ORF-E
English
1 X 52 min
Worldwide except for the USA, Canada, Australia and France 

The gladiator school at Carnuntum, Roman city on the Danube, turned slaves, prisoners, and also volunteers like our hero Atticus into skilled and brutal entertainers who could be re-exported throughout the Empire. Precision, speed and spectacular technique made them true sports stars, kept in peak condition by their vegetarian diet and rigorous training. Gladiators earned well and paid private visits to wealthy women admirers. But a moment’s loss of concentration in the arena was lethal, and even in death, the loser must show no emotion. Complexe CGI show the living quarters of the Roman fighters. The training facility, which covers about 11,000 square meters, was probably occupied by 40 to 60 gladiators – the best preserved gladiator school from Roman times, comparable in size to the famous schools of Rome or Pompeii. A completely new take on the brutal fighting games and astonishing insights into how many parallels can be found in today’s sports business.