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Ludus Magnus
Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius.
Ludus Magnus can be translated as "big training ground". It was one of the four places where gladiators were taught the tricks of their trade. (The other schools were known as Ludus Dacicus, the Ludus Gallicus and the Ludus Matutinus. The latter was specialized in animal fights.) All were built by the emperor Domitian (81-96) and were east of the Colosseum, which had been constructed by his father Vespasian and inaugurated by his brother Titus. Today, the ruin of the Ludus Magnus can be seen immediately east of the Colosseum. This model is in the Museo Nazionale della Civiltà Romana.
On this photo you can see the cells of the gladiators on the northern side, which was connected with the Via Labicana by a monumental entrance. The emperor-gladiator Commodus (180-192) is said to have slept in one of these cells (Herodian, History of the Roman Empire, 1.15.8). There were three other wings of cells and the building seems to have had levels. There must have been about 130 cells. In the corners between arena and the surrounding porticoes with cells were water basins.
The arena, which has been partially excavated, was surrounded by seats for the public, including a VIP box. It seems that people liked to watch the exercising gladiators, because there were no less than 3,000 seats. The Ludus Magnus was restored by the emperor Trajan (98-117). A satellite photo can be found here.
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