New research has revealed evidence that gladiatorial combat took place in Roman Britain in the late second century AD. The evidence of these bloody battles was found on a vase discovered in a Roman grave in Colchester. Previously, gladiator contests have been assumed to have taken place in Britain, but no physical evidence has ever been found confirming this.
Were Gladiators Fighting in Britain?
The Roman period in Britain spanned almost four centuries from 43 AD, although Julius Caesar had invaded the territory almost a century earlier. Colchester in the east was the place chosen for the first legionary fortress to be built, and was for a while the provincial capital of Roman Britain .
With the Romans came their governance, engineering, and even some customs. But did this include gladiator matches known in the amphitheaters of the Roman homeland? The new evidence seems to prove it did.
According to Frank Hargrave, director of Colchester and Ipswich Museums (CIMS), “Gladiatorial combat is assumed elsewhere in Britain too, before and after this event, but not in terms of named gladiators or a particular occasion,” reports the Daily Mail .
Colchester Vase Proves to be Bespoke Sporting Memorabilia
The telling vase was found in Colchester in in 1853, and is decorated with depictions of gladiators fighting, bear-baiters, and a dog chasing two deer and a hare. Represented are three scenes which would have commonly been included in the activities of a Roman amphitheater.
But there are many examples of such decorated jars which were mass produced and generic. The difference with this one is there are also four names included on the jar, which are thought to relate to the four gladiators in the design. Until now, it was thought that these names were added later, but the latest tests prove otherwise.
According to a report in The Guardian , new analysis of the Colchester vase carried out by a large team of academics from the universities of Durham, London and Reading has shown it was made from local clay between 160-200 AD. But what is key to the latest revelation is that the inscription of names were not added after the pot had been produced, which had previously been thought.
Gladiators fighting in an amphitheater. ( Fotokvadrat/Adobe Stock)
This inclusion of the names of gladiators in the original design has led the experts to conclude that this was a ‘piece of sports memorabilia’, with the gladiators and their names as an intrinsic part of the vase’s design. This indicates that the vase related specifically to the sporting activity of gladiator fighting contests that took part in or around Colchester at the time it was made, and was perhaps commissioned by or for one of the organizers of the event, or sponsors of the gladiators.
“The inscription was put on the pot as it was being made which means it must have been a commissioned piece and we conclude that it represents a local event,” said Glynn Davis, curator at Colchester Museums, according to the Daily Mail . “The pot was made in kilns west of the town – the decoration matches other specialist pots being made in these kilns.”
According to The Guardian , Frank Hargrave, director of Colchester and Ipswich Museums (CIMS), who own the vase said the new research has shown the true significance of the Roman era piece. Hargrave said:
“It’s the only evidence of a Roman arena gladiator combat actually being staged in Britain,” he said. “There are no written descriptions. The vase is such high quality that there’s been a bit of snobbery, an assumption that it couldn’t possibly have come from Britain, whereas all the analysis has now put that to bed.”
Two gladiators bear-baiting also depicted on the Colchester vase. (Carole Raddato / CC BY-SA 2.0 )
Dissecting the Gladiatorial Scenes on the Colchester Vase
The two types of gladiator engaged in combat are depicted in great detail. One of them, known as a ‘secutor’ to the Romans, is shown with a sword, shield, and helmet. The other, identified as a ‘retiarius’, has dropped his trident and is depicted with a bare chest and legs, an arm and shoulder guard, and a net in his left hand.
The retiarius can be seen raising one finger, a gesture known as ‘missio’. This appeal is made to the sponsor of the games, who holds the power to decide whether the fighter lives or dies. The sponsor indicates their decision by turning their thumb up or down.
The Colchester Castle Museum guidebook relates the four names inscribed on the vase to the battling characters portrayed on the vase. It has Secundus and Mario fighting the bear, and the other two names, Memnon and Valentinus, refering to the secutor and retiarius respectively.
Next to Memnon's name is the abbreviation SAC and the Roman numeral VIIII, indicating that he had fought and survived nine times. Next to Valentinus's name, the word LEGIONIS and the number XXX suggest that he was associated with the 30th legion of the Roman army .
