SPARTACUS FOR A DAY!

Grumpy, footsore kids are not an unusual sight in Rome. Traipsing around the capital with the adults in the summer heat can be exhausting for young tourists. If you hear your children cry, “Oh no! Not another museum!” then it’s definitely time for a gladiator school. This excursion brings history to life for kids, allowing them to join in a fun, unforgettable, hands-on activity and gain a vivid overview of popular pastimes in ancient Rome.

Meet your private guide and driver outside your accommodation and head for the Ancient Appian Way, where the gladiator lesson takes place. En route, stop to enjoy a tour of Rome’s most famous baths built between 212 and 216 AD at the request of Emperor Marco Aurelio Severo Antonino Pio Augusto (what a mouthful!)… but you may call him by his nickname, Caracalla, which comes from the name of a particular type of cloak the emperor used to wear. What you see today is still sensational and evidence of the Romans’ brilliant construction skills and innovation in the fields of technology and hydraulic engineering. Your guide will throw light on the history behind these spectacular buildings and fill you in on how citizens used to spend their leisure time. Did you know that within these walls ancient Romans used to swim in an “olympic” pool, practice boxing and wrestling and play ball games just like we do today?

Now it’s your turn to play! Set off for the Via Appia Antica for an exciting gladiator lesson. This 2-hour experience begins inside the small local museum housing replicas of artefacts and costumes from ancient Roman times. Here children will learn about weaponry used in traditional gladiator fights and enjoy a light-hearted introduction to Roman history and the daily life of yesteryear’s warriors. Then it’s time for the budding combatants to don their armour and let their imaginations run wild as they re-enact sword duels and fight off ferocious beasts. Under the careful, friendly guidance of entertaining instructors, young troops, clad in traditional tunics, will have great fun discovering the secrets of Imperial Rome’s gladiator games and learning fighting techniques. No worries grown-ups! Swords are fake and your kids are in safe hands. After receiving a certificate of accomplishment and a gladiator name, watch your children as they return from the fray in high spirits.