved people or prisoners who were trained hard to fight for crowds.
True · Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. Ash and rock buried the town of Pompeii very quickly.
To watch gladiator fights and other shows · The Colosseum was built for public entertainment, so Romans came to watch gladiators and other shows.
In huge arenas in front of cheering crowds · Gladiators fought in big arenas, like the Colosseum, where huge crowds came to watch.
True · Because the ash fell fast and covered everything, things like houses and bread were preserved almost perfectly.
Because the ash froze the town almost exactly as it was in AD 79 · Vesuvius's ash covered Pompeii so fast that everyday objects and buildings were preserved almost perfectly.
Most gladiators were enslaved people or prisoners forced to train and fight · Most gladiators did not choose to fight. They were usually enslaved people or prisoners trained to do it.