Gladiators

Hi people! 

I took a test today, and one of the questions was (and this isn't the exact question): what are Roman criminals forced to fight in an arena called? I answered gladiator, but gladiators are not just Roman criminals. Some were slaves, some were captured people, and some were criminals. The exact definition (dictionary.com) is: (in ancient Rome) a person, often a slave or captive, who was armed with a sword or other weapon and compelled to fight to the death in a public arena against another person or a wild animal, for the entertainment of the spectators. So, the test was incorrect in that manner. It makes me mad, because, in a book I read about Cleopatra (I don't know if that's right or not), Cleopatra rescued a captive from becoming a gladiator and used him as a guard and a friend.