Gladiatorial contests

Gladiatorial contests are a recurrent theme of fascination in fiction and in SF.

Typically works that feature societies with gladiatorial contests are intended to suggest thmes associated with the fall of the Roman Empire: a debased and inhumane populace, with the wealthy able to satisfy any vices, the poor subject to slavery or abuse, a lack of ethics protecting the weak and disenfranchised, and a lack of religious codes restricting various sexual or other codes.

Characters may be sent to compete in gladiatorial contests, to show their nobility of spirit, strength, fighting skills, etc.

In a number of works featuring gender division, men are disempowered directly or indirectly, but have a major role as athletic competition.

• Elizabeth Bear, Carnival (2006) (men win glory by athletic and martial competitions)
• Marion Zimmer Bradley books
• Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Matter of Seggri" (1994)

A bunch of stories feature people kidnapped, brainwashed, or in some other way enslaved and forced to compete in gladiatorial-style contests:

• Angel (TV series) episode 1x16 "The Ring" (2000) (demons)
• Birds of Prey (TV series) episode Gladiatrix 1x10 (2003) (meta-humans)
• Blood Ties (TV series) episode 1x10 (2007) "Necrodrome" (former boxers resurrected zombie-style)

See also:

• pouty slave boys