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In his Saturnalian dialogues (1582), Lipsius describes all aspects of gladiatorial combat, for example, that a great variety of people – criminals but also highly placed officials – took part in the combats, sometimes as volunteers. This detailed description fits into Lipsius’ other historiographical works, such as De Amphitheatro, published in 1584. After an elaborate exposition about gladiators, in the last chapter of the Saturnalian dialogues he gives an impassioned speech about their admirable constancy despite extremely hard circumstances. In several letters, Lipsius also refers to gladiators as proper models to be imitated. His main aim, here and elsewhere, was the promotion of his Stoic ethic – a goal that would ultimately prove successful: De Constantia, first published in 1584, has gone through a large number of reprints, editions and translations.
In his Saturnalian dialogues (1582), Lipsius describes all aspects of gladiatorial combat, for example, that a great variety of people – criminals but also highly placed officials – took part in the combats, sometimes as volunteers. This detailed description fits into Lipsius’ other historiographical works, such as De Amphitheatro, published in 1584. After an elaborate exposition about gladiators, in the last chapter of the Saturnalian dialogues he gives an impassioned speech about their admirable constancy despite extremely hard circumstances. In several letters, Lipsius also refers to gladiators as proper models to be imitated. His main aim, here and elsewhere, was the promotion of his Stoic ethic – a goal that would ultimately prove successful: De Constantia, first published in 1584, has gone through a large number of reprints, editions and translations.