Mary Beard Shows Us a Roman Gladiator's Helmet - Meet the Romans with Mary Beard - BBC Two

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Mary Beard talks about what life was like for a Roman Gladiator.
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[@AlphaOne2009]

I actually feel privileged to have seen that helmet!

[@philpants44]

That's what she said

[@NeroneVettius]

Wow

[@gladiadorbaiano9533]

This helmet was of a kind of gladiator called Murmillo, a heavy fighter.

[@gunner1332]

My favorite type

[@BlookbugIV]

Thraex and Hoplomachus used that helmet too

[@SpaceEmperorGenos]

@@BlookbugIV The Hoplomachus is a very interesting gladiator to me. Everybody knows the Retiarius, the Secutor, the Murmillo.. The Thraex and Hoplomachus are underappreciated.

[@limoucheu8522]

@@BlookbugIV This kind yes but with a crest ornated with griffin.

[@grahamelamblamb3198]

what a honour to hold a well preserved mermillo helm

[@maximusvetti254]

Grahame Lamblamb yea wow you can go to the arena and put it on knowing someone back in time did have it on did he die or win the crowd you could almost see them and everything else you can imagine

[@goldsovereign5714]

If she had her face right in the helmet her view wouldn't have been as obstructed.

[@TimmyTurner421]

Gold Sovereign Exactly! I wore a historical correct replica of a gladiator helmet and the view was quite good.

[@a.ham.9856]

Long-time fencer here - hard to explain but concentrating on the task at hand makes the mask far less of a hindrance than you might expect. After a while you just don't see the obstructions much at all, your brain just compensates.

[@kerenbraddock3015]

idk man. The helmets were not designed to protect the gladiator, but to display gladiators as monsters, so if it obstructed view but made the gladiator look like a monster to people they probably would have kept the obstructed view. Also putting that thing on would be dangerous for the helmet.

[@squidiz496]

@@kerenbraddock3015 Think it would still be more for protection. If I paid for a gladiator I would not want him to loose an eye or his life.

[@tdoyr2119]

@@squidiz496 You’re thinking with a modern mind

[@birdman631]

If you're complaining that she didn't put it on her head, keep in mind she was wearing gloves to avoid oil, and do you have an idea whats in your hair? OIL! Very good.

[@teabaggervance8]

Semen?

[@ismaeldeleija8165]

thank you mate, i really wanted her to try it, but you are right, better have a replica next to it because its too tempting... !

[@stefthorman8548]

Then why is she talking next to it? Water vapors, bacteria, ect.

[@YFNGamer1]

"You can't quite see out of it." Then put it on!

[@teachandfunnstuff3127]

Lol

[@AndrosProtos]

You can't.

[@badcornflakes6374]

The oil in her hair would f it up

[@davide724]

*Colleagues walking by the library doorway notice her alone making grunting sounds while holding the gladiator helmet in front of her face* Colleague: "Looks like Mary's at it, again."

[@px5ix4pz6j]

Lmao!!!

[@pauljones4525]

stunning craftsmanship

[@oldi184]

Exactly. Its truly amazing that this metal helmet from 2000 years ago. Roman empire was truly ahead of everyone else. When it collapsed dark times have come.

[@BigNutGaming]

@@oldi184 I somewhat don't believe this is genuine or atleast 2000 years old judging by the condition of it.

[@dorian-stefanmarciuc9939]

@@BigNutGaming its bronze so it holds up better than iron

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

Who ever wore this must have had very powerful neck, shoulders, and upper back muscles to be able to maneuver around and fight while wearing it.

[@alexgataric]

Probably the same as a football lineman or linebacker. The NFL of the ancient world.

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

@@God-Zax No room for a man bun in there.

[@danielpurcell7395]

@@alexgataric those men would have torn a nfl player a new ass in no time. These players today could never hold up to the Savage onslaught of a gladiator.

[@baronfeaters7384]

@@danielpurcell7395 lol wut..NFL players are probably the most athletic and strong men to have ever lived. They are the most evolved and genetically gifted human specimens in history.

[@danielpurcell7395]

@@baronfeaters7384 maybe physically? But the savage mentality is on another level. Gladiators where fighting for their lives, not chasing a ball around and throwing blocks.

