Bloody gladiatorial battle scene found in Pompeii

Pompeii may be an old acquaintance of archaeologists and has been explored for centuries - the ruins of the city were partially discovered for the first time in the late 16th century and the first excavations themselves took place in the mid-18th century - but it turns and moves new ones. Important discoveries are still made during work done there.

The last, according to Ben Taub of IFLScience !, was the cool you can see in more detail below - consisting of a scene showing a bloody battle between 2 gladiators found on the walls of a bar. brothel that operated in Pompeii when the city was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in the year 79. See:

Brutal scene

According to Ben, the painting measures 1.5 x 1.5 meters or so and shows the victory of a Murmillo, a type of gladiator who wore a rectangular shield and plumed helmet, over a Thracian gladiator, identified by the curved sword., square shield and leg guards that went above the knees.

In fact, in the scene you can see a lot of blood and the loser making a gesture known as adlocutio, in which the gladiators showed their thumbs up to beg the emperor - who was supposed to be in the audience watching the fight - that his life would be spared.

Archaeologists also found what was left of a wooden staircase near the fresco, indicating that the painting was possibly in a basement that served as a bar or warehouse, and traces on the top of the building suggest that the site it functioned as a brothel. In addition, the building was found in close proximity to where the gladiators lived, so it is easy to imagine that the establishment was frequented by these warriors and must have served as the venue for monstrous fights.