So far we have talked about the Birds of Gladiator that represented home and comfort. When Maximus is brought to the middle east, he encounters a new set of birds, with a new set of meanings.

Maximus is bought by a gladiator trader, Proximo, played by Oliver Reed. As Proximo sits and decides what to do with his new slaves, a Peregrine Falcon - trained for hunting - sits on his left hand side.



Falconry was very popular in the Middle East for thousands of years, and became popular in the rest of europe as well. It was a sport in which the master trained the animal, kept it under control, and then unleased it on an opponent while the master watched. In the same way, the gladiators were trained pets of Proximo's, to kill others and risk their lives at his command.



In this next picture you see the hooded falcon to the right, and a flock of flamingos to the left. Flamingos are extremely widespread in southern europe, across the middle east and India, and down through Africa. They are valued for their beautiful feathers. They are birds for watching and enjoying. The gladiators are also there for the enjoyment and amusement of those who choose to watch them.



When the gladiators go in to the arena to fight, huge numbers of buzzards wheel slowly overhead. In pretty much every society, the buzzard has been a symbol of death. The birds feed on the dead bodies of fallen gladiators.

The Birds of Rome