ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

After Dawn had disappeared, fresh and rosy-fingered, I decided to curl up on my couch, pizza in hand, and watch the epic cinematic spectacular that is Gladiator... again.

Upon re-watching this marvel I was able to come up with a few possible questions in reference to the world of the gladiator:

1. How historically accurate is Ridley Scott's Gladiator in reference to the events of Ancient Rome?
2. Why did the Roman populace indulge in the bloody sport of gladiator battles, rather than enjoy the peace of poetry and plays? (why was it so popular?)
3. How did the ranking system work in reference to gladiators and gladiator battles?
4. When, how and why did gladiator fights begin, and what purpose did they serve in the culture of Rome?

I am still formulating different questions and ideas for my special study, however, these questions display my thinking pattern at the moment.

"The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, it's the sand of the coliseum." - Gracchus