At Death's Door: A Scene of Damnatio ad Bestias on a Key Handle from Leicester

John Pearce; Gavin Speed; Nicholas J. Cooper

doi:10.1017/S0068113X21000118

At Death's Door: A Scene of Damnatio ad Bestias on a Key Handle from Leicester

John Pearce, Gavin Speed, Nicholas J. Cooper

Classics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A decorated copper-alloy key handle was recovered during excavation of a town house in Roman Leicester (Ratae Corieltavorum). The decoration comprises two groups of figures modelled in high relief: a bearded, unarmed man fighting with a lion, arranged above four naked male youths embracing one another in a protective manner. This decoration cannot be paralleled among other similarly elaborate Roman key handles and is best interpreted as a scene of damnatio ad bestias, although it does not directly replicate other known scenes of this punishment and spectacle. Other readings of the image are possible, depending on the context and perspective of the viewer as they handled the object.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	327-342
Number of pages	16
Journal	BRITANNIA
Volume	52
Early online date	9 Aug 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X21000118
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2021

Keywords

amphitheatre
barbarian
damnatio ad bestias
key
lion
Roman
spectacle
Leicester

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10.1017/S0068113X21000118

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title = "At Death's Door: A Scene of Damnatio ad Bestias on a Key Handle from Leicester",

abstract = "A decorated copper-alloy key handle was recovered during excavation of a town house in Roman Leicester (Ratae Corieltavorum). The decoration comprises two groups of figures modelled in high relief: a bearded, unarmed man fighting with a lion, arranged above four naked male youths embracing one another in a protective manner. This decoration cannot be paralleled among other similarly elaborate Roman key handles and is best interpreted as a scene of damnatio ad bestias, although it does not directly replicate other known scenes of this punishment and spectacle. Other readings of the image are possible, depending on the context and perspective of the viewer as they handled the object. ",

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AU - Speed, Gavin

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At Death's Door: A Scene of Damnatio ad Bestias on a Key Handle from Leicester

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Keywords

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