Arena to altar: 1,800-year-old grave yields Roman gladiator, 12 Christian bodies

Archaeologists unearthed a tomb in Izmir, Turkey, from the third century that held much more than a Roman gladiator. Reused in the fifth century for Christian burials, twelve bodies were buried alongside the ancient spectacle fighter, Turkiye Today reports .

Brimming with intrigue, the location had initially been a burial site. Over the years, it became a wooden-roofed basilica and then a domed church under the reign of Justinian I. The tomb holds that span of time. And with it, archaeologists can garner new insights into the ancient city’s long and enduring history.

A trip through time

As one of Turkey’s most significant cities, the burial site sits among impressive ruins and architectural marvels. Even still, associate professor Sinan Mimaroglu from Hatay Mustafa Kemal University’s Department of Art History “expressed astonishment” to Turkiye Today .

Buried twenty centimeters or about seven inches below the ground was an unusual grave site. His team “found one tomb and three tomb-like structures with 12 individuals inside,” Turkiye Today reported.

After careful examination, they identified that the name “Euphrates” inscribed on the original tomb belonged to a Roman gladiator . Furthermore, they discovered twelve additional bodies and three cross-reliefs from the fifth century.

“A collective burial,” he said.

Based on the similarities found in imperial tombs in the region spanning Marmara Island and even Syria, archaeologists believe these buried individuals were members of the upper class or clergy.

Richer materials having been used, archaeologists find it highly unlikely that members of a less affluent class would have been buried in such a meticulous manner. The team has not yet found examples that compare to the crosses, which indicates that these symbols are stylistically remarkable.

Continuing to move through time, the tomb’s lid seems to have been added in the seventh and eighth centuries. Repairs appeared to have been made to the underlining mosaic after the Justinian era.

An archeological marvel with treasures not yet uncovered

In 2020, a project spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism initially intended to explore the Basilica of St. John.

Constructed in the sixth century under Justinian I, the ruler of the Byzantine Empire, it was also the most important Greek city in Ionian Asian Minor. John the Apostle was even believed to have been buried on this sacred ground.

And the deeper they dig, the more archaeologists uncover, including the tomb of a Roman gladiator, as confirmed by Live Science . They might learn more about this figure who even sparks the imagination.

As a find attached to a larger effort to extract the seemingly endless treasures the site holds, many exciting discoveries have recently been made, such as a marble floor underneath it all, Turkiye Today concluded.

With the Gladiator, who shared his final resting place with the affluent and holy, archaeologists continue to learn more about one of the most precious cities in the ancient world with layers of history .