Bakalarska_prace_-_Lukas_Kratochvil

4.1 Relieves

This expensive form of decoration is mostly connected directly with places of holding gladiatorial fights or death. Extant are gravestones of gladiators built by bereaved after death. Either by the co-fighters from ludus or by lanista himself in the case of eminent gladiator. But mostly it was built by family and children. There was found the largest graveyard of gladiators in Ephesus. Three gravestones and bones of 67 men in the age of 20 – 30 years considered as gladiators were found. On the gravestones is engraved name of the dead fighter, his portrayal and often dedication. Gladiators are allways depicted standing and fully armed, against his adversary or alone. Often were depicted with palm spray as winners. In Thyateiry (nowadays Turkey), young wife of fallen gladiator had built a gravestone, which says „Amias in memory to her beloved husband Araxios, who came from Daldis, also called Antalos“.

Araxios stays in figh position, protects himself with shield parmula , has high ocrea and holds sica with curved blade. It´s dedicated that Araxios was fighting as a thraex. From Smyrna comes gravestone of thraex Satornilose who stands in winning position holding a palm spray.

The gravestones say: “Familia in memory to Satornilos.” Beside the figures, there were depicted wreaths on the gravestones, as in the grave of thraex Danaos (Fig. 7). The number of wreaths was eaqual to number of victories in the arena. Some epitaphs on the graves of gladiators were same as on the soldiers gravestones. First is written name, than follows type of weapon he fought with, his native land, number of undergone fights and age.

Fig. 7. Reconstruction of the Relief tombstone of the retired gladiator

Danaos with wreaths on the side. (after: Wilson S. Gladiators 100 BC –

AD 200 Osprey 2001)

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The relief found in Pompeií56, nowadays placed in Muzeo archeologico Nazionale, Neapoli, shows the course of venatio a munus. In the upper part of relief there is pompa depicted. Iin the middle line there are gladiatorial fights under way, where in the right side can be recognized pair hoplomachus – murmillo. In the lower part there is venation depicted. On the redrawn relief from 19th century from Pompeii which was destroyed are gladiatorial fights depicted. Thraex is in the upper line depicted twice in pair with murmillo, the lower line is formed only by pairs murmillo – thraex, thraex – murmillo. Also, the relief from 2nd quarter of 1st century AD is preserved. It comes from clerk Lusius Storaxe57. On the right side there is well identifiable pair thraex – murmillo in the upper part. In the lower part there are pairs thraex – murmillo, murmillo – thraex, murmillo – hoplomachus and thraex – murmillo described from left.

56Entry 4.1.2.

57Entry 4.1.1.

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4.1. Relieves

4.1.1. Funerary relief of Lusius Storax

Location: Italy. Chieti, Museo Archeologico Nazionale d’Abruzzo.

Inventory nr.: unknown.

Material: Limestone.

Measures: pediment 60 x 280 cm; height of the frieze panels: 60 cm.

State of preservation: Good.

Provenance: Teate (Chieti).

Dating: AD 20-40 (Kleiner); principate of Claudius (41-54: Maderna).

Description: The relief with gladiatorial munera belongs to the funerary monument of a freedman, Gaius Lusius Storax, who lived in ancient Teate (today Chieti) where he was sevir Augustalis (i.e., member of a college of priests of the Imperial cult). The monument was designed in the fashion of a temple: with a pediment. In the pediment, we can see Lusius Storax in toga, seated on a sella curulis, in the centre of the composition. Around him there is a crowd of men and at the sides tibicines (on the left) and cornicines (on the right). All the people are watching the gladiatorial munera clearly offered by Lusius Storax himself, partly represented on the pediment itself: here, from left to right, there are two equites, a myrmillo- hoplomachus pair (behind them there are two umpires) and a thraex-myrmillo pair. The relief of the frieze (from left to right) shows the following pairs: thraex-myrmillo, myrmillo-thraex, myrmillo-hoplomachus and thraex-myrmillo.

Bibliography: Maderna, C. Die Bildhauerkunst während der Regierungszeit des Nero (54-68 n. Chr.) 2010, I, p. 132, II, fig. 204a-b; Kleiner F.S. A History of Roman Art, Enhanced Edition,

Figs. 4.1.1.1. Left and right part from Lusius Storax’s funerary relief showing the performance of munera (after http://www.flickr.com/photos/risotto-al-caviale/3442301554/and http://www.flickr.com/photos/risotto-al-caviale/3442301242; last visit: 3.6.2012)

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4.1.2. Relief from Pompeii with munus and venatio

Location: Italy. Naples, Museo Archeologico Nazionale.

Inventory no.: 6704.

Material: Marble of Luni

Measures: 1.50 x 4.23 m.

