Flamma (lit. The Flame) was a Syrian gladiator under the Roman Empire during the reign of Hadrian. He was one of the most famous and successful of his time.

History

How Flamma ended up as a gladiator is unknown. He may have been a revolutionary Syrian or a dissatisfied Roman auxiliary.[1] He was most likely forced into slavery and then into a gladiator school. He fought as a secutor, a class of gladiators in Rome. His common opponents were thus retiarii. Fighters were granted retirement or freedom if they showed great skill and bravery; in doing so they were rewarded with a wooden sword known as Rudis. Flamma was awarded the rudis four times, but each time he refused this freedom and chose to remain a gladiator.[2][3] The number of fights Flamma engaged in is higher than most gladiators. Many have lower numbers like Purricina Iuvenus (ILS 5107) who fought 5 times or Glaucus of Modena (ILS 5121) who fought 7 times. Flamma had fought 34 times and won 21 of them.[4] He also achieved old age for a gladiator, dying at age 30 while many died in their early 20s.[5]

His gravestone in Sicily includes his record and reads in Latin:[6]

Flamma s[e]c(utor) vix(it) ann(os) XXX / pugna(vi)t XXXIIII vicit XXI / stans VIIII mis(sus) IIII nat(ione) Syrus / hui(c) Delicatus coarmio merenti fecit.

Which translates as: "Flamma, secutor, lived 30 years, fought 34 times, won 21 times, fought to a draw 9 times, won reprieve 4 times, a Syrian by nationality. Delicatus (a gladiator) made this for his deserving comrade-in-arms."

References

  1. ↑ Dasgupta, Prateek. "The Story of the Syrian Gladiator Who Refused Freedom". History of Yesterday. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  2. ↑ Hanel, Rachael (2007). Gladiators. The Creative Company. ISBN 978-1-58341-535-1.
  3. ↑ Institute, Bathroom Readers' (2012-08-15). Uncle John's Bathroom Reader History's Lists. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-60710-664-7.
  4. ↑ Carter, Michael (2003). "Gladiatorial Ranking and the "SC de Pretiis Gladiatorum Minuendis" (CIL II 6278 = ILS 5163)". Classical Association of Canada. 57 (1/2): 83–114. doi:10.2307/3648490. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  5. ↑ Hope, Valerie (2000). "Fighting for Identity: The funerary commemoration of Italian Gladiators". Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies. Supplement, No. 73, THE EPIGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE OF ROMAN ITALY. 73: 93–113. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "Flamma's Gravestone". Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss / Slaby EDCS. Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss / Slaby EDCS. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
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