As actor Paul Mescal prepares to step into the laced-up sandals of Hollywood star Russell Crowe for a return to the Colosseum in Gladiator II, the discovery of a Roman artifact in England proves the combination of gladiator and celebrity started 2,000 years ago.
Along Hadrian's Wall, a 73-mile-long stone barrier built on the northwest edge of the Roman Empire, archaeologists have uncovered a rare type of knife handle in a river, according to a Nov. 15 news release from English Heritage.
The knife handle cast from copper alloy depicts a "strong muscular" gladiator armed with a helmet and shield, archaeologists said.
The handle is a "Roman gladiator souvenir," according to English Heritage, something that has been rarely found in the United Kingdom.
"The secutor figurine is left-handed which would have been considered unlucky at the time. This suggests it is potentially a representation of a specific gladiator," researchers said. "Some gladiators were even taught to fight left-handed, perhaps to gain advantage over their opponents."
Frances McIntosh, collections curator for Hadrian's Wall, said that even though gladiators were enslaved and social outcasts, when they were fighting they quickly turned into "huge celebrities."
Gladiators became such an integral part of Roman society that they inspired early sporting memorabilia, including ceramics, cups, lamps and figurines like the knife handle, McIntosh said.
The following of gladiators was a "celebrity cult," researchers said.
"Gladiators had sex appeal and there are cases of high-status Roman women falling 'in love' with these lowly fighters, despite the vast social difference. This beautifully made knife handle is a testament to how pervasive this celebrity culture was, reaching all the way to Hadrian's Wall at the very edge of the Roman Empire," McIntosh said.
The "fascination" with gladiator culture has continued into popular culture of the 21st century, McIntosh said, including with "the excitement surrounding the new Gladiator film sequel."
Other gladiator-related memorabilia has been found throughout the United Kingdom, including a pottery bowl depicting a fight scene with a "victorious" gladiator standing over his kneeling opponent, researchers said.
A Roman amphitheater in Richborough included a holding cell for gladiators and animals to entertain new arrivals to the Empire, English Heritage said.
Glass vials found at two historical sites were found to hold saffron-infused water perfume that would have been sprinkled on gladiator spectators, archaeologists said.
Gladiators first started as fighting performers at Etruscan funerals, brawling to the death so the gladiators could accompany the deceased to the next life, according to Britannica.
In Rome, however, gladiator shows became so popular that the three pairs of fighters at the funeral of Brutus in 264 B.C. grew to 300 pairs by the time Julius Caesar was buried in 44 B.C., Britannica says.
The emperor Trajan had 5,000 pairs of gladiators by the year 107, and shows spread from Rome to the far reaches of the Empire in local amphitheaters, according to Britannica.
The Roman knife handle was found in Corbridge Roman Town in Northumberland in northwestern England.