Archaeologists unearth bloody gladiator fresco in Pompeii

[Peter1469]

Archaeologists unearth bloody gladiator fresco in Pompeii

Cool find. Note the difference between the two gladiators. One is a murmillo and the other is a thraex. Romans had several weapon and armor kits and would pit gladiators with different kits against each other.

well-preserved fresco recently unearthed in Pompeii—the Roman city razed by Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D.—depicts the final act of a gladiator fight: As one combatant begs for mercy, the victorious warrior awaits instructions on whether to kill or spare his opponent.

According to the Guardian’s Angela Giuffrida, archaeologists found the painting while conducting excavations in Regio V, a 54-acre section of the site currently closed to the public. The scene was painted on the wall of a building that likely functioned as both a tavern and brothel.


In a statement, Massimo Osanna, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, says the establishment probably proved popular among the city’s gladiators, who lived nearby. He adds, “We are in Regio V, not far from where there was a barracks for gladiators, where among other things, there was graffiti referring to this world.”


The three- by four-and-a-half-foot fresco features two types of gladiators: a murmillo armed with a short straight sword, curved shield and distinctive crested helmet and a thraex wielding a smaller shield and angled blade. The painting finds the thraex, who has dropped his shield and is seriously wounded, holding one thumb up in a plea for mercy.

“It is interesting to see the extremely realistic representation of the wounds,” Osanna says. “We do not know what the final outcome of this fight was. You could die or have grace. In this case there is a gesture that the wounded [thraex] makes with his hand, perhaps, to implore salvation; it is the gesture of ad locutia, usually done by the emperor or the general to grant grace.”

The new fresco is far from the only treasure unearthed at Pompeii in recent years. As Franz Lidz reports for Smithsonian magazine, the “Great Pompeii Project”—a $140 million effort funded chiefly by the European Union—has yielded finds including graffiti, human skeletons, a sorceress’s kit, and a saddled horse since its launch in 2012. Researchers have even found evidence suggesting Vesuvius erupted in October 79 A.D., not August as previously believed.



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[Common]

In those days every country had slaves, but the worst kind of slave to be was a gladiator, forced to fight and die or die because you wouldnt fight.

[EvilCat Breath]

In those days every country had slaves, but the worst kind of slave to be was a gladiator, forced to fight and die or die because you wouldnt fight.

Or gain your freedom and great wealth.

[Dr. Who]

Or gain your freedom and great wealth.

That happened with the same odds as the lottery today.

[Mister D]

Obviously, this has virtually no chance of developing into a rational discussion. Our egalitarian sensibilities make any appreciation for the historical reality of Roman slavery almost impossible unless one truly wants to understand. For the record, it is in fact true that a slave could buy their freedom (although some were freed outright) and this becomes far more than a theoretical prospect for a skilled gladiator or athlete of some kind. Slaves were actually allowed to earn money. A freed gladiator was called a Rudiarius butkeep in mind that not all gladiators were slaves. Some freemen volunteered.

[Peter1469]

Obviously, this has virtually no chance of developing into a rational discussion. Our egalitarian sensibilities make any appreciation for the historical reality of Roman slavery almost impossible unless one truly wants to understand. For the record, it is in fact true that a slave could buy their freedom (although some were freed outright) and this becomes far more than a theoretical prospect for a skilled gladiator or athlete of some kind. Slaves were actually allowed to earn money. A freed gladiator was called a Rudiarius butkeep in mind that not all gladiators were slaves. Some freemen volunteered.

I had you in mind when I posted this. I didn't expect much of substance, other than your post. I have been to the Colosseum (twice) and it is pretty amazing. I have been to several other coliseums in Europe and Africa.

[Mister D]

I had you in mind when I posted this. I didn't expect much of substance, other than your post. I have been to the Colosseum (twice) and it is pretty amazing. I have been to several other coliseums in Europe and Africa.

Over the last 3 or 4 years there have been several excellent documentaries on Roman gladiators. There was one about a cemetery they had found in Austria? Anatolia? Anyway, it was very interesting and you probably saw it. I was cool they way they examined their bones and teeth to determine their diets.