But the full story of the vase is still not confirmed. According to Dr G Gilbert , Head of Latin and Classics at Ipswich High School, the association of Valentinus with the 30th legion of the Roman army poses more questions, as Rome’s 30th Legion was never stationed in Britain.Bottom of Form
What the finding does is give the assumption that gladiatorial activities took place in various parts of Roman Britain a specific example, of both place and the people involved, and so is another step in showing the presence of gladiator competitions in the furthest reaches of the Roman Empire .
Top image: The Colchester Vase gladiator fighting scene. Source: Carole Raddato / CC BY-SA 2.0
By Gary Manners
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most significant achievements of humans?
Humans have invented many technologies, such as the printing presses, radio, televisions and computers. Many of these inventions have been credited with greatly changing our lives. We might also be curious about the impact of these inventions on our lives.
The Internet alone has had a profound impact on almost all aspects of our lives. Now we have access to information and education as well entertainment, shopping, news, dating, social networking, and other related services. The list could go on.
There are many examples of inventions that affect our daily lives. The inventions of automobiles and planes made it easier to travel faster. Modern innovations like electricity, air conditioning and refrigerators, microwaves and digital cameras allow us to live in a modern world that runs smoothly.
Technology continues to transform our lives. Inventions such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, self-driving cars, virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, and drones are improving life.
Technology is constantly changing. Technology is constantly evolving, and new inventions are popping up all the time. It's hard to stay ahead. It's vital to keep up with the latest technological developments.
Here are 10 incredible inventions that have changed our lives.
- Printing Press
- Radio
- Television
- Computers
- Mobile Phones
- Airplanes
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Laptop
- Digital Camera
Nowadays, most people enjoy living in a high-tech society. Some would argue that this was not possible just centuries ago. But, books became easily accessible thanks to the invention of printing presses. Books were once reserved for priests, monks, and royalty. Anyone can now read.
Books play an important part in our day-to-day lives. Books are an essential part of our daily lives. They help us learn, educate, and study. But did you realize that some parts of your anatomy are used for reading? For interaction with books, your ears, eyes nose, mouth and fingers are all necessary.
While books can be helpful for learning, what are the other uses of them? Books can be used for leisure, work, and exercise. If you want to learn to draw, you'll need to sketch from books. Or, if your goal is to be a writer, then you'll need to write stories.
Next time you open a book, think of all the uses you can make. You'll be amazed at how many uses there are.
What are the most significant achievements made by mankind over the past 50 years?
The greatest achievement of mankind in the last fifty years is the ability to communicate at an unprecedented speed and accuracy across vast distances. This is without doubt, the most significant technological innovation in human history.
What we call "the internet" is a collection or tubes that connect us all. These tubes are made from fiber optic cables. Each cable transmits information at up to 10 gigabits/second - which is more than 1,000,000 times faster than the average home broadband connection.
This technology allows us all to exchange ideas, knowledge, culture, and information across the globe. Instead of physically traveling to another country, we can now access any information anywhere at any time.
Amazing advances in medicine and science have been made possible by our ability to share information. Scientists can sequence genomes in fractions of the time it took twenty years ago.
A technological breakthrough has allowed researchers to create complex biological simulations in real-time. This means that we can finally unlock the secrets of diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
These innovations could save millions of people's lives.
There is one downside to this incredible technology. In recent years we've come to rely heavily on the internet for our day-to-day activities. This dependency has created many problems, such as cyberbullying online, online scams and identity theft.
But there may be a bigger problem. As people become more dependent on the internet, the danger of a global collapse in digital technology increases.
As internet dependence grows, so does our vulnerability. If the internet goes down, even for a few minutes, businesses could lose billions in productivity. Our financial transactions, our health records and government communications will all be compromised.
Already, we are seeing signs of what could happen if the internet goes down. Think back to Hurricane Sandy. It knocked out power to many homes in the east. Within days, hackers were using the internet outage to steal credit card numbers.
