Flamma the Syrian: The Mysterious Gladiator Who Refused Freedom

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An eroded inscription on an ancient tombstone in modern-day Sicily is all that remains of the great gladiator Flamma. Historians are left to fill in the gaps. Flamma (the flame) was famed, franchised, and celebrated in every game he fought. Even when he was defeated and called for a reprieve, he must have carried immense charisma to be blessed by the crowd with the gift of missio, the act of mercy for a gladiator’s life. One aspect made him unique among the gladiators who have been remembered by history: Flamma is the only gladiator on record to have won his freedom four times, and turned it down. In the end, he died at the age of thirty in the arena.

It appears that Flamma had only one wish: to die in the arena to the sound of the roar of his beloved crowd. He had no friends except for an honored combatant by the name of Delicatus, who cared enough to pay for his tombstone. With a life so glorious, two mysteries incite curiosity: where did he come from before his gladiatorial enslavement and why did he choose never to be free?

Source: ancient-origins.net

By: B B Wagner.