Posted on 06/17/2011 6:05:08 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The tombstone was donated to the Musee du Cinquanternaire in Brussels, Belgium, shortly before World War I. It shows an image of a gladiator holding what appear to be two swords, standing above his opponent who is signalling his surrender. The inscription says that the stone marks the spot where a man named Diodorus is buried.
"After breaking my opponent Demetrius I did not kill him immediately," reads the epitaph. "Fate and the cunning treachery of the summa rudis killed me."
...Though the exact rules are not well understood, some information can be gleaned from references in surviving texts and art.
For starters, most, if not all, of the fights were overseen by the summa rudis.
Among the rules he enforced was one in which a defeated gladiator could request submission, and if submission was approved by the munerarius (the wealthy individual paying for the show), the contestant could leave the arena without further harm.
Another rule that appears to have been in place was that a gladiator who fell by accident (without the help of his opponent) would be allowed to get back up, pick up his equipment and resume combat...
"Demetrius signals surrender, Diodorus doesn't kill him; he backs off expecting that he's going to win the fight," Carter said.
The battle appears to be over. However the summa rudis -- perhaps interpreting Demetrius' fall as accidental, or perhaps with some ulterior motive -- thought otherwise, Carter said.
"What the summa rudis has obviously done is stepped in, stopped the fight, allowed Demetrius to get back up again, take back his shield, take back his sword, and then resume the fight."
This time Diodorus was in trouble, and either he died in the arena or Demetrius inflicted a wound that led to his death shortly thereafter.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
This 1,800-year-old tombstone depicts a gladiator holding two swords standing above his defeated opponent who is signalling submission. The inscription below says Diodoros, a gladiator, was buried here. CREDIT: © Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels.
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Demetrius must have been a democrat.
Or, the ref was on the take.
Very interesting thanks.
I’m thinking that Demetrius and the summa rudis were lovers.
Demetrius was the obama of the gladiators because he lied to save his skin.
“Demetrius must have been a democrat.”
Populare.
Da summa dudis.
No sweat; just appeal the killing to the ref.
FYI,it has been eleven years since the film Gladiator came out. Russell Crowe has just been tagged to play Superman’s father in the new Superman film now in development. Ridley Scott and Cate Blanchett are also involved.
Goes to show, don’t take anything for granted, and for we this means don’t ever take the depth of the evil possibly plotted by the ever so innocent seeming democrats.
There’s a movie I will be missing. As in avoiding like the plague.
Yeah, time machine, me, and Susan Hayward.
:’)
LOL!
My pleasure.
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