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When it emerged from the ground in 1853 at West Lodge, England, the so-called Colchester Vase was immediately deemed an important find due to its remarkable decorative relief depicting a gladiatorial battle, which dated the piece back to Roman Britain. It was also considered a cremation vessel, having been found containing human remains. But new studies have found that the jar was no ordinary grave object—it could represent the earliest form of sports memorabilia.Conducted by researchers at the Colchester and Ipswich Museums, where the artifact is held, the latest tests reveal that the vase was crafted out of local clay...

Two inscriptions from Hierapolis provide evidence of how gladiatorial contests were supervised. Gladiators were not, in fact, engaged in the chaotic, savage massacre of many people's imagination. On the contrary, the games were governed by detailed sets of rules and overseen by arbiters, or referees. These inscriptions, dedicated to local arbiters named Apollonios Menandros and Zosimos, describe the men as secunda rudes, or second umpires. If the city provided gladiators and referees for the games, it's possible there was a permanent gladiatorial organization in Hierapolis. This interpretation is supported by a grave stela found at the end of the nineteenth...

In Ancient Rome, female fighters were known as “Gladiatrix” and were basically the equivalent of Roman male gladiators. However, instead of fighting other men, they fought other Gladiatrix or even wild animals. These battles took place during special events in arenas and festivals. It’s important to note that there are no Latin words from the Roman period that specifically referred to the Gladiatrix. The term “Gladiatrix” is more of a recent term used to describe these female fighters. There is limited historical evidence and documented accounts of their existence, according to Heritage Daily. To the ancient Romans, seeing women gladiators...

0:00 Reaching retirement0:38 Leaving the arena1:59 Infamia2:30 Exhibition fighters and referees3:32 Trainers4:16 Curiosity Stream5:29 Bodyguards6:07 Legionaries 6:47 Farmers and priests7:14 Political careers8:21 "Friends" of wealthy ladies9:07 Elusive antiheroesDid any Gladiator enter Roman Politics? | 10:27toldinstone | 438K subscribers | November 17, 2023

ANCIENT sports fans ate fast food and bought tacky gifts, it is claimed. Archaeologists say Romans gnawed on spare ribs and chicken while watching gladiators fight nearly 2000 years ago. It follows a dig at the site of an amphitheatre in Chester where the bones of discarded snacks were found. Part of a souvenir bowl decorated with pictures of the fights was also uncovered

An expert in the history of the Catholic Church, Domingo Ramos-Lissón, explained in an interview that the preparation of the early Christians for baptism could last up to three years, and that many professions prohibited a person from registering as a catechumen. "If we follow the path taken by someone who wanted to become a Christian in the fourth century, initially we will see a thorough examination of his life, family conditions and aspiring profession," Ramos-Lissón said in an interview with the website PrimerosCristianos.com (First Christians). In that regard, he explained, "some family situations, such as polygamy and concubinage, or...

Italian archaeologists have discovered the tomb of the ancient Roman hero said to have inspired the character played by Russell Crowe in the film "Gladiator." Daniela Rossi, an archaeologist based in Rome, said the discovery of the monumental marble tomb of Marcus Nonius Macrinus, including a large inscription bearing his name, was "an exceptional find." She said it was "the most important ancient Roman monument to come to light for twenty or thirty years." The tomb is on the banks of the Tiber near the via Flaminia, north of Rome. Cristiano Ranieri, who led the archeological team at the site,...

Turkey’s Izmir Archaeological Museum is hosting a different exhibition this month. A bronze strigil is the museum’s guest this month as part of its “You Will See What You Can’t See“ project, in which a new, special artifact is introduced to visitors every month. The Izmir Archaeology Museum recently opened a new, unique exhibition focusing on the historical relic known as a “strigil,” which was used to cleanse the body 2,300 years ago by scraping off dirt, perspiration, and oil. The strigil in issue was unearthed during archaeological digs at Teos, one of the 12 ancient Greek towns that made...

Rare evidence of ritual beheadings in ancient Roman-controlled London comes from three dozen human skulls bearing an array of serious wounds, scientists say.Decapitated heads were placed in closely spaced pits along Walbrook Stream, a tributary of the Thames River, say biological anthropologist Rebecca Redfern of the Museum of London and forensic anthropologist Heather Bonney of the Natural History Museum in London.Damage from clubs, knives and other weapons suggests that the skulls came from victims of head-hunting by Roman soldiers or from mortally wounded gladiators who fought in a nearby amphitheater, Redfern and Bonney report January 10 in the Journal of...

