GLADIATORS
"HAIL, EMPEROR, THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU."

Gladiators were armed combatants who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their lives and their legal and social standing by appearing in the arena, but most were despised as slaves, schooled under harsh conditions, socially marginalized and even segregated even in death. Irrespective of their origin, gladiators offered spectators an example of Rome’s martial ethics and in fighting or dying well, they could inspire admiration and popular acclaim. They were celebrated in high and low art, and their value as entertainers was commemorated in precious and commonplace objects throughout the Roman world.

THE THRACIAN

The Thracian or Thraex was a gladiator armed in the Thracian style.

The Thracian was instantly recognizable from the representation of a griffin on the peak of the crest on the helmet, and their smaller cut down version of the traditional legionary scutum shield known as a parmula. This small shield could be rectangular, square or circular. A sica, which was a short sword with a curved blade, similar to a small version of a Dacian Falx. This weapon was intended to maim an opponent’s unarmoured back.

Scale: 1/30
Material: Pewter alloy
Released Date: August2025