In the British Museum, a marble relief from ancient Rome captures two named female gladiators in full combat. This rare depiction may be the greatest surviving monument to women in the Roman arena.
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TRANSCRIPT
-Kathleen firmly believes that one object is different.
-What we're looking at here is a stone relief given to the British Museum in the 1840s.
And we see two figures here in combat.
These two figures look female.
The one on the left has a feminine-looking hairstyle, and there's one breast bared.
But there's one other thing on this relief which clinches it, and that is the inscription at the bottom, which gives us their names.
And they're both feminine names.
The names are Amazon and Achillea.
And these are clearly their professional names as fighters, because names from Greek mythology are very common as gladiators' professional names.
♪♪ -Much like modern-day wrestlers, the women in the relief adopted stage names, reinforcing their warrior personas.
-Both the women are in combat stance, facing one another with their weapons at the ready.
So there's nothing wimpish about these women.
This is a serious representation of two gladiators.
There's nothing that makes it look like a parody.
So these two figures are kitted out as regular gladiators would be if they were male.
They have a big, curved body shield they're each carrying and a straight sword in their sword hand.
-But one piece of protection is not being worn.
-These two combatants are not wearing a helmet.
That is a typical gesture for acknowledging that you have not fought to a conclusive victory.
You take off your helmet.
-It's not combat simply for the sake of violence, but as a choreographed display of power, skill, and spectacle.
This marble relief is the single greatest monument to female gladiators ever discovered -- two named women fighting not to the death, but to a draw, with armor matching that of men -- female gladiators holding their own alongside their male counterparts.
[ Blades clanging ] ♪♪