Archaeologists have discovered some ancient Roman leftovers while digging around in the sewers of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.They found seeds from figs, grapes and melons, as well as traces of olives and walnuts, thought to have been left by snacking spectators 1,900 years ago.Fragments of bones from ferocious animals that fought for their lives in the Roman arena were also unearthed in 230 feet (70 m) of searched drains.The Colosseum is 2,000-year-old stone ampitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian Emperors of the Roman Empire around 70 AD...The results of the study by the Colosseum Archaeological Park were presented...

Gladiators fought in rounds, and there were referees to enforce rules. Only rarely were gladiators killed. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Gladiators rarely died in fights, as gladiatorial combat was more about demonstrating physical and mental endurance, martial skill, and athleticism. There were between 20 and 30 different styles of gladiatorial combat. Gladiators would adopt a style based on their body type and the choice of their trainers. Gladiatorial fights had rules, including fighting in rounds. Referees were present to enforce rules, caution fouls, and handle appeals. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the most iconic moments in movie history is when Russell Crowe, dressed in...

THE GLADIATRIX WERE THE FEMALE EQUIVALENT OF THE ROMAN GLADIATOR, THAT FOUGHT OTHER GLADIATRIX OR WILD ANIMALS DURING RARE OCCURRENCES IN ARENA GAMES AND FESTIVALS. There are no defining Latin words from the Roman period for a Gladiatrix (a modern invention), and documented accounts or historical evidence is limited. To the Romans, combat involving Gladiatrix was a novel event (although contemporary accounts often report in a derogatory manner), in which the combatant would most likely be pitted against fighters of similar skill and capacity. According to the Roman poet, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, the Gladiatrix trained for gladiatura using the same...

Archaeologists unearth a fourth century amphitheater that stood on the far reaches of the Roman Empire more than 1,400 years ago[what an imbecile]

<p>The Roman Colosseum is one step closer to having a floor, which will let visitors see the ancient amphitheater from a gladiator's vantage point for the first time in two centuries.</p><p>Colosseum Gets A Good 2,000-Year Scouring The famed Italian landmark dates back to the Flavian dynasty of the first century, and was originally used to host spectacles like animal hunts and gladiatorial games. It's been without a complete floor since the nineteenth century, when archaeologists removed it to reveal the network of structures and tunnels underneath.</p>

"For abdominal cramp or bruises," states Marcus Varro, and I quote his very words, "your hearth should be your medicine chest. Drink lye made from its ashes, and you will be cured. One can see how gladiators after a combat are helped by drinking this." -- Pliny, Natural History XXXVI.203 The Roman gladiator calls to mind a fierce fighter who, armed with an assortment of weapons, battled other gladiators -- and even wild animals. What did gladiators eat? Roman author Pliny the Elder reported that gladiators went by the nickname "hordearii" ("barley-eaters") and drank a tonic of ashes after combat...

You'd figure a typical Roman gladiator to be a real meat-and-potatoes guy, right? You'd be figuring wrong—at least if you were talking about gladiators from the city of Ephesus.

    For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.     Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!       ROMAN GLADIATORS The first gladiatorial contest at Rome took place in 264 BC as part of aristocratic funerary ritual, a munus or funeral gift for the dead. Decimus Junius Brutus put on a gladiatorial combat in honor of his deceased father with three pairs of slaves serving as gladiators in the Forum Boarium (a commercial area that was named after the Roman cattle...

The recent pardon of the late world heavy weight champion Jack Johnson by our president was a gracious act long overdue. A previous motion had passed the House but died in the Senate in 2008. Johnson’s racially motivated conviction for violating the Mann Act after he had married a white woman resulted in his beginning a year term in Leavenworth prison in 1920. It was not a salutary place; I buried one of its inmates who had done much more than a year there. Johnson skipped bail and spent several years in Europe via Canada. In Barcelona, much in need...

The Termite Nations have dispensed with God and His Commandments in their quest for unbridled hedonism. We are being prepared for the Reign of Antichrist. The Rev. P. Huchede, in his work entitled "History of Antichrist," explains the religious preparation, both intellectual and moral, for the Reign of Antichrist which will arrive after economic collapse: "But how shall he deprive the world of Christianity and have himself adored as God? Alas, it is only too true that the minds and hearts of men are admirably disposed for revolution and consequently ready to accept and bear the cruel yoke of such...

Carabinieri Captain Lorenzo Iacobone said Monday two tourists from California, ages 21 and 25, were picked up Saturday for carving their names eight centimeters (three inches) high into an upper level of the Colosseum. They were freed later but will face trial for aggravated damage to a monument. Iacobone said the young women apologized for the vandalism, but he said such acts "are extremely serious, and no one considers the damage they are creating."