Roman Gladiator Knives: Objectification, Mascotting, and the Material Culture of Sport in Ancient Rome

doi:10.1080/00043079.2023.2142891

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Roman Gladiator Knives: Objectification, Mascotting, and the Material Culture of Sport in Ancient Rome

Published Apr 3, 2023 · Maggie L. Popkin

The Art Bulletin

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Abstract

Abstract Roman pocketknives carved in the form of gladiators offer vital insight into the ambiguous status of the athletes they represent and how ancient consumers related to them. Gladiator knives objectified male gladiators as a key site for embodying and grappling with Roman conceptions of masculinity, sex, and enslavement. The knives reflect the popularity of gladiatorial combat as a sport in the Roman Empire, but they also commodified gladiators as mascots: utile bodies rather than autonomous individuals. Gladiator knives suggest how art historical analysis can illuminate the role of sports merchandise as an everyday mechanism of power outside institutionalized sporting practices.

Study Snapshot

Key takeawayRoman gladiator knives reveal the ambiguous status of athletes and their relationship with ancient consumers, revealing the role of sports merchandise as a daily mechanism of power.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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Roman Gladiator Knives: Objectification, Mascotting, and the Material Culture of Sport in Ancient Rome

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References

Souvenirs and the Experience of Empire in Ancient Rome

Souvenirs in ancient Rome shaped memory, knowledge, and cultural affinities, strengthening local identities while excluding some groups from social participation.

The Oxford Handbook of Roman Imagery and Iconography

This handbook explores Roman imagery and iconography, examining their communicative value and the evolving scholarly traditions of iconographic analysis and visual semiotics.

Gladiators as a Class

Gladiators were both isolated from and integral to Roman society, shaped their own identity and created their own social structures within the barracks.

The dark side of the Empire: Roman expansionism between object agency and predatory regime

This paper challenges the 'new materialist' approach to Roman expansionism by introducing the concept of a 'predatory' political economy, aiming to produce more balanced and inclusive accounts.

Candelabrus and Trimalchio: Embodied Histories of Roman Lampstands and their Slaves

Embodied objects in Roman antiquity shaped physical experiences and cultural meanings, highlighting the importance of a phenomenological and hermeneutical approach for understanding past interactions between humans and objects.

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