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May 8, 2007
Gladiators!
Gladiators! New images! Go look!
Even the archaeologist admits the picture is pretty poor as a picture, but interesting as social documentation - about the equivalent of someone framing WWF poster, I'd say. And it has a weird connection to Joaquin Phoenix. Or Commodus, as the case may be.
"Commodus was born in 161 A.D.," Frontoni, the archaeologist, said. "The picture covers the floor of a bathhouse built around 130 A.D., and we think the mosaic is the same age of the building, so it was there before Commodus' birth."At the time, the Quintilii family owned the villa. They were friends of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Commodus' father.
"I imagine that Commodus as a child used to visit Quintilii's residence and to admire the mosaic of Montanus. He probably knew and fancied the fighter."
Later, in 182, Commodus acquired the villa after having the Quintilii executed on a trumped-up charge of treason.
I have gladiators on the mind - yesterday I heard a presentation on mosaics showing them, and this shows up on Mirabilis.ca. Must be a sign. And from that presentation I can assure those of you who go look that the weird ruff-looking thing beside the gladiator's head is a weird piece of armor that fits over the left shoulder; it runs down the upper arm and rises up beside the face - and was about the only protection the retiarius, the trident-guy, had.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at May 8, 2007 7:44 AM
Comments
I happen to be on an ancient Rome kick too. This is because I’m reading what is possibly the best biography I have ever read, the new “Caesar: Life of a Colossus” by Adrian Goldsworthy.
I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a summer read of the history geek type, it’s honestly riveting.
.....Would that I had time! Thanks for the recommendatino, though - and sadly it's not available as an audiobook - then I could have listened while on Argyle-duty.
Posted by: D.Moore at May 8, 2007 9:05 AM
I'm reminded of the wayside shrines to soccer player Diego Maradonna in Naples.
There are several of these gladiator mosaics at Villa Borghese.
.....Yup, I like those - and the little thetas to mean DEAD. Fanboy art ;) --MCT
Posted by: Zadok the Roman at May 9, 2007 10:52 AM