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Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter III.Alliance of Church and State and Its Influence on Public Morals and Religion." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1856-1908). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library).
"§21. Abolition of Gladiatorial Shows." (pp. 1885-1887).
Schaff counts gladiatorial contests as barbaric and bloody (Schaff 2014, p. 1885). They normally pitted criminals, prisoners, or foreigners against one another or against wild animals, to amuse spectators. The practice earned the condemnation of Christian apologists in the second century. The violence of the spectacles proved attractive even to mature Christians, including Alypius, the friend of Augustine, in 385 (Schaff 2014, p. 1886). Even decrees prohibiting gladiatorial shows had only limited influence on the practice (Schaff 2014, p. 1887). Schaff notes that shows pitting man against animal were still a practice in Spain and South America at his time.