First Gladiator Fights Were Organized in Roman Britain; Researchers Find Evidence of Combat on a Clay Vase

Ancient Roman history is highlighted by the legendary gladiator battles that used to take place in amphitheaters full of enthusiastic crowds. According to a study published by the Cambridge University Press, it was revealed that the first time the gladiator battles took place, it was organized in late 2nd century Britain. The carved and embellished depictions on a clay vase provided evidence of the bloody sport taking place in the Colchester region long ago.

The vase depicted a combat between two gladiators and was first unearthed from a Roman grave in Colchester in 1853. Further tests proved that the Colchester Vase was made out of locally sourced clay between 160 and 200 A.D. There was also a visible inscription on the vase that bore the name of the two gladiators featured on it. It was likely that the inscription was later added to the original design of the vase. "There’s nothing else like that from Britain. It’s a commemorative piece, almost a trophy for the trophy cabinet. Later, it was used as a funerary vessel. There must be an intimate connection with the deceased. They could well have sponsored the games. Or they were absolute sports maniacs," the lead author of the study, Glynn Davis, a Roman archaeologist and CIMS senior curator, told The Guardian. 

"It’s the only evidence of a Roman arena gladiator combat actually being staged in Britain," Frank Hargrave, the director of Colchester and Ipswich Museum, added. "There are no written descriptions. The vase is such high quality that there’s been a bit of snobbery, an assumption that it couldn’t possibly have come from Britain, whereas all the analysis has now put that to bed." The research team analyzing the vase included academics from the universities of Durham, London and Reading. They also found cremated human remains inside the vase and revealed that it was from a male over the age of 40 who was potentially European.

The vase depicting the two men also featured a bear and a dog that was chasing a hare and a deer. The names, Memnon and Valentinus, were identified on the inscription found on the vase. "Memnon appears quite often in Roman literature. He’s described as this massively impressive 'black-skinned' person, this hero who comes from Troy. I’m wondering why Memnon would be chosen as the name of the gladiator. Is that because we’ve got a black gladiator who is from somewhere well south of Colchester – from North Africa?" John Pearce, senior lecturer in archaeology at King’s College London, theorized.

Memnon was depicted after he had potentially defeated his opponent who was raising a forefinger to submit to Memnon. "You’re looking at this moment in time. Is Valentinus spared? That would be down to the owner of the gladiators and sponsor of the games, as they are slaves," Davis continued. So far, no amphitheaters were discovered in Britain but Colchester still has two Roman theaters where gladiator fights could have been staged. "With our re-analysis of the Colchester Vase, we can be confident that this was an event that took place here," Davis concluded. The vase was put up for display at a major exhibition at Colchester Castle on July 15, 2023.