This is one of the favorite spots for tourist to visit at Rome. Not much has changed since I visited here more than 20 years ago and probably not since thousands of years ago either. Some interesting tidbits were told by the tour guide about the customs of watching the gladiator shows that most people including the dignitaries were standing except for the emperor, who was most likely lying as it signified authority. Also the turning up or down of the thumbs to the performance of the gladiators were probably not quite right as shown in an old movie. Terminating/killing the losing gladiator was so expensive, as someone or the promoter would have to pay a huge prize. Most likely, they were being left injured and died days later – saving the liability cost to the gladiator owners. It’s a cruel sport nevertheless.