tour 12 of 12
Gladiators
2 terracotta figurines of African boxers
Traditional athletic contest in the Greek
tradition played a part in the Roman games. According to classical
authors, boxing
(pugilatus) was
considered the most rigorous and dangerous discipline of all. In
the Imperial period, no doubt to please a crowd used to armed
gladiatorial contest, increasingly hard gloves were used. These
regularly led to severe injuries. Though the death of an opponent
was not the aim, fights did often end in death. Boxers fought
professionally, and if successful could win great prestige and high
prize money.
Like modern
boxing, fighters could only use their fists, and nothing
approaching wrestling or kicking was allowed. However, the fight
had no time limit, no division into rounds, and would continue
until one of the fighters was knocked out or capitulated. Even when
one had been knocked down, the other could continue to punch them
on the ground. The boxing glove, or
caestus, was made of
interwoven leather straps over a leather base. They were often
reinforced with leather or metal
knuckledusters.
The potter
of these figurines has captured the fighting technique of
Graeco-Roman boxing well, with an advanced left leg, a leading left
fist, and a much more open stance than that adopted by boxers
today. The older, balding boxer is staggering back from an upper
cut.