Inside the Colosseum’s FIRST gladiator fight: What happened when Priscus and Verus went head to head in front of Emperor Titus at arena’s opening in AD80

It was a match that went on and on, with the crowd begging for more as the two warriors wrestled.

With neither gladiator killing the other, it was up to Emperor Titus to choose the winner of the very first battle in Rome’s brand new Colosseum.

But as historian Dan Snow tells in a Channel 5 documentary tonight, Titus was so impressed by the spirit of the two men, Priscus and Verus, that he declared them joint victors and set them free.

That battle in AD 80 – almost 2,000 years ago – marked the beginning of a hundred days of opening games in what was then known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, which had taken six years to build.

The games saw nearly 10,000 animals killed by hunters called bestiarii, and on one day alone there were fights between 3,000 gladiators.

Ridley Scott’s new epic Gladiator II brings the dark majesty of the Colosseum to life, as Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus takes control of Imperial Rome.

While it has been largely well received by critics and viewers, experts have pointed out some historical inaccuracies, such as scenes of gladiators riding rhinos and the presence of man-eating sharks.

But the real battles in the Colosseum didn’t need sharks or men on rhinos to be compelling.

Referring to the Roman writer Martial, who recorded the clash between Priscus and Verus, Snow says in The Colosseum: The Arena of Death: ‘Our source says that the fight went on and on.

‘Both men were cheered by their supporters in the crowd and by the Emperor himself.

‘The men fought on desperately. The fight continued. But neither superstar could overcome the other.

“Exhausted, the men finally stopped and turned to Titus. It would be up to the emperor to decide the winner.

“In Hollywood, Titus raised his hand dramatically, waiting for him to point his thumb up or down. But in reality there is no evidence that any emperor did that.

“Instead, a hush would have descended on the crowd, awaiting his decision.

‘Titus stood up, today he announced that there were two winners.

‘And then he went a step further, saying that both men would receive the wooden sword that was given to gladiators who needed to be released. Titus freed both men.”

Although born a free man, Verus was executed in 76 AD. captured on the northeastern border of the Roman Empire. He was taken back to Italy and enslaved.

He first worked in a quarry for a year before he was given the opportunity to train as a gladiator.

Priscus, meanwhile, was a slave from Gaul (now France).

The Colosseum was built from 750,000 tons of stone, 8,000 tons of marble and 6,000 tons of concrete.

It could accommodate as many as 60,000 spectators – more than Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.

The Roman historian Tacitus said that matches in the Colosseum were “a vice peculiar to the Romans, which children seem to absorb almost in their mother’s womb.”

When gladiators enlisted, they swore a terrifying oath: “I undertake to be burned by fire, to be bound by chains, to be beaten, to die by the sword.”

They came largely from prisoners of war, criminals and slaves. Some free men also volunteered under the same conditions.

The men typically lived and trained in barracks, where medical care was available to ensure they were in good health.

The staff often included masseurs, accountants, weapons masters and guards. The last group was there to ensure that the gladiators did not escape and get their hands on weapons.

Gladiators received cash prizes for winning their fights, and successful gladiators could win popular support to purchase their freedom.

Graffiti found in private homes and brothels shows that some fighters felt irresistible to women.

One warrior, Celadus, is called “the hero and heartthrob of the girls,” while another, Crescene, is “lord and healer of the nightclub dollies.”

On the day before a fight, gladiators were given a grand banquet, which bystanders could watch if they wished.

The day of a battle would begin with a grand parade. When the gladiators reached the emperor’s podium, they shouted, “Hail, Emperor, those who are about to die salute you!”

There were three broad categories of fighters. Some fought from chariots, others were heavily armored with fearsome weapons, and a third group was lightly armed and mostly without armor.

But the latter were equipped with nets, tridents, shields and daggers.

There was fighting to the death, or until one of the men begged for mercy. It was ultimately up to the emperor to determine the outcome.

Once a victim was thought to be dead, an attendant dressed as Mercury (the god who escorted souls to Hades) would come out with a hot iron to check that they were not bluffing.

Surviving losers would be taken to the hospital, while the victor soaked up the glory and prize money.

The Colosseum: The Arena of Death airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.