New findings reveal more about these Roman stars
|  | Monday, June 27, 2022 | | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPHS BY REMI BENALI
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They came from the lower classes—some were enslaved people, criminals, prisoners of war. However, as the Roman Empire went on, gladiators enthralled bigger and bigger crowds. The position became lucrative, and some warriors won their freedom in battle.
“They were like sexy rock stars,” art historian Katherine Welch says. (Pictured above, two modern-day reenactors prepare to rumble.)
Training was brutal. Gladiators—most often men but occasionally women—could lose their lives in a fight. But new archaeological studies have determined gladiator spectacles were not bloody free-for-alls, but highly regimented and systematized performances executed by expertly trained athletes.
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| Battles took place in amphitheaters, such as this nearly 1,900-year-old stadium (above) in modern-day El Djem, Tunisia, which once accommodated 35,000 fans.
If you want more from ancient Rome, here’s Vestral virgins: protectors of Rome’s flame.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY S. OUNBOUNDISANE, FISHBIO | | | |
 | | BETTMANN ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES | | ‘Struggling to be heard’: The term “transgender” wasn’t coined until the 1960s—but people have always challenged the gender binary. Here’s a look at trans history from ancient civilizations to the modern rights movement. (Pictured above at center, Christine Jorgensen, a former Army private who in 1952 became the first American reported to have undergone gender-confirmation surgery.)
Related: A photographer documents her gender transition
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY LYNN JOHNSON, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION | | Wrapped in pride: Spectators take in a Pride march in New York City. This previously unpublished photo, just featured in our Photo of the Day archival collection, was taken as a part of coverage for this January 2017 National Geographic cover story on gender.
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 | | DIEGO GRANDI/ALAMY/ACI | | The mystery of Palenque: People had lived near this Maya center in southern Mexico for more than 2,000 years, but it wasn’t until the 1950s when the world what was below its most famous building, the Temple of the Inscriptions. It was the tomb of its greatest ruler, covered with a jade death mask, Nat Geo History magazine reports. (Pictured above, the steps leading up to the Temple of the Cross.)
Related: Who was the Red Queen?
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Today's newsletter was curated and edited by David Beard, Heather Kim, Jen Tse, and Monica Williams. Have an idea you think is right down our alley? Let us know at david.beard@natgeo.com. Happy trails!
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