Posted on 03/15/2015 1:25:12 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A gladiator's helmet left behind in the ruins of Pompeii is the centrepiece of an exhibition to be unveiled in Melbourne today.
The 2,000-year-old bronze helmet is one of 250 items brought together at the Melbourne Museum to illustrate life in the ancient city.
Museum manager Brett Dunlop says the helmet survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and was recovered 200 years ago.
'A large number of gladiators' helmets and shin guards and shoulder guards were found in what was most likely a storeroom in the gymnasium area,' he said.
'Most definitely the gladiators who were able to would have fled away when the volcano was erupting and a large number of pieces of their equipment were left behind.'
The helmet would have been worn by 'murmillo', a type of gladiator during the Roman Imperial age.
The distinguishing feature of the murmillo was the high crest of his helmet which, together with its broad rim, was shaped somewhat like a fish.
The murmillo took his name from this fish-shaped helmet; the word comes from the Greek word for a type of saltwater fish.
Otherwise, he wore a loincloth, belt, short greaves on the lower parts of his legs, a linen arm protector to protect his right arm, and the curved rectangular shield of the Roman legionary.
He also carried the legionary's short, straight sword, or gladius, from which gladiators derived their name.
The murmillo usually fought gladiators styled after ancient Greek fighters, with whom he shared some of the same equipment (notably arm guards and greaves)...
Examples of the pairing between murmillones and other gladiator types can be seen in frescos and graffiti in Pompeii.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
That’s at least another $1000, if you buy a Honda.
A Honda? I gotta buy an ATV to get some protection from sword wounds? lol
The Greeks made armor with about 20 layers of linen glued together. Kind of like ancient Kevlar.
“Are you not entertained?”
“The frost-sometimes it makes the blade stick!”
“Win the crowd, Spaniard”..,”I will win the crowd..I will give them something they haven’t seen before”
One of my all time favorite movies..
They switched from male to linen and when going to bed
Like the “bear skin” hats worn by British troops, the wide epaulettes (still used in many dress uniforms), the exaggerated hats worn by many tin-foil dictators
.. ALL such plumes and hats and decorations add to the bear’s height, shoulder width, and impression of strength and courage to the foes a few yards before battle. And, the wide cover does protect the head somewhat, and these were worn for the short tournament battles, not for long marches over months of countries in remote provenances.
And - as Napoleon said - morale is to material as 10 is to 1. If a soldier feels taller, stronger, braver, wider, better than his weak, short, little opponent, he WILL be better, stronger, more formidable in battle.
I think there’s considerable debate among historians about what signal was used to signify death or mercy.
But you are correct about how very inaccurate Hollywood’s portrayal of ancient Rome has generally been.
In case we get the idea that The Games weren’t as bloody as you might think, what with most of the contests only to first blood, they had “special events.”
Theatrical enactments of myths, with actual live rape, dismemberment, burning alive on stage, etc.
At intermission criminals were fed to animals. The criminals sometimes included Christians. On one memorable occasion under the Republic, a wealthy aristo was murdered. The law required all his slaves to be executed for not preventing it. So several hundred men, women and children were executed at the Games.
Nero wrapped Christians in shrouds soaked in pitch, mounted them on poles and used them for lighting.
Captured enemy soldiers were often forced to fight each other to the death two at a time, with the winner fighting the next in line, up to a hundred or more. The last man standing was generally freed.
For many centuries, the rare criticism of the Games was based not on their brutality, which the Romans considered positive, but on their popularity with the lower classes.
However, properly prepared, cloth can give protection as well. An armor worn by the Spanish during the conquest of Mexico was Aztec quilted cotton armor. In most cases, these common foot soldiers were not wealthy enough to afford European plate steel breast plates and so made do with what was locally available. Aztec quilted armor, Ichcahuīpīlli, was made of multiple layers of cotton toughed by soaking in salt water brine. It was reportedly able to resist the blows of the Mācuahuitl, the Aztec obsidian/flint-edged sword clubs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_warfare#Armor
Ah... was the head still in it?
Most gladiators were much younger than that.
Trying to find a photo of Harry Morgan, the last scene in WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR, DADDY? where he is wondering through the catacombs and finds various pieces of gladiator armor.
True about thumbs down. I think I’d read that a thumb to the chest was the move for “finish him”. CB may not have originated that, but it definitely makes sense to a modern audience without a footnote. :’)
:’D
Gladiators - More Showbusiness Than Slaughter
Scotsman | 1-20-2005 | James Reynolds
Posted on 01/20/2005 4:46:25 PM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1325022/posts
Veni Vidi, Veggie...(Roman Gladiators)
The Telegraph (UK) | 2-3-2004 | Tom Leonard
Posted on 03/01/2004 6:03:18 PM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1088735/posts
Where’s my copy of the Gladiator Rulebook?
Reuters | 2/23/06 | Reuters
Posted on 02/23/2006 6:31:14 PM PST by wagglebee
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1584491/posts
WOW! Thanks for posting. Good, informative/humorous thread. Thanks to all posters.
I’m sure I’ve never seen that movie. So this is just a wild guess:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r7GAFUx0YEc/hqdefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7GAFUx0YEc
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