You'll see many devices connected to your internet in your home. Amazon can be connected to your fridge so you can order food online. Your car can track traffic and make service reservations. Even your lights can be remotely turned off. All of these are possible because all of them have tiny microprocessors in them that allow them communicate with one other over the internet.
These microprocessors had trouble transmitting data across their networks during Hurricane Sandy. This meant that cars could not start or stop engines, refrigerators couldn't order food and lights couldn’t turn off. It caused confusion and chaos in an emergency.
This could also happen in a national emergency like a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Imagine how difficult it would have been for police officers responding to medical emergencies or crimes. How could hospitals manage patient care without computers in the hospital? What about communication between citizens and government agencies?
The good news is that the infrastructure needed to prevent something like this from happening is already in place. Water treatment facilities, power plants, and other vital services have been built to withstand hurricane-like events. However, those systems aren't designed to withstand a total loss of electricity generated by a large-scale cyberattack.
If hackers were able to seize control of a nuclear power plant, they could close it down in seconds. They could also infect the water supply and cause panic.
The infrastructure is there, but the question is: Will we ever be serious about building resilience to the system?
Two scientists at MIT published a 2005 paper titled, "A Failure Model in Cloud Computing." This paper described a future with no single point to fail. Every device has many points of failure. For instance, imagine that your smartphone loses its battery instead of just losing your laptop. This means that both your smartphone and computer must be replaced.
To keep us safe in the past, we could rely on certain key components such as electrical grids or telephone lines. Cloud-based computing is becoming increasingly popular. We're trusting technologies that have not been extensively tested under real-world conditions. It's important that we do this to ensure that our technologies are resilient enough in the face of disasters like massive cyberattacks and hurricanes.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) work is exciting to me. NIST is working with industry experts to develop standards to help us build resiliency into our technology. These standards will ensure everything is seamlessly integrated online. Our phones can still function even when the power goes off. Our refrigerators still order us dinner. Our traffic reports still tell us what roads are clear.
By ensuring that our devices communicate with each other, we can be better prepared for any eventuality.
What is the greatest achievement in human historical history?
You can make a significant impact on the world by doing something that is positive and changes lives. It's when you create something new and different that isn't available before.
Great accomplishment is not measured in how many people you helped or how much money you made. It's measured by the amount of impact you made on the world.
Not finding answers is the greatest achievement. We already know how to find the answer. But the greatest achievements are those that change the way we look at life. It changed our perspective.
Great achievements are often small because they happen slowly and quietly. They may seem insignificant at the time. You'll later realize how significant they were.
There are two types of greatness; the kind that lasts forever and the kind that fades away. The greatness that lasts forever is achieved by creating something people have loved and cherished for generations.
That's why great achievements are usually done anonymously because people tend to admire them more when they don't know who did it.
But great achievements fade away quickly. People might tell you that they are great achievements, but you may not believe them. Because you have conditioned yourself to see greatness as something that is permanent.
It is easy to lose sight on the importance of greatness, as it fades so quickly. Great achievements are rare, you might say. It is rare that anyone ever achieves them.
Why is fire the greatest achievement of man?
Fire is an incredible force of nature and a symbol to power and energy. In our culture, fire holds so much significance that we name days based on how many flames they have. Tuesday is an example of a "fire-day" day because it marks the time when the sun sets.
Fire can also signify more than heat. It can also be used to signify strength, power and passion. So why does fire rank as the greatest achievement of mankind?
Fire represents the most powerful element, the source and destination of the universe.
The beauty of fire is its ability to provide warmth and light. Fire is used by humans to make art, heat, cook, study, and lighten their lives.
We also use fire for destruction - burning coal to create electricity or destroying trees. Fire is used to kill livestock and to communicate with us.
Although fire might seem to be a dangerous element, it's not. It's actually quite beneficial for us. It can help us survive, protect us, and even provide entertainment.
Which inventions had a negative effect?
The following list shows some examples of what inventions hurt society.
Gunpowder became a weapon of mass destruction after wars. Gunpowder was responsible for 10 million deaths.
