NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND—CNN reports that a copper-alloy knife handle shaped like a gladiator has been recovered from the Tyne River at Corbridge Roman Town, a site in northern England along Hadrian’s Wall, the defensive structure built at the edge of the Roman Empire in A.D. 122. The figure depicts a fully armed secutor, or "follower," wearing a helmet and carrying a shield. His left hand is extended, and likely held a short sword. During a gladiator contest, a secutor would have typically fought a lightly armored retiarius, who would have been armed with a trident and a net. Researchers from English Heritage suggest that this figurine may depict a specific gladiator, since the Romans generally considered left-handedness to be unlucky. Some gladiators may have even learned to fight with the left hand in order to gain an advantage. “It is rare to find a piece of gladiator memorabilia in Britain and to find such a well preserved and interesting piece is particularly remarkable,” said Frances McIntosh of English Heritage. “This beautifully made knife handle is a testament to how pervasive this celebrity culture was, reaching all the way to Hadrian’s Wall at the very edge of the Roman Empire,” she explained. To read more about the lives of Roman gladiators, go to "Let the Games Begin."
