08-23-2002, 02:26 PM
<br>
Sorry again, I'll rephrase:<br>
<br>
The passage cited in Suetonius does not allow one to draw any conclusions about whether or not this phrase spoken by these noxii [condemned criminals] was normal for noxii to say, or was also normal for proper gladiators to say.<br>
It is therefore a massive stretch of the evidence to call this a "gladiatorial salute".<br>
This is the *only* time such a thing is reported in *any* of the sources [which are admittedly sparse]. Note also that the one and only time it is recorded was not in an amphitheatre, not at a Munera Gladiatoria and not spoken by gladiators.<br>
<br>
If anyone is really interested I could possibly prepare an article on why I concluded based on other considerations that this is unlikely to have been a traditional "gladiatorial salute".<br>
<br>
<br>
-- Susan<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Sorry again, I'll rephrase:<br>
<br>
The passage cited in Suetonius does not allow one to draw any conclusions about whether or not this phrase spoken by these noxii [condemned criminals] was normal for noxii to say, or was also normal for proper gladiators to say.<br>
It is therefore a massive stretch of the evidence to call this a "gladiatorial salute".<br>
This is the *only* time such a thing is reported in *any* of the sources [which are admittedly sparse]. Note also that the one and only time it is recorded was not in an amphitheatre, not at a Munera Gladiatoria and not spoken by gladiators.<br>
<br>
If anyone is really interested I could possibly prepare an article on why I concluded based on other considerations that this is unlikely to have been a traditional "gladiatorial salute".<br>
<br>
<br>
-- Susan<br>
<p></p><i></i>