The Gladiatrix (opens in new tab)

Mention the word gladiator and you would be forgiven for instantly thinking of the 2000 namesake epic movie. Of spectators watching on as men battled each other with a variety of weapons, sometimes to the death, for the entertainment of the crowd. But did women also fight as gladiators? Was the gladiatrix a thing? The references are rare and vague and much debate still surrounds this topic. To talk through the literary and archaeological evidence that survives, Tristan chatted to Alisa Vanlin...