State of preservation: Two diagonal fractures; little missing area in the centre of the lowest register.

Provenance: Pompeii, necropolis before Porta Stabia.

Dating: AD 20-50.

Description: This relief, organized in three registers of different height, originally decorated the façade of a funerary monument. It is very important because it consists of a cyclic narration, in which the singles episodes mark also under the chronological point of view the

“timetable” of an editio (the game day), offered by a magistrate. The narration begins in the upper register, with a procession (pompa), marching from left to right: the parade is opened by two lictors, followed by three tibicines (“players of tuba”) and by a ferculum, on which there are two small figures, possibly representing the fabri who constructed the armatures for the gladiators (Junkelmann 2000). Then, the harenarii follow, carrying materials needed for the games, such as the table with the programme of the games and the palm branch as prize for the winner. In the pompa we can detect a character frontally depicted, cladded in a toga, who is the patron of the funerary monument and the editor of the munera. The gladiatorial fights are represented in the central register: a series of pairs of gladiators, umpires and assistants are depicted. In detail: two provocatores, two groups each consisting of three men (perhaps, paegniarii and their assistants); a hoplomachus and a murmillo on the right. Bottom row, venatores fighting with animals, as well as three bestiarii at the moment of letting beasts out onto the arena.

Bibliography: See Mau, A. Pompeii: Its Life and Art. Translated by F.W.Kelsey. New York: Macmillan, 1907, p. 431, fig. 246; La Regina 2001, p. 359, no. 74; Cooley S. and M.G.L. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, 2004 p. 140.

Fig. 10. Relief from Pompeii (after Nossov, Konstantin. Gladiator. Rome’s Bloody

Spectacle 2009)

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4.1.3. Sketch of a lost relief from Pompeii

Location: /.

Inventory no.: /.

Material: /

Measures: /

State of preservation: /.

Provenance: After a relief found at Pompeii.

Dating: AD 20-50.

Description: A sketch realized in the 19th century from a destroyed relief in Pompeii showing gladiatorial combats. From left to right, there are in the upper row: two equites, a myrmillo- thraex pair, a hoplomachus-myrmillo pair, two essedarii, two retiarii and a myrmillo-thraex pair. The lower row comprises a myrmillo-thraex pair and a thraex-myrmillo pair as well as some enlarged details. Helmets and foot covers are depicted. Thraex’s parmula shows a vertical handgrip.

Bibliography: Mazois, F. Les Ruines de Pompei: Premiere Partie. Paris: Atlas, 1824, p. 4748; Smith, W. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. London, 1875, p. 1186-1188.

Fig. 4.1.3 Tracing of the Pompeii destroyed relief from 19th century (after Nossov, Konstantin.

Gladiator. Rome’s Bloody Spectacle 2009)

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4.2 Mosaic

Mosaics from the Antiquity are one of the most permanent form of decorative art which was preserved. This expensive style of decoration was very well-liked by Romans who decorated with it their private vilas or public rooms. The fragmen fo mosaic from Zliten in Libye58 dated around 200 AD depicts the cours of munus. On its right side there is bust of editor depicted, than follow musicians and a pair of fighting equites. Other fighting gladiators are also depicted, with easily recognizable armature types. Thraex is depicted twice, fighting with murmillo and surrending with raised finger59. On mosaics from Augst by Basel60 from 2nd century placed in Augst, Römermuseum is five fighting scenes depicted. Pairng of gladiators is very well traceable on this mosaic. One of the scenes is dedicated to pair thraex – murmillo.

There is also depiction of pair thraex – murmillo on one part of mosaic from half of the 1st century from Bad Kreuznach61 placed in Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier. On this view there is Thraex hit by murmillos shield to his helmet which confirms the theory of active using of shield in fight62. On the fragment of mosaic from Verona 63 around AD 200 there is thraex kneeling over downed murmillo and standing arbiter64. Three fragments of mosaic from famous Villa Borghese from the beginning of 4th century AD represent gladiatorial combats between retiarii and secutores and venation. Thraex is not represented here but it is clearly visible the using of scalemaled manicae and its attaching65. Mosaics from 2nd century AD are less detailed and it is more difficult to follow details of gladiatorial armature opposite to mosaics from the end of 3rd and 4th century AD. It is likelihood that authors of mosaics created their work with a certain amount of own artistic invention and some technical details were not crucial for creating work. In spite of that mosaics in combination with written sources and original finds of equipment are very valuable preserved source of information.

58Entry 4.2.1.

59This gesture mean, the fighting person is unable to continue in fight because of his injury or exhaustion. Than the crowd could decide about his next destiny.

60Entry 4.2.2.

61Entry 4.2.3.

62Chapter 4.4.

63Entry 4.2.4.

