The Ultimate Salary Showdown: Ancient Roman Gladiators vs. Modern Sports Superstars

In the book of Niccolò Arcangeli, “Gladiators. The stars of the first Talent show in History“, the author investigates the engagements of gladiators to compare them with the ones of modern sports idols. To make his argument, he hypothesizes that, during the first century AD, a sestertius corresponded to approximately six euros, as written in the book of Alberto Angela (a famous history communicator in Italy) [1].

The estimate is based on the price lists found on the walls of Pompeii, thanks to which it was possible to establish the purchasing power of some Roman coins. In regards to the subsequent period, namely the time of Trajan (98/117 AD), according to the estimates contained in the same book, a sestertius must have been worth approximately two euro. Subsequently, the calculation becomes more complex, given that, with the Antonine plague, a period of economic crisis began with a consequent increase in inflation.

Despite this, however, one could still try to hypothesize a comparison between the salary offered by Tiberius (hypothesis of exchange of the time: 1 sesterce = 6 euro), with that of modern sports idols.

Modern Day Contracts

Searching online, you can find that LeBron James, a sports star of the Los Angeles Lakers, in the 2022/2023 season received a salary of $44.5 million dollars (sponsorships excluded), playing all 82 games (a record in the NBA). As for the world of football, however, in the same season Cristiano Ronaldo had a salary of 54 million euros (excluding sponsorships), playing approximately 60 matches between league and cups.

In the following table, the salaries of the most famous top players of today are compared with those of the two ex-gladiators hired by Tiberius. It should be remembered that this is a hypothesis based on the little data available. The salaries are written in euros (€), dollars ($) and sesterces (HS), while the euro/dollar exchange rate is at 1 EUR = 1.11184 USD (April 29, 2023).

ATHLETE	SALARY	MATCHES PER YEAR	PRICE PER MATCH
LEBRON JAMES	40.02 million € per season ($44.5 million)	82	488,094 THOUSAND € ($642,683)
CRISTIANO RONALDO	54 million € per season ($60 million)	60	899,408 THOUSAND € ($1,000,000)
GLADIATOR FROM THE AGE OF TIBERIUS	100,000 HS A DUEL (600 THOUSAND €) [$ 674,000]	NG	100,000 HS A DUEL (600 THOUSAND €) [$ 674,000]

The table shows that Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James received a somewhat similar annual salary, but Ronaldo was paid significantly more for each match played.

This is because, the matches played each year by a high-level football team are about 60, while those played by an NBA team are 82. Furthermore, it should be considered that a football match lasts 90 minutes, therefore longer than an NBA basketball match (48 min).

Professional Gladiators?

The curiosity that immediately leaps to the eyes is that, incredibly, at the top of the ranking we find the rudiarii of the time of Tiberius who, although hired for a particular occasion, are paid more than their contenders. However, we do not know if these ex-gladiators could have pocketed the pay in full, since usually the compensation ended up for the most part in the lanista‘s pockets, and being rudiarii, they were not yet free from his authority.

However, we do know that winners usually received cash prizes and valuable goods from the game organizer. In practice, extra income that closely resembles sponsorships for modern sportsmen. With the prizes won, some gladiators could afford a more than dignified lifestyle, compared to the conditions in which the poorer social classes found themselves.

These are friezes (and some gravestones) representing gladiators and other scenes related to the games, like tamers of the wild animals, found at Kibyra in Gölhisar, Burdur (Turkey) province. During rescue excavations in 2002 these were found in an area where a probable gladiatorial cemetery was found. These stood on both sides of a monumental street, leading to the stadion. The friezes probably faced the street. I do not have the knowledge to differentiate further. — (Photo Credit "Dosseman" via Wikimedia Commons). These are friezes (and some gravestones) representing gladiators and other scenes related to the games, like tamers of the wild animals, found at Kibyra in Gölhisar, Burdur (Turkey) province. During rescue excavations in 2002, these were found in an area where a probable gladiatorial cemetery was found. These stood on both sides of a monumental street, leading to the stadion. The friezes probably faced the street. I do not have the knowledge to differentiate further.

Thanks to the discovery of the archive of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus (a banker/notary who lived in Pompeii, who scrupulously noted the sale of real estate, movable property, animals and slaves), it is possible to make a comparison with the cost of living in the 1st century AD.

A slave had an estimated selling price between 1,200 and 2,500 sesterces, a number that varied according to age, sex and physical prowess. The annual salary of a legionary, considered by many to be a secure source of income, was 300 denarii, equal to 1,200 sesterces. A century later, despite the “cap on salaries” imposed in the Antonine era, the minimum wage for a gladiator’s performance will be 3,000 sesterces, more than double the annual wage of a soldier.

These enormous differences allow us to understand well the interests and the economic attraction that the profession of the gladiator exercised in the society of the time.

If you enjoy this article, and you want to know more and discover how a show of outcasts changed the rules of entertainment, check out the author’s book:

Gladiators: The stars of the first Talent Show in history

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01/01/2025 03:01 pm GMT

Author - Niccolo Arcangeli

Born in 1977, a true Roman, he graduated in Literature at the “La Sapienza” University of Rome. From an early age he developed a visceral passion for the Eternal City, so much so that he made it his profession.

Since 2010 he is a licensed tour guide of the Province of Rome and works as a freelancer for the most important international tour operators operating in Italy.

Further to his passion for art, history and archeology, he combines passion for good wine, so much so that he obtained the qualification of AIS sommelier (Italian Sommelier Association).

[1] Alberto Angela, L’ultimo giorno di Roma. Viaggio nella città di Nerone poco prima del grande incendio. La trilogia di Nerone. Volume 1, Harper Collins, 2020, p. 193.