Gregory Aldrete

And secondly, for a lot of people in Roman society, that notion of Here's something that says I'm valuable as a human being. It doesn't matter whether I'm free or slave. It doesn't matter whether I'm Roman or non-Roman. It doesn't matter if I'm a man or woman. Here's something that says I have equal value. That's enormously appealing.

And secondly, for a lot of people in Roman society, that notion of Here's something that says I'm valuable as a human being. It doesn't matter whether I'm free or slave. It doesn't matter whether I'm Roman or non-Roman. It doesn't matter if I'm a man or woman. Here's something that says I have equal value. That's enormously appealing.

And finally, early Christians, I mean, they honestly, a lot of them do good works. They take care of the sick. They feed the poor. I mean, if you look at Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, that's the stuff he really hammers. If we look at the words of Jesus when he says, what do you do to be a Christian? A lot of it is take care of the unfortunate. Take care of people who are sick.

And finally, early Christians, I mean, they honestly, a lot of them do good works. They take care of the sick. They feed the poor. I mean, if you look at Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, that's the stuff he really hammers. If we look at the words of Jesus when he says, what do you do to be a Christian? A lot of it is take care of the unfortunate. Take care of people who are sick.

And finally, early Christians, I mean, they honestly, a lot of them do good works. They take care of the sick. They feed the poor. I mean, if you look at Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, that's the stuff he really hammers. If we look at the words of Jesus when he says, what do you do to be a Christian? A lot of it is take care of the unfortunate. Take care of people who are sick.

Take care of people who are starving. And a lot of the early Christians really take that seriously. So they are helping people out. So that's appealing.

Take care of people who are starving. And a lot of the early Christians really take that seriously. So they are helping people out. So that's appealing.

Take care of people who are starving. And a lot of the early Christians really take that seriously. So they are helping people out. So that's appealing.

Switch your pace here.

Switch your pace here.

Switch your pace here.

I mean, okay, gladiator games obviously become a popular form of entertainment, and they're one of the ones that's captured people's imaginations for all sorts of reasons. I mean, it's dramatic, but also I think it's that apparent contradiction that in so many ways Roman society seems familiar to us. In so many ways it seems sophisticated and appealing.

I mean, okay, gladiator games obviously become a popular form of entertainment, and they're one of the ones that's captured people's imaginations for all sorts of reasons. I mean, it's dramatic, but also I think it's that apparent contradiction that in so many ways Roman society seems familiar to us. In so many ways it seems sophisticated and appealing.

I mean, okay, gladiator games obviously become a popular form of entertainment, and they're one of the ones that's captured people's imaginations for all sorts of reasons. I mean, it's dramatic, but also I think it's that apparent contradiction that in so many ways Roman society seems familiar to us. In so many ways it seems sophisticated and appealing.

Law is wonderful, all this, but yet for fun they watched people fight to the death. So how do you reconcile these things? So gladiators, I find very interesting because they're an example of what historians call status dissonance. So it's someone who in society has high status in some ways and very low or despised status in another.

Law is wonderful, all this, but yet for fun they watched people fight to the death. So how do you reconcile these things? So gladiators, I find very interesting because they're an example of what historians call status dissonance. So it's someone who in society has high status in some ways and very low or despised status in another.

Law is wonderful, all this, but yet for fun they watched people fight to the death. So how do you reconcile these things? So gladiators, I find very interesting because they're an example of what historians call status dissonance. So it's someone who in society has high status in some ways and very low or despised status in another.

So gladiators, most of them were slaves, the lowest of the low in Roman society, right? Yeah. Also, they're fighting for other people's pleasure and dying sometimes for other people's pleasure. And the Romans had a real thing about this, like your body being used for others' pleasure.

So gladiators, most of them were slaves, the lowest of the low in Roman society, right? Yeah. Also, they're fighting for other people's pleasure and dying sometimes for other people's pleasure. And the Romans had a real thing about this, like your body being used for others' pleasure.

So gladiators, most of them were slaves, the lowest of the low in Roman society, right? Yeah. Also, they're fighting for other people's pleasure and dying sometimes for other people's pleasure. And the Romans had a real thing about this, like your body being used for others' pleasure.