64There were two arbiters summa rudis and his assistant secunda rudis watching th fight. Their main task was observe the fight rulez dictate (Nossov 2009 str. 159)

65Chapter 2.3

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4.2. Mosaics

4.2.1. Mosaic from Zliten

Location: Lybia. Tripoli, The Archaeological Museum of Tripoli.

Inventory nr.: not found.

Measures: 5.73 × 3.97 m.

State of preservation: Complete, with some lacunae, obliterating especially one of the gladiatorial frieze, and some areas of the central square.

Provenance: Roman villa at Dar Buk Ammera.

Dating: AD 200.

Description: Fragment of a large mosaic, originally decorating a triclinium, with scenes of games in the amphitheatre. The mosaic consists of a set of sixteen square fields decorated with geometric designs in opus sectile or representations of several kinds of fish in opus vermiculatum,, formin a square in the centre of the pavement. Each side of the edge is decorated with pictures of gladiatorial contests. Here, only two details have been selected. Top (from left to right): Bust of an editor, musicians (with the rare representation of a hydraulis, “water-organ”), a stretcher to take away the dead or wounded, and an umpire holding one of the equites by the hand, expecting a verdict. Bottom (from left to right): combat between a retiarius and a secutor, a thraex-myrmillo pair and a hoplomachusmyrmillo pair (the myrmillo is holding up his finger and the umpire is stopping the fight). The last gladiator on the right is a provocator.

Bibliography: Kondoleon, Christine, Domestic and divine: Roman mosaics in the House of Dionysos, New York: Cornell University 1995, p. 73-74; Dunbabin, Katherine M.D. Mosaics of the Greek and Roman world (4th edition). New York: Cambridge University 1999, p. 119120.

Fig. 4.2.1.1. Details of the mosaic from Zliten showing the course of the pompa and a venatio

(after: Junkelmann M. Das Spiel mit der Todt – So kämpften Roms Gladiatoren 2000)

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4.2.2. Mosaic fragment from Augst

Location: Switzerland. Augst, Römermuseum,.

Inventory nr.: not found.

Measures: not found

State of preservation: Good.

Provenance: Augusta Raurica (Augst).

Dating: AD 200.

Description: This square detail of the mosaic is one of the five, which depict a gladiators’ pairing. There is a myrmillo prepared for the fight and a thraex taking his parmula shield from the ground.

Bibliography: Katherine M.,Dunbabin D. Mosaics of the Greek and Roman world.New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999, p. 280-282; Junkelmann, M. Das Spiel mit der Todt – So kämpften Roms Gladiatoren, Mainz 2000, p. 9698.

Fig. 4.2.2.1. Mosaic detail from Augst showing gladiatorial fight (after: Junkelmann M. Das Spiel mit der Todt – So kämpften Roms Gladiatoren 2000)

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4.2.3. Detail of a Mosaic from Bad Kreuznach

Location: Germany. Bad Kreuznach, Römerhalle.

Inventory nr.: not found.

Measures: The whole mosaic: 58m2.

State of preservation: Good.

Provenance: Remains of a Roman villa, Bad Kreuznach.

Dating: 2nd century AD.

Description: The extensively preserved mosaic depicts thirteen different combats in the Roman amphitheatre, inside frames of different shapes. This fragment shows the fighting between a thraex and a myrmillo. The myrmillo hits the thraex on the helmet with his shield scutum.

Bibliography: Cüppers H. Die Römer in Rheinland-Pfalz, Hamburg: Neyses, 2005, p. 321323; Hornung S. Luxus auf dem Lande – Die römische Palastvilla von Bad Kreuznach. Bad Kreuznach: publishers, 2008.

Fig. 4.2.3.1. Detail of acmosaic from Bad Kreuznach (after: Junkelmann M. Das Spiel mit der Todt – So kämpften Roms Gladiatoren 2000)

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4.2.4. Mosaic fragment from Verona

Location: Italy. Verona, Museo Archeologico al Teatro Romano.

Inventory nr.: not found.

Measures: not found

State of preservation: fragmentary.

Provenance: Roman villa at Negrar, Verona.

Dating: Late 2nd or early 3rd century AD.

Description: A thraex is kneeling close to a dead or badly wounded myrmillo. An umpire is stopping the fight. In the right bottom corner there is a cart for a body. Thraex’s parmula, also on the ground, shows a horizontal handgrip.

Bibliography: Junkelmann, M. Das Spiel mit der Todt – So kämpften Roms Gladiatoren,

Mainz 2000, p. 106-107.

Fig. 4.2.4.1. Fragment of mosaic from Verona (after: Junkelmann M. Das Spiel mit der Todt

– So kämpften Roms Gladiatoren 2000)

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