Gladiators in Ephesos

Everything related to the ludi circenses and its teams or workings, including games or contests in the Societas Via Romana. Bring on the fun!

Moderator: Aldus Marius

Gladiators in Ephesos

Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Wed May 09, 2007 9:38 pm

The Austrian Archeological Institute executes the excavations at Ephesos, Turkey. Already in the 1993 they found approx. 300 m East of the stadium along the processional way the gladiator cemetery. They found there approx. 120 individuals and analyzed the bones in the mid-90s. Due to daily training there is a deformation of the bones at certain parts, also you could see what the person ate.

As for the Ephesian gladiators they found out that the majority died between 19-25 years and 25-35 years, a few reached a mature age between 40-60 years. They could analyze what the gladiator died of. Many had cranial traumata, which is surprising when taking into consideration that all gladiators except the retiarius wore helmets.

Not only the human remains were found but also gravestones. Very remarkable that of a gladiator called Palumbus whose gravestone was errected by his wife/consort Hymnis. He fought as a murmillo. There is also the epitaph of the retiarius Euxeinus which was errected by his fellow gladiators Margarites and Peritina. A third relief was found, that of another murmillo named Valerius which was also donned by his wife Tyche. All three reliefs date to the second half of the second century and the style of the reliefs is typical for the Eastern part of the Empire of that time.

I had the chance to see the exhibition about the results of this excavation in 2005 when I’d traveled to Turkey and stayed at Selcuk for some time. I was also looking out for the Gladiator cemetery but today you can’t distinct the excavation sight anymore.
Cleopatra Aelia
alias Medusa Gladiatrix
User avatar
Cleopatra Aelia
Curialis
Curialis
 
Posts: 353
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:57 pm
Location: Hamburg, Germania

Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Wed May 09, 2007 9:54 pm

Cleopatra Aelia
alias Medusa Gladiatrix
User avatar
Cleopatra Aelia
Curialis
Curialis
 
Posts: 353
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:57 pm
Location: Hamburg, Germania


Return to Ludi Societatis

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests