Pankration fighter

Description

The tradition of creating statuette groups of wrestlers first appeared during the Hellenistic period. This statuette, found in Autun, France, reflects the popularity of the combat sport called pankration in Roman times. Unlike boxing, pankration called for bare-knuckle fighting. The sculptor has depicted the fighter violently kicking his opponent, throwing his own weight back so as not to lose balance. The deliberately exaggerated pose underlines the violence of the sport.

Original Work : Pankration fighter, 1st century AD? – Provenance: Autun, ancient Augustodunum, Roman province of Lyonnaise. Bronze (H. : 10.63″). Paris, musée du Louvre, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities departement.