Roman gladiators ate mostly rye, barley and vegetables. Meat and fish were unusual foods in their diet. This was revealed by a study ate University of Vienna in Austria, and Bern, Switzerland.
The study, published in Plos One, was based on the analysis of the remains of 53 bodies, 22 of which were identified as being from gladiators of the II and III centuries BC, found in the cemetery of the ancient Roman city of Ephesus in Turkey (discovered in 1993).
According to Fabian Kanz, lead author of the research, the study was aimed at "determining the diet, social stratification and migration of Ephesus citizens".
A spectroscopic analysis has allowed scientists to measure the level of bone collagen found and the ratio between strontium and calcium mineral.
The analysis revealed that the gladiators had a similar diet to the rest of the population of Ephesus, but with a big difference.
According to the study, gladiator bones had higher levels of strontium. After the fighting, gladiators drank a spicy tonic with ashes of plants, rich in strontium, which helped them recover from bone lesions .
"The ashes were consumed to fortify the body after exercise, and to help the bones heal faster" explains Fabian Kanz.
Apparently, the food of gladiators was not as spectacular as their struggles in the arena.
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