Original scientific paper

Salona mold with image of gladiators

Z. Buljević

Abstract

A marble mold depicting gladiators and bearing an inscription was found in Salona in 1994 at the Japirkove kuće site in the southeastern necropolis. This item certainly had some connection with gladiatorial combat. Since nothing similar had until then been found among the ceramic and glass items, it was assumed that the mold served to imprint the bread that was distributed in the Salona amphitheater, and the Miscenius Ampliatus mentioned in the inscription would be the owner of the bakery. The other assumption is that the mold was used to make metal plates as a memento of the games that the patron Miscenius organized in the Salona amphitheater. This work presents a new solution. It is the opinion of the author that the mold was used to form the bottoms of glass bottles with a rectangular cross-section and two handles. We believe that Miscenius, probably a freed slave from Salona, was a glass-blower who was buried in Salona, and that the bottles that he made were given as prizes to the gladiators for their successes in the arena.

Keywords

Salona; Roman glass; mold; gladiators

Hrčak ID:

6071

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/6071

Publication date:

8.12.2004.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 3.539 *