The Greeks under Roman rule took a foreign sport and moulded it into the ultimate celebration of Greekness with more drama and flair than Rome could ever imagine. It may come as a surprise but there are more commemorative monuments for gladiators born in Greece than those born in the rest of the Roman Empire. Prepare to have your perceptions about Rome and Greece changed forever

Alexandra Sills is a historian specialising in sports and public spectacles in the ancient Mediterranean. Her work can be found online at https://www.ancientalexandra.co.uk/