sta·di·um  -  /stā′dē-əm/
      noun,  plural: sta·di·ums or sta·di·a
"Stadium" derives from the Greek word "stadion" (στάδιον).  A stadium was a course on which foot races were held in ancient Greece, usually semicircular and having tiers of seats for spectators. Similar buildings were built later by the Romans and used for many things, including gladiators fights. They had to confront other gladiators, wild animals or criminals.  Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their social and real lives by appearing in the arena, but most of them were slaves who were basically at the bottom of the social pyramid. Death was considered the only proper outcome of combat.