Gladiators of Britain exhibition comes to West Northants

22 May 2025

This summer, Northampton Museum & Art Gallery invites visitors to discover the thrilling world of Roman gladiatorial combat with the arrival of Gladiators of Britain, a major touring exhibition developed in partnership with the British Museum and Colchester and Ipswich Museums.

The exhibition explores the history and cultural significance of gladiatorial games in Roman Britain and will be on display from 24 May to 7 September 2025. The free exhibition brings together 25 significant objects from the British Museum and Colchester Museums collections, alongside important local artefacts that highlight the Nene Valley's rich Roman heritage. It tells the compelling story of the gladiators who fought and died for public entertainment across Britain during the Roman occupation.

Occupying Britain for over 350 years, the Romans introduced many aspects of their culture including gladiatorial fights for public entertainment. The events of the amphitheatre, with its wild beasts and enslaved fighters, are one of the most enduring aspects of Roman culture that still capture the public imagination today.

Gladiators of Britain will look at the social position of enslaved fighters, who were both vilified and admired as the celebrities of their day. Considered as infamis in Roman law and society, they were excluded from having the rights of other citizens. Visitors will also find out about the many different classes of gladiator and how they were ranked, including beast-fighters known as bestiarii, who clashed with predators including lions and bears.

Although no local amphitheatre has been discovered in Northamptonshire, archaeological evidence reveals that the region's wealthy inhabitants were fascinated by gladiatorial spectacles. The Nene Valley, extending from the hills of Northamptonshire to Peterborough, was an area of considerable Roman prosperity, with profitable industries in pottery production and metal working. The Romans displayed their wealth by constructing luxurious villas throughout the area, with over twenty possible villa sites identified along the valley. These villas featured painted walls, decorative mosaics, underfloor heating, and bath houses - all hallmarks of Roman luxury.

“We are delighted to welcome this prestigious exhibition to Northampton Museum & Art Gallery. Gladiators of Britain offers a unique opportunity for our visitors to explore an often-overlooked aspect of our area’s Roman heritage.

“The exhibition highlights the cultural significance of gladiatorial combat and entertainment in Roman Britain, while showcasing remarkable objects that connect us to our local past. The Nene Valley's prosperous Roman history comes alive through these artefacts, revealing how our county’s wealthy inhabitants embraced Roman culture and spectacle."Cllr James Petter, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure at West Northamptonshire Council

The exhibition will showcase four exceptional objects discovered in the Nene Valley that demonstrate the enduring local interest in amphitheatre spectacles over three centuries:

Decorated glass vessel (AD 200-400)
Glass fragments from a luxurious beaker were discovered in one of the bath houses at Whitehall Villa, near Nether Heyford. The gladiator depicted is of the secutor class, recognisable by his smooth round helmet with small eye holes. Another fragment with a loin cloth indicates a second gladiator, perhaps a retiarius. This traditional opponent of the secutor fought with a trident and weighted net. The high-quality drinking vessel was probably made in the Rhineland and imported to Roman Britain.

Clasp knife handle from Piddington (AD 175–300)
Archaeological excavations at Piddington Villa have been taking place since 1979. Evidence has revealed that the site was occupied from the first century AD, for about three hundred years. Clasp knives were common tools in the Roman world and often had decorative handles made of bone, ivory and bronze. Depictions of gladiators were frequent, showing us how their bodies were objectified and commodified both in and outside of the arena.

Pottery vessel featuring a gladiator (AD 275–325)
Very few vessels made in Roman Britain decorated with gladiators have survived. Although the figure on this jar is interpreted as a gladiator, he carries a large round shield decorated with a boss, similar to those used later by the Roman army.

Pottery vessel featuring amphitheatre scenes (AD 175–225)
Similar to the Colchester Vase, the exceptionally decorated Peterborough pot records two scenes from the amphitheatre: a gladiator combat and a venatio event with a leopard and acrobat. Pots like this may have been made to order by some of the Nene Valley’s wealthy villa owners, to show off their love of the games.

Key objects loaned by the British Museum and Colchester and Ipswich Museums will include:

Hawkedon Helmet (1st century AD)
The only confirmed piece of gladiatorial armour found in Roman Britain. Recent metallurgical research has revealed this helmet would have been made on the continent and imported to Britain.

Marble relief featuring a beast fighter (1st–2nd century AD)
A relief illustrating a fight between a lion and a specially trained beast fighter (venator). The exhibition also highlights new research into bite marks that were found on a Roman skeleton in York, which found that these marks were made by a big cat such as a lion as shown here.

Colchester Vase (2nd century AD) 
A cremation vessel found in a Roman grave, thought to feature a real battle between gladiators Memnon, Valentinus, and beast-fighters Secundus and Mario. Research has confirmed this vessel was made in Colchester, with its inscription revealing it to be the first real evidence of actual battles taking place in Britain.

“While gladiators have always captured the public imagination, their presence in Britain has been less widely understood. New research has now proven that the spectacles of Rome’s Colosseum were experienced as far away as Colchester. But who were these enslaved fighters, and how did they come to be in Britain? We are now able to start answering these questions and it is fascinating to see how each venue brings these stories to life.”Thorsten Opper, Curator of Roman Collections at the British Museum

The exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of talks, events and activities for all ages. Find out more on the Northampton Museums website.