"Entrance of the Gladiators" or "Entry of the Gladiators" is a military march composed in 1897 by Julius Ernst Wilhelm Fucik, a Czech composer who spent most of his life as the leader of military brass bands. He was a prolific composer, with over 300 marches, polkas and waltzes to his name. As most of his work was for military bands, he is sometimes known as the "Bohemian Sousa". As the bandmaster for the 86th Infantry Regiment in Sarajevo, he wrote his most famous piece the Einzug der Gladiatoren. It was originally named the Grande Marche Chromatique, but Fucík's interest in Roman history led him to change the title. The tune is now universally associated with the appearance of the clowns in a circus performance. In its circus context, the tune is also known by the titles Screamer and Thunder and Blazes.