We live in a world that is constantly changing thanks to inventions like the electric car and steam engine. These inventions have made our lives so much easier. However, they also cause many problems, such as pollution, accidents, noise, traffic jams, etc.
Millions of innocent people died when guns were invented. People began to kill each other because they could easily use these weapons. This problem exists today.
Radioactive radiation began to spread through the environment when nuclear power plants were invented. Many scientists believe that this is the most dangerous time in human history.
There have been many attempts to invent something that would revolutionize our lives. Some of these inventions were successful. Others failed.
Which invention has harmed the earth the most?
The best inventions make it easier to live comfortably. However, some inventions can be dangerous.
One such invention is also the internal combustion engine. This invention helped fuel the industrial revolution and made our lives easier. Global warming is caused by the release of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels.
Another invention is the laser. This device can destroy objects from miles away. It can also cause blindness or burns that can lead to death.
Another example is also the atomic bomb. An entire city could be destroyed by the explosion of this weapon.
Inventions are great because they make life better. There are also times when inventions can cause harm. These dangerous inventions include nuclear weapons and lasers, as well as internal combustion engines and atomic bombs.
Statistics
- Also proposed as Homo sapiens heidelbergensis or Homo sapiens paleohungaricus.[208]H. rhodesiensis, and the Gawis cranium[edit]H. rhodesiensis, estimated to be 300,000–125,000 years old. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Nonetheless, humans retain a degree of sexual dimorphism in the distribution of body hair, subcutaneous fat, and overall size, with males being around 15% larger than females. (en.wikipedia.org)
- In their seminal 1967 paper in, Sarich and Wilson estimated the divergence time of humans and apes as four to five million years ago, Science Progress in DNA sequencing, specifically mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (en.wikipedia.org)
- dating of two H.nalediteeth, to 253+82−70 ka, for an estimated age of the fossils of 253+82−17 ka. (en.wikipedia.org)
- This migration out of Africa is estimated to have begun about 70–50,000 years BP, and modern humans subsequently spread globally, replacing earlier hominins either through competition or hybridization. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
en.wikipedia.org
nature.com
nytimes.com
- Grappling With the Cost Of Saving Earth's Ozone (Published 1990)
- For Evolving Brains: A 'Paleo" Diet of Carbs. The New York Times
livescience.com
How To
How toys have changed after World War II
World War II is one of the most catastrophic wars. It spanned the period 1939-1945, affecting many countries throughout the globe. The war had several causes, including territorial ambitions, political differences, ideological conflicts, and economic interests. This conflict was also caused by many other factors. These included the rise of dictatorships, nationalism, racism, religious intolerance, totalitarianism, militarization, technological advances, and industrialization. All of these factors led to a global conflict that left millions dead.
The war's effects were felt all over the globe. Many people lost their families, homes, belongings, and even lives. Many thousands of children were left homeless or orphaned by the deaths of their parents in the conflict. Some countries suffered significant damage to their facilities, including factories, roads and bridges, schools, hospitals, and railways. This resulted was a decrease in productivity, economy and trade. Other countries were affected by social unrest as well, including poverty, hunger, lack of education, unemployment, and starvation.
After the war ended countries began to rebuild their economies, and infrastructure. There were still many problems, such as lack of raw material, labor force, or finances. They had to also overcome the effects from war, which took many decades to recover.
New technologies emerged as a result. The invention of nuclear weapons allowed for easier destruction of cities. Radar systems were also created which enabled planes to fly higher, so that they could avoid enemy fire. Electronic devices such as television, radio and computers have helped spread information faster than ever before.
Toys became more accessible and affordable after the war. To buy toys, children no longer needed to work hard. Parents no longer needed to worry about how their child would spend the allowance. Toys are now sold in large quantities at low costs. Toy manufacturers also had less competition because they wanted to maximize their profits. As a result, toys of higher quality were more popular.
The Second World War didn't just affect those who were affected by it, it also affected our daily lives. We have learned lessons from the past and have adapt to change. We live better today than we did in the past.
