Gladiator
((:gladiator, murmillo cum scuto))
| Description of Drawing (English): | gladiator, murmillo with shield |
|---|---|
| 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): 128-129. Solin, H. and M. Itkonen-Kaila, eds. 1966. Graffiti del Palatino. Vol. I, Paedagogium. Helsinki, no. 97, p. 133. |
| Commentary: | Dipinto of a human figure, possibly a gladiator, located in the upper right quadrant of the back wall of Bay 9. The depiction of this human figure is quite difficult to interpret, both for its summary execution and for the fading black color. From the extant traces it seems possible to recognize in the man a murmillo, shown in three-quarter and in the act of advancing toward the right, with his right leg partially raised and advanced. The identification is based on the large size of his upper torso, the tight loincloth (subligaculum) revealing the contours of the buttocks, and the lines at his waist indicating a balteus. A helmet with a stylized element on top (a poorly rendered crest and fish?) protects his head, while at his left, partially covered by the body, is visible the outline of a long shield, possibly a scutum. The man’s left leg is visibly larger than the right one, and it is drawn in a thicker line, suggesting the presence of a greave, a customary accessory for a murmillo. Similar pose and attributes can be found in one graffito from the theater of Aphrodisias (Langner 2001: no. 761, dated to Late Antiquity) and another one from the Paedagogium of the Domus Tiberiana (Solin and Itkonen-Kaila, eds. 1966: no. 97, p. 133). |
| Suggested Citation: | AGP-SMYD00091, The Ancient Graffiti Project, <http://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/graffito/AGP-SMYD00091> [accessed: 26 Apr 2024] |
| Contributions: |
Editor: Roger S. Bagnall Principal Contributor: Roger S. Bagnall Last Revision: 2016-10-03 |
