Gladiator exhibition opens at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery
A touring exhibition exploring the world of Roman gladiators has opened in Northamptonshire.Northampton Museum & Art Gallery is hosting Gladiators of Britain, which offers insight into the gladiators who lived in the county and the wider country.Local finds included two Nene Valley vessels depicting gladiators, fragments of an engraved glass from a Roman villa near Nether Heyford, and a clasp knife discovered in Piddington.Jill Birrell, curator at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery, said: "[The items] show us the Romans who did live here engaged in spectacle culture... they made objects that have gladiators depicted on them and bought them, used them and lost them in the county."
Gladiators are traditionally associated with arenas like the Colosseum in Rome, but many fights took place across Britain.There was no amphitheatre in Northamptonshire, with the closest being at St Albans - formerly known as Verulamium. There were 25 artefacts in the exhibition, including the Hawkedon Helmet - the only confirmed piece of gladiatorial armour from Roman Britain. It was possibly plundered from Colchester - known then as Camulodunum - during Boudica's rebellion of AD60.According to the British Museum, the heavy bronze helmet originally had a tinned surface, and the wearer's face would have been encased in a hinged mask with eye guards.
Another key exhibit is the Colchester Vase from AD175, discovered in a Roman-era grave in 1853.Anna Willi, the curator for ancient Mediterranean life at the British Museum, added: "There are misconceptions about gladiatorial fights... we are trying to dispel some of these myths. "For example, there were rules to the fights, there were umpires, and people didn't always fight to the death. In fact, a bout would last around 15 minutes because a dead gladiator was much more expensive than a wounded one that could fight more."Gladiators of Britain is at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery until 7 September.
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Devastated Kelsey Parker reveals unborn baby's tragic death just a week before her due date
TOM Parker's widow Kelsey has revealed the tragic death of her baby who was "born sleeping". Phoenix Parker-Lindsay died just one week before his due date. 2 Kelsey shared the devastating news by posting a poem to fans, "For Phoenix. Born sleeping, forever loved." Kelsey wrote on Instagram: "Before I receive an influx of lovely messages and heartfelt well wishes, I want to just say that I truly appreciate everything you are all going to say and share. "But with the news being so raw, I would really like to ensure that we as a family are given space and time to process this devastating and earth-shattering news. "I love you all and thank you for your understanding and piece."
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Curl power! Actress Karen Gillan's startling new hairstyle leaves fans stunned
Her bold hair transformations for movies and manic makeovers have earned her a reputation as one of Scotland's best-loved stars. But Karen Gillan 's latest 'do has left her fans scratching their own heads. The actress took to Instagram on Saturday to debut an outlandish new look that is worlds away from her usual sleek tresses. Posing in oversized sunglasses and a two-piece sweatsuit, Karen sported a voluminous perm in her signature ginger hue. With no caption to explain her radical new style, fans were left questioning whether the perm signals the start of a fresh filming project, or is simply a nod to the actress' quirky sense of humour. The mystery deepened as another photo shared on Karen's stories showed her crazy curls piled above her head – with an orange, crab cap perched jauntily on top. The surreal pictures are by no means the first time that Karen's hairdressing has turned heads. In 2013 the actress shaved her off her locks entirely in preparation for her role as Nebula in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Karen then recycled her shorn tresses when she appeared in a wig of her own hair later that year to play Amy Pond in a Doctor Who Christmas special episode. Steven Moffat, head writer on the show, joked: 'That wig is made of her own hair, it's just detachable now. When they cut her hair they made her a wig of her own hair. Didn't she look lovely?' Karen's shock chops are not limited to professional makeovers either, as the star has succumbed to a DIY disaster on several occasions. Last February, Karen filmed herself attempting to cut a new fringe minutes before she attended a promotional Q&A event. Documenting the ill-fated trim on TikTok she gasped: 'Oh my god, oh my god, this is a bad idea. That was a mistake: this is rubbish!'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Inside Emily Atack's son Barney's 1st birthday party with famous guest as Rivals star celebrates milestone
EMILY Atack threw a lavish party for her son Barney as he celebrated his 1st birthday. The bash included a very famous guest as the former I'm A Celebrity star celebrated the huge milestone. 6 6 6 Emily, 34, first rose to fame in 2008 when she played Charlotte Hinchcliffe in the hit TV sitcom, The Inbetweeners. She recently starred in the hit Disney+ series Rivals based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Dame Jilly Cooper. The TV personality gave birth to her first child, Barney, in June 2024 with her partner Alistair Garner. Now she is celebrating his first birthday with a lavish birthday party with her nearest and dearest. This included an appearance with her longtime friend and colleague Leigh Francis - who is also known by his TV alter-ego, Keith Lemon. Emily took to her Instagram story as she shared a behind-the-scenes sneak peek into the big day. The first image showed the comedian standing next to Emily's brother George Atack, who shared a striking resemblance with the TV personality. She humorously captioned the snap: "Twinnys." Emily has a long history of working with the Virgin Radio presenter as she has appeared in a number of his shows. In 2012, she appeared in Lemon La Vida Loca, before featuring in The Keith Lemon Sketch Show three years later. Emily Atack returns to TV after giving birth as she opens up about motherhood and naked scenes in Disney's Rivals She also worked with Paddy McGuinness in both series of The Keith & Paddy Picture Show. In 2020 she was made a team captain in the long-running ITV comedy panel show, Celebrity Juice alongside Laura Whitmore. Another snap showed a lavish grazing table filled with sweet treats such as strawberries, fairy cakes, mini donuts and small buckets of popcorn. The display also contained bespoke biscuits in the shape of the number one with pastel blue icing. Emily captioned the story: "Thank you @pinkgingercatering for making Barneys party absolutely perfect!" Other snaps show her family playing in plastic pens in the corner of her garden and a special painting corner for the children. The outdoor space was also decorated with bunting while guests tucked into the buffet. 6 6 6
