With Christianity no longer fighting for its survival, this enabled its bishops and priests to campaign publicly against theatrical spectacles. Christians had been condemning these shows for centuries. Their censures were addressed against theatrical performances offering licentious material, which in the eyes of Christians elders, were a constant temptation to the members of their congregations, and in CE 314 the Council of Bishops at Aries excommunicated actors.

As symbols of rebirth and Roman power the munus was in direct competition to the Christians' own faith of the afterlife. The gladiatorial games of excess could not exist mutually in the same atmosphere of ascetics and sacrifice.

In 325, the Emperor Constantine issued the following rescript to the Vicar of Egypt "In this age of public peace and domestic tranquillity spectacles involving the shedding of blood displeases us. We therefore forbid the existence of gladiators, ensure that those persons who, because of their crimes, used to be sentenced to the schools, should now sentenced to the mines so they can pay the penalty for their criminal behavior without having to shed blood."

This was the beginning of the decline of the great imperial schools, from this moment on, we here no more about criminals being "damnatio ad ludos" the schools would have to use up existing stocks replacing them with a combination of volunteers and prisoners of wars. And soon the use of POWS stopped since the upcoming civil wars saw them being impressed in the various Roman field annies.

The demise of munus can be laid right at Constantine's door. There were never any recorded gladiatorial contests in Constantinople. The Emperor may have found them offensive and reminiscent of the old Principate, whose memory he was tryingto efface. Speculative evidence indicates that the Capuan schools stopped receiving funding in 399, but if not then certainly shortly afier and with the Christians in control the munus seemed to reverted back to the original, private showings given by wealthy individuals. But as the reverence to the Roman religio flickered out, non Christians who wanted to be gladiators, became scarce and in 404 Tbeodorat in his "Historia Ecclesiastica" informs us "that the emperor banned the munus after a wild crowd tore the monk Telemachus apart since be attempted to halt the games." ~5. 25-261 The ban in Rome may have been temporary. There seems to be a brief revival in 410-20: a medallion dated to that period says "May the restoration of the munus have a happy outcome."

It did not. By the 440s when Salvian in attacks the public spectacles in Rome he mentions the usual events, the beast shows, theatre, and chariot races, but the munus and the gladiators are conspicuously absent. After nearly 700 years men no longer fought each other to the death to divert a amused mob.

NEXT, THE MUNUS AND THE GLADIATORIAL TRADITION

More History of the Munus Gladiatorial Contests

Origins
The First Contests in Rome
The Games as a Political Tool
The Demise of the Munus
Ave Imperator: Gladiator Game Rules
Ave Imperator: Record Sheet
Re-enactor: Maximus the Lanista

More History of the Munus Part 2 Gladiatorial Contests

Executing the Munus
The Preparation
Conduct of the Gladiatorial Contests
The Fight and Post Combat
Gladiators and Their Future