Battles between these fighters in the Roman Colosseum were stopped in 404 A.D.
The 
first gladiatorial contest in Rome took place in 264 BC as part of one of these ... A 
contemporary second century AD scholar, Festus, (who abridged the work of the
... [DOC] [TLE] Colosseum in Rome - Rome sightseeing [PAR] Besides these bloody scenes, there were also performances by acrobats and 
flute players.