Statuette di gladiatori in terracotta da Pompei

Five terracotta statuettes of gladiators have been discovered in Pompeii, offering new insights into the representation and possible symbolic significance of gladiatorial imagery in Roman culture. While some scholars suggest these figurines may have been gifts exchanged during the Saturnalia festival, this study proposes an alternative interpretation: that they likely depict gladiatorial combats, akin to those found in wall paintings, stucco reliefs, and marble carvings from the era. The research draws on comparative analysis of known visual representations of gladiators, examining both form and context to challenge existing hypotheses about the purpose and function of these small-scale terracotta figures.

Iorio, V. (2015). Statuette di gladiatori in terracotta da Pompei. Figurines de Terre Cuite En Méditerranée Grecque et Romaine, 95–106. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.septentrion.58077