Show ANCIENT PRIZE FIGHTS tux TUB origin of prize lights fights must be sought far bark back in barbarous antiquity ty it was a custom among a ancient nations to sacrifice prisoners of war in honor of fallen heroes herbee it was part of the funeral ceremonies of a time when the torture of human beings was looked upon as legitimate amusement As time went on the prisoners were made to fight for their lives and the sacrifices took the form of mortal combats in the presence of thousands of spectators in an dent rome borne the combatants were known as gladiators they were either prisoners of war or slaves anil and were especially trained for the purpose to the conquered slave the end was waa generally death unless the spectators extended mercy to him and allowed him to live for another fight the conqueror was rewarded and sometimes given his bis liberty this kind of amusement became common the people flocked booked to the forum to enjoy the spectacle of gladiatorial exhibitions and soon public officers and particularly candidates candidate for the suffrage of the citizens sought to capture the votes of the people by giving them free of charge admission to these sanguinary encounters the emperors spent vast sums of money dorthis for this purpose it to is recorded that julius caesar gave a F how chow of 20 fight ing couples couple titus arranged an tion of gladiators wild beasts and naval battles that lasted for one hundred days trajan gave a show in which two thousand men fought with each other or with wild beasts this was witnessed by spectators of all classes ino including luding many aristocratic ladies of rome ko bo numerous were the slaves kept and trained for this barbarous purpose that they were finally considered a menso ing danger to the commonwealth when the persecutions of f the chris fians were commenced many of them were sentenced to light fight in the arena but they persistently refused either to fight or defend them selves preferring to die without blood stains on their hands the acors were not entirely satisfied with his big kind of exhibition the christians were therefore usually thrown before the wild beasts which as ft a general rule ended their sufferings an a a short time constantine was the first emperor who prohibited prize fights in his em afe he saw clearly that this kind of amusement wax was antagonistic goni to the principles of the christians who formed a majority of bis big subjects this emperor although not much of a christian himself was anxious to gain the affections of the christian portion of the people and did all be could to sustain them he legalized their custom of celebrating the lords day extended their privileges as aa citizens and even tried to act as Urbi arbitrator in some of their doctrinal disputes out of regard rd for their h air sentiments the bar ba barous gladiatorial orial fights were prohibit ed it took a long time though before the nation as a whole had bad been educated to detest this kind of amuse ment meat but this feeling came bradu ally in the reign of Hon honorius orlus history states that one boldly entered the arena to stop a fight but the spectators stoned hl him W the emperor he odoric in the sixth century of our ers eran nally finally abolished the barbarous exhibitions A question which confronts this country now Is when will the american people be sufficiently christian laed to abolish the brutal prize fights that are a blot upon our civilization they constitute one of the lowest relics of barbarism the fact that they are intensely popular and made occasions of absorbing public interest indicates that in forne respects we are not far removed from the condition of the people of the third and fourth centuries of the christian era instead of throwing off the barbarism exhibited by them we simply manifest the same instincts in a modified degree |