Alicante gladiator exhibition: Interactive, with 140 pieces from Italian museums

GLADIATORS are about to land in Alicante city in time for Easter – a huge interactive exhibition on these Ancient Roman warriors will open at the MARQ archaeological museum on Wednesday.

One of the east-coast metropolitan area's key visitor attractions – along with the Lucentum Roman ruins within the grounds – the MARQ has acquired 140 major artefacts from eight museums in Italy for this fascinating display, which will be open until October 16.

Titled Gladiators: Heroes of the Colisseum, complete with audio-visual elements and information boards, the exhibition will 'debunk myths' surrounding these iconic historical fighters, according to the MARQ.

Original pieces on show will include helmets and other body armour worn by the gladiators themselves over 2,000 years ago – and faithful replicas to show them intact - and murals in relief showing battle scenes, from the doomed city of Pompei which was buried in lava when Vesuvius erupted.

MARQ management explains the exhibition is a lifelike one that visitors can totally immerse themselves in – almost an indoor theme park – and assures it will be hugely exciting for day-trippers and tourists of all ages, even young children.

They are keen to eradicate 'pre-conceived ideas' about gladiators from 'Hollywood films' and TV contests, and show the public 'who they really were'.

In reality, gladiatorial activity was fairly violent, involving re-enacted battles that would be a little too authentic-looking for a 21st-century audience, and bare-handed scuffles with wild animals, such as lions, to show off their bravery and strength.

Although this type of bloodshed and alpha-male behaviour would not work as 'entertainment' over 2,000 years on, the whole gladiator culture, artistry, theatrics, costumes, and Roman society's leisure activity are truly intriguing to explore.

Watching a gladiator fight in a Colisseum was the Ancient equivalent of today's society flocking to the cinema to see the latest crime thriller or action drama, and the stadium would normally be packed out.

Ordinary, everyday Romans across the Empire also regularly went to theatre plays, the Ancient equivalent of soap operas, drama serials and films, and to chariot-racing, which was the historical answer to Formula 1.

In fact, chariot drivers were top celebrities and household names – fans would head along to the nearest circus, as the track was called, to cheer on their favourite racers.