CLIL

Humanities and Social Science 8

Women warriors of ancient Rome

A From generals on the battlefield to senators in parliament, ancient Rome was

known to be a place that revolved around powerful men. Perhaps the most male-
dominated aspects of Roman life were the gladiatorial battles that took place in
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amphitheatres across the Empire. For that reason, it is surprising to learn that
not all gladiators were men.

B A recent 2excavation of a Roman burial ground on Great Dover Street, in a

London suburb, uncovered the grave of a woman in her 20s. The remains were
found on the periphery of the cemetery, suggesting the girl was of low birth, or a
persona non grata. However, the presence of valuable lamps and evidence of a
farewell feast at the site indicate that she had an expensive burial. Archaeologists
think that the only type of woman who was a social outcast yet could be given
such elaborate funeral 3rites may have been a ‘gladiatrix’, or female gladiator.
This hypothesis is backed up by the fact that one of the lamps she was buried
with depicts the carving of a gladiator. Not everyone agrees with this theory
though, and some critics argue that the lamp may simply indicate that the woman
was a fan of gladiatorial matches, much like people today enjoy football.

C Further evidence for female gladiators can be found in the British Museum, which
houses a marble relief of two gladiatrices carrying shields and swords and wearing
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loincloths. This relic, which was found in Halicarnassus in Turkey, bears the
fighter nicknames these women adopted, Amazon and Achillia, suggesting they
must have been formidable warriors.

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D It is a common belief that most gladiators, male or female, were slaves or did it for
money. However, the Roman satirist Juvenal complained that some noble women
competed as gladiatrices, and he accused them of doing so to seek fame. This
might seem like a dangerous way to get attention, but ancient texts cast doubt on
whether they always fought to the death 5per se, or if in some cases both
gladiatrices would be declared ‘winners’ at the end of the match and allowed to
live. This may lead us to believe that fights between females were less violent
than those between men, but this probably isn’t the case. Despite the savage
battles between male gladiators seen in Hollywood films, historical documents
suggest that males too were often allowed to live, as they were worth much more
alive than dead.

E Whether or not the ‘Dover Street woman’ was a gladiatrix, there is no doubt that
female fighters existed, at least until they were banned in AD200. However, only
time will tell if new relics of these warrior women will be found and help us better
understand their role in ancient Rome.

1 Answer the questions in your own words.

1 What is the evidence that the ‘Dover Street woman’ was a gladiatrix?

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2 How likely is it that female gladiators existed?

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2 Are the statements true or false? Quote words from the text to support your
answers.

1 The ‘Dover Street woman’ was probably a popular person.

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2 Amazon and Achillia were real names.

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3 Gladiatrices were allowed to live after their battles because they were women.

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4 Women were permitted to take part in gladiatorial matches in the third century.

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3 Match words 1–5 in the text to definitions a–e.

___ a traditional ceremonies, especially religious ones

___ b large oval stadiums in which spectacles are held

___ c as such

___ d pieces of fabric worn around the hips

___ e process of digging in the ground to find historical relics

4 Find words in the text that mean the same as …

1 members of the senate. _________________

2 unimportant or unwelcome person. _________________

3 piece of art consisting of a raised surface on a flat background.

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 _________________

4 soldiers or fighters. _________________

5 belonging to the highest social class. _________________

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd, 2010