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Ancient Mosaic May Show Woman Gladiator, Study Claims

4/6/2026

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Story summary
  • A study in the International Journal of the History of Sport suggests 19th-century mosaic, destroyed in World War I, may depict a woman fighting beasts in the Roman arena.
  • The mosaic found in Reims, France, dates to the third century CE and depicts gladiatorial scenes.
  • Alfonso Mañas, a researcher, argues the image depicts a venatrix, while Thomas Scanlon, a Classics professor, questions reliability given the mosaic's destruction and uncertain drawings.