Headline A knife handle in the shape of a gladiator was found near Hadrian’s Wall

The find shows that the popularity of some gladiators reached the very outskirts of the empire.

Divers found a rare knife handle from Roman times in the River Tyne (Great Britain) – it is made in the form of a gladiator figurine. The find was discovered back in 1997, and has now been handed over to English Heritage, which manages the largest archaeological sites in the kingdom. This is the second such discovery in England.

The hilt depicts a secutor, a type of gladiator who was usually armed with a short sword and a heavy rectangular shield. The figurine’s sword has not been preserved; it was in his left hand. The head is protected by a closed helmet, with small slits for the eyes, a manica (bracer) is shown on the right arm, and ocrea (greaves) on the left leg.

Secutors were usually pitted against retiarius gladiators armed with a trident and a net. Left-handed people were considered unlucky by the Romans, so, most likely, the secutor from the handle is an image of a specific fighter. Despite the fact that gladiators were slaves and outcasts, gladiatorial combat was very popular, and some of them could become celebrities. There are known cases when women from noble families fell in love with gladiators, despite the difference in status.

The hilt from the bottom of the River Tyne is an echo of this “cult” of gladiators; it is clearly custom made. The figurine was found near the Roman city of Corbridge. It did not have a theater or arena where gladiator fights could take place, but it was one of the key trading points. Corbridge is one of the two largest supply bases for the Roman troops who defended Hadrian’s Wall. This shaft, about 120 kilometers long, was built in 122–126 AD. He defended the territory of Roman Britain from attacks by barbarian tribes from the north.

The discovery from the bottom of the Taine thus shows that the “cult” of some gladiators reached the very outskirts of the Roman Empire. In 2025, the public will be able to see the handle for the first time at an exhibition in Corbridge.

Based on materials The History Blog