The ancient Romans were fascinated by spectacles of blood on the sands of the arena. Thousands of citizens flocked from all corners of the empire to see gladiators test their mettle against beasts and men alike. Films and popular culture have portrayed the arena as a ruthless blood bowl that one could only leave as a bloody pulp or a savage victor. While by modern standards, the arena can be seen as quite brutal and dangerous, this image of the games leaves an incomplete picture in the minds of many. Several misconceptions, born from popular media, ignore the scale of the games, rigid institutional organization, impact, and popularity. Furthermore, these misconceptions reduced the Roman citizen to a bloodthirsty savage wishing only to see gore and dismemberment. In reality, gladiatorial games and the culture surrounding them were quite structured, and little different than modern boxing, MMA, and combat sports that have seen a great surge in popularity during the 21st century.