The gladiators lived in training schools, familiae, run by an owner who fed them and prepared them for fighting.
In the familiae, gladiators had to follow a special diet to improve their physical strength.
This diet included many legumes, grains, onions, garlic, fennel seeds, fruit and dried figs, and was poor in meat. The diet also included dairy products, oil, honey and wine.
The night before fighting, the gladiators attended a rich banquet to build their strength.
On this occasion, they ate barley flat breads sprinkled with honey and drank fenugreek infusions with strengthening properties.