[@mikeyoung7660]

Amazing that it has actually survived

[@Thecitybeehives]

I'm really interested in ancient Roman history, their societies were in a way so similar yet so different to those of today. The most awe-inspiring thing is that you can feel where the roots of our culture lies (the oldest ones lie in Greece and there are probably even more ancient ones than those). Mary Beard is a great academic.

[@CoM-cf2yq]

It always shocks me when people carelessly pick artifacts like this up without fear of dropping them

[@adrianmaki3224]

Co M they uses to defect weapons so

[@goldenrule3264]

Lmao um I'm sure that piece of metal will hold up just fine 😂

[@pinkyviolette]

It’s not just people : this is Mary Beard, an expert classicist! She is not stupid, of course she was being careful!

[@user-lr1ol2un4l]

@@adrianmaki3224 yeah thay did 2000 YEARS AGO!

[@MadMax22]

violette andre Imma have to slide with violette on this one. This girl never once carelessly did anything even when she had a smile plastered on her face. Joy can be a sign that you’re fully taking something seriously too.

[@twstf8905]

I bet it's JOLLY heavy! 🤣 JOLLY heavy indeed. 👍

[@GekkoKamen]

The angle the lady used to hold the helmet in her hands and look through the grill was inadequate, since she was only looking through the grill from a thrid or a quarter of the actual total space of vision the helmet has., holding it from a much higher position than the real position in front of the face would be.

[@JuCarlos-ex8ip]

Wow a real gladiators helmet amazing

[@MxEverybody]

I love how enthusiastic she is about the whole thing, it made this extremely enjoyable and fascinating.

[@NeroneVettius]

Mary is the best.

[@williamrobinson7435]

Brilliant! Great to see this artefact, Mary Beard is fab. ⭐👍

[@WrazzleMyDazzle]

I love stuff like this, she's very enthusiastic! :D

[@SonicBoom00]

Mary is a professional. She’s got this.

[@47Seagull]

Of course you couldn't see properly, it's designed to sit more to the back of your head with the peak pointing upwards and the visor straight forward.

[@PalofGrrr]

Something to think on...thank you

[@MtnTow]

I want one. Might have to build it myself.

[@whereswaldo5740]

Make me one. Would be great on a motor bike.

[@ShizaruBloodrayne]

I feel like the only reason she can't see in this helmet is because since she can't get it on, the way she's tipping the helmet forward to see through is dipping the forehead crest downward as well. I feel that if the helmet fit and she was able to get it on that her field of view in it would be greater.

[@alvinwilliams7986]

Jolly heavy.

[@kerrynicholls6683]

I did not read the headline properly obviously because I was immediately thinking that’s not a Roman helmet. Gladiator helmet totally get it now.

[@bookwormbandit]

Superb!

[@willowthemidget8323]

The midget found your presentation .. interesting..and enjoyable..well done.. congratulations 😎

[@Jaskatzu]

VERY cool :D Not many of those around, are there?

[@ericsalles3393]

It may be worth a few bob

[@jayjaynee1]

Fascinating

[@diegohayato2740]

Sometimes I try to imagine what a gladiator should to feel when he put a helmet like that in his head before of a combat on the arena.

[@NeroneVettius]

Celadus the thraician, is the heartthrob of all the girls 👭

[@bigusdickus3068]

buddy never even took a bop to the dome. what a lad.

[@whereswaldo5740]

I have one just like it. Yep. I wear it riding my dual sport motorcycle.

[@BlookbugIV]

The image quality is really good for a 9 year old 480 KZbin video

[@MrJoeystockdale]

Hey lady can you tell us how the helmet fit it on the head where the leather straps in there was it padded any detail come on

[@circolomanfredi]

Se viene da Pompei ... come fate ad averlo voi ?

[@Direwoof]

It's either a murmillo or samnite's helmet. Can't tell between the 2 yet.

[@BGaMs]

For honor

[@vernvernon6424]

damn thats some serious helmet hair!!!!!!!!!!

[@MusidoraKeller]

Who's AA Gill? But yeah. She is incredible

[@DefeatingEvil]

In quale metallo era quel casco (elmo ) ?

[@DEarls-ye9tz]

Just put it on 😭 I know you want to put it on, and we all want you to put it on, so just put on the gladiator helmet. Please. 🙏🏽

[@edmonte7332]

I want one

[@itsjustcrimson1415]

Its like gladiators' from for honor

[@pabloelnino1455]

Yeah no duh why would you think for honor made it realistic

[@markhenry192]

I always thought gladiators must of been expensive to buy, feed and train. You would not want your investment killed off so quickly. Hence the theatrical costumes they wore.

[@SamohtNox]

Ofcourse it's heavy, you're an elderly woman, not a trained 25-30 year old killing machine! I face palmed when she says the view is obstructed..see this is why I cant take academics seriously that have no hands on experience but just theorize and take it as fact..drives me up the walls. Not putting it on and looking in it from an angle...wtf do you expect?

[@whereswaldo5740]

It’s these same proclaimed experts that dictate climate change and Covid rules.

[@latsnojokelee6434]

Half the crowd cries because she doesn’t have protective gear on except for gloves and she’s touching it. The other half cries because she won’t put it on her head to get the real hundred percent view out of it.

[@dareaper3791]

legend has it...thurman thomas lost that mufugga before entering the arena.

[@EliBuildsThings]

You don't see how they could have seen the enemy? Well I guess it's a good thing that gladiators were show monkeys and didn't fight in wars (save for a few times) so they really didn't have to worry about the chaos of battle.

[@whereswaldo5740]

His bod was magnificent. But his face was a double bagger.

[@TheBECK321]

Why she don't have any beard?

[@disgruntledpedant2755]

Those teefs though... I guess austin powers wasn't joking.

[@pulpees2422]

she seems like shes the person who would have like 10 cats

[@whereswaldo5740]

Do you know what they call having 10 cats? A starter kit.

[@krispybeats6615]

was same helmet worn by a deamon that haunted bruce lee in that movie that brandon played in ? the story of bruce lee or whats it called

[@DidntKnowWhatToPut1]

Show some respect.

[@Cissy2cute]

The psychological effect on the crowd by men wearing these and other likewise objects must have been tremendous.

[@mrgravityrune9089]

Mary you're wrong the gladiator were expensive yes but that was for the training. You didn't want them to die then that would be money wasted their was no Shirad death was part of the game

[@potlick18]

You're gonna break it you old crone!

[@Rameus]

It doesn’t look weird at all. It’s designed perfectly for fighting in an arena.

[@claverhouse1]

Or rather , it is perfectly designed to handicap the wearer who is fighting in the arena

[@Rameus]

@@claverhouse1 riiiight

[@claverhouse1]

@@Rameus If you don't understand the system of gladiators and their various deliberately designed strengths and handicaps, it's OK to admit it.

[@Rameus]

@@claverhouse1 riiight

[@Rhubarb_Tea]

interesting

[@alphawolf7906]

Puts the helmet halfway on Its really hard to see 😐

[@piplup2009]

use that in assassins creed revelations (bet u can get easily sniped with those holes)

[@vitolucci636]

Brits are funny ppl

[@629O]

Wow, you seem so educated. You must be American.

[@tightbymysite7599]

i swaer her ears are moving when she talks xD iam sorry -,.-

[@LuukvdHoogen]

She has nice stories, but I hate how she always wants to touch everything

[@connormclean5287]

i wish they showed more of the helmet and less of the old lady talking, like the clasp at the front, maybe that is why she cant wear it because it needs to be opened by the face and its too old to be safely opened and closed

[@mrjohn.whereyoufrom]

This was just a clip. More of the helmet was shown in the programme.

[@владимирмоскаленко-щ8д]

ну. ну .заливай. толька прыготь незабывай.

[@mrhaze8451]

For an expert she doesnt know how it is worn? What a joke! Awesome piece, should probably get someone who knows what they are doing to show it though!

[@carambola08]

Nowadays people also do get killed... by drones bombs, by fighter´s rockets and by other "subtle" ways. It still is an amazing world if you are on the politically correct side..

[@latsnojokelee6434]

I think you’re taking what she said way out of context. She’s comparing the gladiator to professional wrestling up today. Imagine what it would look like if hulk hogan was able to knife one of his Opponents.

[@themessenger5868]

What nonsense she was talking. "Charade of wrestling" … what ? Put the bloody helmet on dear, then look around.

[@latsnojokelee6434]

She’s not wrong, it was very much like wrestling. The guys had to go to school for three years to learn how to fight. They were very expensive to their owners because these guys were all slaves. Last thing the owners wanted was for their guy to be killed off immediately. Now some of the fighting was very very intense and people really got injured. But the goal was to keep your gladiator live as long as possible, not get them whacked first day on the job

[@themessenger5868]

@@latsnojokelee6434 It was nothing like wrestling... They were less than human...means of entertainment and disposable. There were thousands more where they came from. When a particular gladiator became too popular and powerful...they would be killed. To become more popular than Caesar was a death sentence.

