A mint condition figurine that served as decoration on the handle of a gladiator knife has resurfaced in England, providing evidence of the “culture of celebrity” under the Roman Empire.
A rare item. A 2,000-year-old statuette in the shape of a gladiator was found in the Tyne, a river located in the north of England, in 1997 by two divers. Donated to the organization responsible for managing English historical heritage, English Heritage, the object allowed us to learn more about “the culture of celebrity” under the Roman Empire.
The statuette, made of copper alloy, was used to decorate the handle of a folding knife. It is none other than the representation of a secutor, a type of gladiator fighting with a shield and a short sword.
According to Frances McIntosh, archaeologist and collections curator for Hadrian's Wall and North East England at English Heritage, “this could show that this is a specific gladiator” given that he was left-handed although at the time this characteristic was frowned upon in Rome.
The statuette also proved that the status of gladiators extended beyond the borders of the Empire. “This beautifully crafted knife handle illustrates how pervasive this culture of celebrity was, even reaching Hadrian's Wall on the outskirts of the Roman Empire,” added Frances McIntosh.
Soon to be exhibited
English Heritage plans to display the knife handle at the Roman site of Corbridge in 2025 along with other objects found in the Tyne.
The statuette, meanwhile, is only the second of its kind to have been discovered in England.
This statuette emerges from the shadows as the second part of Gladiator by Ridley Scott was released in theaters, 24 years after the feature film directed by Russell Crowe.
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