Ancient Roman Gladiators Were Huge Celebrities Who Even Had Their Own Merch

Divers have discovered a 2,000-year-old copper knife handle, carved in the shape of a tiny gladiator, in an English river—evidence that widespread fascination with the battling Romans began long before Russell Crowe first donned his armor.

According to a statement from English Heritage, the gladiator figurine was once attached to a folding knife. Two divers discovered it in the River Tyne in Corbridge, a Roman settlement in Northumberland near Hadrian’s Wall.

“It’s rare to find a piece of gladiator memorabilia in Britain, and to find such a well-preserved and interesting piece is particularly remarkable,” says Frances McIntosh, English Heritage’s collections curator for Hadrian’s Wall, in a statement. “Despite being enslaved and socially outcast due to their profession, gladiators could become huge celebrities.”

McIntosh notes that there has always been a fascination—and even “sex appeal”—connected to the ancient fighters. News of the rare discovery comes right as the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) hits theaters. The new movie, starring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, is in many ways a continuation of the romantic fascination surrounding Roman gladiators.

“There are lots of rumors that you see of high society women falling in love with gladiators,” McIntosh tells the Guardian’s Mark Brown. “Often a slur on somebody was that they had been fathered by a gladiator, that they were the son of a gladiator because their mother was … you know.”

In ancient Rome, the fighters’ games were a popular form of public entertainment, taking place in sprawling amphitheaters like the Colosseum. The Roman elite organized the fights, and the gladiators were typically enslaved individuals or condemned criminals. Their battles could be fatal; however, the more fights that a gladiator won, the more famous he became.

According to English Heritage, the type of gladiator displayed on the knife is a secutor, or a large warrior who wore heavy armor, had his face covered in a helmet and carried large weapons. The figurine is also left-handed, which is surprising considering that the Romans believed that to be an unlucky sign. As such, the figurine may represent a specific person, perhaps someone who was purposely trained with his left hand to gain a competitive advantage.

How the little handle ended up in the River Tyne—and the identity of its owner—remains a mystery.

The two divers discovered the knife several years ago, but English Heritage learned of the find only recently, as a spokesperson for the charity tells the Art Newspaper’s Gareth Harris.

“One of the divers has since passed away; the other diver kept the knife handle in his private collection and has just recently made English Heritage aware of it,” says the spokesperson. “He will be lending it to English Heritage, along with some other Roman objects he found in the river, for an exhibition next summer, so it will go on display then.”

Visitors interested in the upcoming exhibition can begin to plan a trip to the Corbridge Roman Town next year. Those wanting to immerse themselves in gladiator lore without traveling can simply head to theaters and check out the new film.

As McIntosh says in the statement, “Even now, almost 2,000 years later, the fascination around gladiators persists and has expanded even further into modern popular culture, as evidenced by the excitement surrounding the new Gladiator film sequel.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.