Gladiators

thingiverse

Gladiators from the second half of the 1st century BCE, discovered in a tomb at Cumae, are displayed at the Musée du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, Belgium. This miniature terracotta scene depicts two gladiators at the end of their battle. The victorious warrior on the left wears a tunic and an ornate helmet with a double crest, proudly holding his shield and that of his defeated opponent. In contrast, the vanquished Thracian-style gladiator on the right stands disarmed, his arm behind his back, as he turns to face the audience with his thumb raised in supplication. The crowd's reaction would determine the outcome: a thumbs-up shouted "stans missus!" (let him live), while an inverted thumb called for execution by slitting the throat ("jugula!"). Faint paint residue can still be seen on this terracotta relic.