Changes

It is unknown how much Hannibal’s “games” had on the Roman blood sports, but it cannot be discounted since the Roman blood sports were quite eclectic in their origins. By the late Republic, gladiatorial games were highly institutionalized – the gladiators were well-trained and valuable prisoners of war who fought in distinct styles. All gladiators were dressed as and fought in the style of one of Rome’s three early enemies: Samnite, Thracian, and Gaul. These three designations were introduced at an early point but were retained as long as gladiators fought in Rome. <ref> Kyle, p. 281</ref>

During the Civil Wars of the second half of the last century BC and in the early years of the Roman Empire, gladiator games and beast hunts went from minor events to big business. Julius Caesar (100-44 BC), ever the astute and pragmatic politician, saw the potential for using the games for political advantage. In his efforts to combine Roman blood sports and politics, Caesar ended the tradition of only holding gladiatorial games for funerals and introduced <i>naumachias</i>, staged sea battles, into amphitheaters. Caesar also became known for sparing particularly skilled and popular gladiators. <ref>Kyle, p. 287</ref> The first century AD Roman biographer Suetonius noted this abrupt transition.