The following timeline traces the development and key events related to gladiators in ancient Rome:

60 BCE: The first recorded gladiatorial games are held during the funeral of Junius Brutus Pera. These games are believed to have been used to honor the dead and display Roman power.

105 BCE: Gladiatorial games become more popular and are regularly organized in Rome and other cities, often funded by wealthy elites to gain popularity.

Rome, 1st century CE: Gladiators are mostly slaves, prisoners of war, or criminals, trained in special schools called ludi.

AD 80: The Colosseum is completed and becomes the main venue for gladiatorial contests, hosting large crowds and elaborate spectacles.

3rd century CE: The decline of gladiatorial games begins as Christianity rises and public attitudes change.

404 CE: The Emperor Honorius officially bans gladiatorial combat, marking the end of the era.

Analyse the significance of the Colosseum in the history of gladiators and Roman entertainment.

Source: The Colosseum, also known as Flavian Amphitheatre, was built between AD 70-80 and could hold up to 50,000 spectators. It was a symbol of Roman engineering and power, hosting gladiator games that were central to Roman cultural life.

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