Sport in the Acient World

At the very first Olympics, hosted by the Greeks in 776 BC, the sprint was the only event to be played but would later be joined by others. The athletes at these events would compete naked to emulate the Gods, who's bare bodies were the idealization of what humans should be like. Before events athletes would be doused with dust and scented oil, and scrape everything off after as the remains of a youthful body were seen to have medicinal properties. Only Greek-born males were allowed to compete though which kept the Olympics exclusive. Although it seems like something only the wealthy would enjoy any Greek male could participate if he was willing to dedicate the time. This brought Greek society from all backgrounds together. The games also helped to drive a religious agenda within Greece with the idolization of Gods and athletes. The winning athlete was even seen as being favored by Gods and held to a higher standing. To the Ancient Greeks the Olympics were by far the most important events, suspending wars if it was necessary.
Unlike the ritualistic Olympics, gladiator games created by the Romans were based on brute force and savage-like behavior. Slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war would be forced into battle training and inevitably against each other in front of the Roman people. They would be trained much like the Roman army had been trained in order to put on a show for the public. The Romans absolutely loved these gladiator fights and would come together for them, cheering on their favorite athlete. Although a portion of these participants weren't even Greek they would be revered as celebrities within the community if they continued to win fights. This shows that the relevance of gladiators during this time was of great magnitude.

References:
Youtube video - Ancient Rome
Youtube video - Ancient Greece