Drawing of a gladiator

((:gladiator, provocator))


Description of Drawing (English) gladiator, provocator
Findspot Smyrna, Basilica (Agora.1)
Drawing Category Gladiators
Writing Style charcoal
  • Graffito Height: 32
  • Graffito Length: 18
Bibliography Bagnall, R. S. et al., Graffiti from the Basilica in the Agora of Smyrna (2016): 197-198.
Commentary Dipinto of a gladiator. Only the upper half of the body is still preserved. The man is drawn in the act of striding forward toward the left, the body in three-quarter while the face is in profile. The head of the gladiator is completely covered by a visored helmet with flaring neck-guard. The helmet descends down to the front and the back to protect the neck; two feathers depart from right above the temples. The helmet, together with the medium-sized shield of the blunted oval type, here decorated with a circular motif (possibly meant to represent a boss), indicates that the gladiator can be identified as a provocator.
Suggested Citation AGP-SMYD00156, The Ancient Graffiti Project, <https://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/graffito/AGP-SMYD00156> [accessed: 02 Apr 2025]
Contributions

Editor: Roger S. Bagnall

Principal Contributor: Roger S. Bagnall

Last Revision: 2016-10-03