Priscus (Gladiator)
Encyclopedia
Priscus was a Roman
gladiator
of Celt
ic origins. His combat with his friend Verus
was the highlight of the opening day of the games
conducted by Titus
to inaugurate the Flavian Amphitheatre
in AD 80, and was recorded in a laudatory poem by Martial
— the only detailed description of a gladiatorial fight that has survived to the present day. Specifically, this laudatory poem was included in Martial's work called the De spectaculis
or Epigrammaton liber, which Martial wrote to honor and highlight all the events of Titus
's games. Their fight was on the first day of the games and marked the beginning of the celebration. Both gladiators were declared victors of the combat, and were awarded their freedom by the Emperor in a unique outcome.
, De Spectaculis, XXIX:
As Priscus and Verus
each drew out the contest
and the struggle between the pair long stood equal,
shouts loud and often sought discharge for the combatants.
But Titus obeyed his own law
(the law was that the bout go on without shield until a finger be raised).
What he could do, he did, often giving dishes and presents.
But an end to the even strife was found:
equal they fought, equal they yielded.
To both Titus sent wooden swords and to both palms.
Thus valor and skill had their reward.
This has happened under no prince but you, Caesar:
two fought and both won.
Priscus and Verus' fight occurred on the first day of the games to celebrate the opening of the Colosseum
. These games consisted mainly of gladiatorial fights, animal spectacles, and staged sea battles. These games helped to keep the Roman mobs happy, and helped to make Titus extremely popular by the end of his reign in 81 AD. Beginning with the time of Julius Caesar
, gladiator fights were a tactic used to control the mobs of Rome. It satisfied their thirst for action and directed any frustration and pent-up energy.
Martial's recording of the battle between Priscus and Verus apparently showed a rare result. Usually, gladiatorial fights were only ended when one combatant raised a finger to signal defeat.
However, surrender wasn’t the only way for a battle to end. Missio was a term used to denote when a fighter could be discharged from combat. This wasn’t a dismissal from service as a gladiator but a dismissal to return to training.
Missio occurred in two ways. One way this occurred was that one of the participants would essentially surrender but be given a reprieve. The other possibility was a draw. A draw could either be requested by the crowd or by the fighters themselves, usually with an unambiguous gesture like giving up one's sword to one's opponent. However, a draw was highly disdained.
The battle between Priscus and Verus had a highly unusual outcome in that both fighters were declared victors. This marked a triumphant opening to the games and showed Titus in a positive light. It shows Titus' fairness in keeping to the surrender rule to the end, and it also valorizes the disciplined, skilled, and brave gladiators.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
gladiator
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
of Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic origins. His combat with his friend Verus
Verus (gladiator)
Originally from Moesia, Verus was a slave who became a well-known gladiator during the reigns of the Emperors Vespasian and Titus in the latter part of the 1st century...
was the highlight of the opening day of the games
Inaugural games of the Flavian Amphitheatre
The inaugural games of the Flavian Amphitheatre were held in AD 80, on the orders of the Roman Emperor Titus, to celebrate the completion of the Colosseum, then known as the Flavian Amphitheatre . Vespasian began construction of the amphitheatre around AD 70, and it was completed by Titus...
conducted by Titus
Titus
Titus , was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father....
to inaugurate the Flavian Amphitheatre
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
in AD 80, and was recorded in a laudatory poem by Martial
Martial
Marcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
— the only detailed description of a gladiatorial fight that has survived to the present day. Specifically, this laudatory poem was included in Martial's work called the De spectaculis
De spectaculis
De Spectaculis is a surviving moral and ascetic treatise by Tertullian. Written somewhere between 197-202, the work looks at the moral legitimacy and consequences of Christians attending the circus, theatre, or amphitheatre .In it, Tertullian posits against the popular view that human enjoyment...
or Epigrammaton liber, which Martial wrote to honor and highlight all the events of Titus
Titus
Titus , was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father....
's games. Their fight was on the first day of the games and marked the beginning of the celebration. Both gladiators were declared victors of the combat, and were awarded their freedom by the Emperor in a unique outcome.
Actual Text
MartialMartial
Marcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
, De Spectaculis, XXIX:
As Priscus and Verus
Verus (gladiator)
Originally from Moesia, Verus was a slave who became a well-known gladiator during the reigns of the Emperors Vespasian and Titus in the latter part of the 1st century...
each drew out the contest
and the struggle between the pair long stood equal,
shouts loud and often sought discharge for the combatants.
But Titus obeyed his own law
(the law was that the bout go on without shield until a finger be raised).
What he could do, he did, often giving dishes and presents.
But an end to the even strife was found:
equal they fought, equal they yielded.
To both Titus sent wooden swords and to both palms.
Thus valor and skill had their reward.
This has happened under no prince but you, Caesar:
two fought and both won.
Discussion
Priscus and Verus were both slaves who had risen through the gladiatorial ranks. Priscus was born a slave from Gaul, unlike Verus who was born free, and is known mainly for his battle with Priscus.Priscus and Verus' fight occurred on the first day of the games to celebrate the opening of the Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
. These games consisted mainly of gladiatorial fights, animal spectacles, and staged sea battles. These games helped to keep the Roman mobs happy, and helped to make Titus extremely popular by the end of his reign in 81 AD. Beginning with the time of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, gladiator fights were a tactic used to control the mobs of Rome. It satisfied their thirst for action and directed any frustration and pent-up energy.
Martial's recording of the battle between Priscus and Verus apparently showed a rare result. Usually, gladiatorial fights were only ended when one combatant raised a finger to signal defeat.
However, surrender wasn’t the only way for a battle to end. Missio was a term used to denote when a fighter could be discharged from combat. This wasn’t a dismissal from service as a gladiator but a dismissal to return to training.
Missio occurred in two ways. One way this occurred was that one of the participants would essentially surrender but be given a reprieve. The other possibility was a draw. A draw could either be requested by the crowd or by the fighters themselves, usually with an unambiguous gesture like giving up one's sword to one's opponent. However, a draw was highly disdained.
The battle between Priscus and Verus had a highly unusual outcome in that both fighters were declared victors. This marked a triumphant opening to the games and showed Titus in a positive light. It shows Titus' fairness in keeping to the surrender rule to the end, and it also valorizes the disciplined, skilled, and brave gladiators.
Other sources
- Bowman, Alan, Peter Garnsey, and Dominic Rathbone. The Cambridge Ancient History Volume XI: The High Empire, A.D. 70-192. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Hornblower, Simon, and Antony Spawforth. Oxford Classical Dictionary. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Traver, Andrew G. From Polis to Empire – The Ancient World, c. 800 B.C.-A.D. 500: A Biographical Dictionary. 1st ed. Greenwood Press, 2002.