The newly identified bronze statue reveals what may be a female gladiator standing in a victory pose, while looking down at what is presumably her fallen opponent.
CREDIT: Photo by Alfonso Manas, University of Granada
Posted on 04/17/2012 7:25:53 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
Rare Ancient Statue Depicts Topless Female Gladiator
A small bronze statue dating back nearly 2,000 years may be that of a female gladiator, a victorious one at that, suggests a new study.
If confirmed the statue would represent only the second depiction of a woman gladiator known to exist.
The gladiator statue shows a topless woman, wearing only a loincloth and a bandage around her left knee. Her hair is long, although neat, and in the air she raises what the researcher, Alfonso Manas of the University of Granada, believes is a sica, a short curved sword used by gladiators. The gesture she gives is a "salute to the people, to the crowd," Manas said, an action done by victorious gladiators at the end of a fight.
The female fighter is looking down at the ground, presumably at her fallen opponent.
The "precise real-life" details of the statue suggest the depiction was inspired by an actual person, a real woman who fought, Manas told LiveScience in an interview.
It’s not known where the statue was originally found, though it is currently in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbein Hamburg, Germany.
The rarity of such statues likely reflects the idea that female gladiators in ancient Rome were scarce. They were banned by Emperor Septimius Severus in A.D. 200 with only about a dozen references to them in ancient writing surviving to present day. The only other known depiction of them is a carved relieffrom the site of Halicarnassus (now in the British Museum) that shows two female gladiators fighting. There have been claims made in the past of burials of female gladiators being uncovered, but none has attracted widespread support among scholars.
Identifying the gladiator
Scholars had initially suggested the statue represented a female athlete scraping herself with a strigil ...
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
The newly identified bronze statue reveals what may be a female gladiator standing in a victory pose, while looking down at what is presumably her fallen opponent.
CREDIT: Photo by Alfonso Manas, University of Granada
“looking down at what is presumably her fallen opponent.”
That would most likely be her husband....
Are you entertained?
these were usually sideshow attractions, fighting dwarves and things in non-lethal combat. There were points in time I guess (it was a long-run empire) where it might have been more than just a show.
Bookmark
Funny looking knife in her hand.
Ping
Depicted: LORENUS BOBITTUS hovers over her victim JOHNUS WAYNEUS BOBBITUS after discovering he attended a colombian brothel under the guise of doing advance work security for emperor OBAMUS
Maybe it’s just a depiction of a guy with man-boobs.
OR... it could be the symbol for an abortion clinic.
Maximus LOL!
Wow! No one’s said a word about the fact that the chick only has one leg!
Gladiator porn or gladiator with man boobs.
Looks like her opponent managed to take a hand off as well as a sizable chunk of leg.
One leg chicks won’t stop a Caligula orgy.
Zena!
Peggus Stumpius, the female Hoplite?
THOSE WE DO IN LIFE ECHO THROUGHOUT ETERNITY!!!!
er Xena
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.