Drawing of gladiatorial combat
((:certamen gladiatorum))
| Description of Drawing (English): | gladiator combat |
|---|---|
| Findspot: |
Smyrna, Basilica
(Agora.1)
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| Drawing Category: | Gladiators |
| Writing Style: | charcoal |
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| Bibliography: | Bagnall, R. S. et al., Graffiti from the Basilica in the Agora of Smyrna (2016): 449. |
| Commentary: | Dipinto of a gladiatorial combat, located on the western face of Pier A105. The scene, partially faded toward the bottom, depicts a combat between two provocatores. Of the man to the right, only the upper half of the body is still preserved: he is drawn in the act of striding forward toward the left with the head and shoulder in profile while the torso, completely covered by the shield, is fully frontal. The head is covered by a visored helmet that descends down to the front and the back to protect the man’s neck; two feathers (one badly preserved) depart from right above his temples. The medium-sized shield is of the blunted oval type, with a horizontal line decorating the middle. The other gladiator is standing, turned toward the right. The figure, rendered in three-quarter, is more schematic: the helmet is barely sketched and the right arm is rendered as a triangle terminating in two parallel lines, probably indicating a short weapon. The body is entirely covered by a medium-sized shield with a very prominent protruding boss. Two straight, thick lines identify the legs, and the feet are rendered by two perpendicular lines. |
| Suggested Citation: | AGP-SMYDP1051, The Ancient Graffiti Project, <https://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/graffito/AGP-SMYDP1051> [accessed: 21 Nov 2024] |
| Contributions: |
Editor: Roger S. Bagnall Principal Contributor: Roger S. Bagnall Last Revision: 2016-10-03 |
