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gladiator

Historical Figure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A fighter in ancient Rome, often a slave or prisoner, who battled in public arenas.

Detailed Definition
A gladiator was a combatant in ancient Roman entertainment, usually fighting in arenas for spectators. In poetry and modern writing, the word often evokes violence, spectacle, and heroic or tragic struggle. Here it contrasts with the speaker’s comic role.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Oh, how I wish I were a gladiator bold” invokes a fighter in ancient Roman arenas; Gladiators can symbolize spectacle, courage, coercion, or public suffering; Byron’s Childe Harold reflects on the Roman Coliseum and its combatants; A modern line: “The boxer felt like a gladiator under lights.”
Additional Notes
The word in the line is a specific historical role from ancient Rome, which many readers may need to identify.; Found in the poem, The Jester's Lament by Richard
Also Known As
warrior fighter champion combatant
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