Ancient Rome
The term "battle royal" was first coined by the Romans to refer to a form of gladiatorial combat involving a number of gladiators fighting, armed or unarmed, until only one remained standing, or alive. These fights tended to be particularly brutal, even by the standards of the Romans. Early Christians, such as Clement of Rome and Ignatius, actively but unsuccessfully campaigned against this savage form of entertainment.
Read more about this topic: Battle Royal
Famous quotes containing the words ancient and/or rome:
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou, I said, art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Nights Plutonian shore!
Quoth the raven, Nevermore.”
—Edgar Allan Poe (18091849)
“Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man. The nobleness of life
Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair
And such a twain can do t, in which I bind,
On pain of punishment, the world to weet
We stand up peerless.”
—William Shakespeare (15641616)