[@ninjabluewings]

Well i bet that original Roman gladiator helmet isn't worth much money 😅😅😅

[@daylightliving8929]

to thin to be real

[@bren7080]

daylight living Considering they found it in Pompeii, I'd beg to differ

[@madbull338hit8]

Everything said is wrong

[@Xnocturnus]

The games were a charade, eh? How in the hell would you know, woman. Were you there? Nuh-uh!

[@BennekeClaes93]

We're pretty well informed about gladiator training and fighting, f.i. through tomb stones: these sometimes recollect how many times the gladiator had won or lost, so they were not killed off immediately like in the Spartacus series.

[@latsnojokelee6434]

We also have written texts from historians of the time describing what it was like to go to one of these gladiatorial events.

[@heep34987yt]

It’s hard to see with your forehead… lol.

[@crex-pd1vv]

probably not an authentic one

[@brandovegan609]

Beautiful helmet.

[@tysonblaq5300]

I know she on the pipe

[@SomeJustice19k]

The pipe of life.

[@thespammercomentater]

Why do I have to read top comments as listen to these videos in the first minute? KILLED ME lmao

[@Itoldyousoproduction]

unbelievable attention to detail, the helmet must have been so incredible back when it was made. brilliant! anyway: looks a good show, although for some reason Mary doesn't seem the type of person to do this show lol :P

[@hudsontoo1212]

Good for her not putting it on though- Reminds me of when people go to my parents house and start picking up artifacts and playing with them.... at least she had gloves!!! 🧤

[@ismaeldeleija8165]

im usually like you, i hate when people step over ancient stuff like pyramids or anything, but in this case in my particular point of view it would have been a lot fun to see her with the helmet, i mean, she is not going to play with it or anything and its going to take care for it a lot too, we missed the chance to see how it really looks, it was going to be for science and a video that we could replay a thousand times to see how it looks without damaging the helmet. But yea, maybe have a replica next to this, because if it gets broken, i would want to kill her lol (joke)

[@aurktman1106]

The condition is nearly perfect! Stunning!

[@entyylol]

toe stabber

[@neurophobicnperfect]

The reason she probably can't see is because she didn't put it on all the way.

[@whereswaldo5740]

Perhaps and this is no defense for her but maybe it was so you couldn’t see who it was. Just sayin.

[@Direwoof]

That's brass it doesn't corrode and it will last for ever.

[@whereswaldo5740]

Comes in next day. It’s gleaming. Janitor: Fixed that for yer. Polished er up a bit. Took some doing. Did it on my own time. No need to pay me. I’ll be gettin along then. G’day.

[@glennsmith64]

What did the cannibal say after lunch? ......He was " gladiator ". I'm here all week folks.🤓

[@J0J0Zx]

If she wore the helmet right maybe the view could be better

[@WAFFENAMT1]

The purpose of this helmet was to protect the wearer, the downside is that you could hardly see anything out of it, the helmet was made that way on purpose

[@nazrinshah6644]

Just curius... whether the helmet haunted??

[@tedg3721]

i wonder how many people were killed from that helmet's gladiator behind it? and what thehell is thestory over 1900 years? who had it all these years? or where was it found? Talk that about part please!

[@Arkapok81]

The vision in that would have been very good actually !!!

[@222ric]

I don't understand why Mary Beard chooses to touch every ancient artifact with her hands (usually without gloves). Is she aware that it may not contribute positively to the preservation of the objects or even that she's advertising a dangerous behavior to all those who will visit museums and archaeological sites?

[@jessieflores8788]

Looks like a gladiator helmet to me. The face shield opens up.

[@philipzahn491]

It just appeared to me: I think it's modelled of a beoetian helmet.

[@ringo688]

She is wrong about the vision so what else does she get wrong.

[@whereswaldo5740]

Meh. WWF. Hulk Hogans Helmet.

[@j1080ro]

Did she used to be a kindergarten teacher

[@Grant-kj4eq]

Put the fucking thing down before you drop it . Show some respect !

[@ext3rminat0r58]

Little did that gladiator know that 1000 something years later there would be some old British lady showing his helmet to an advanced camera

[@ericsalles3393]

When did Pompeii get buried ? Longer than a 1000 years .I think .theres a lot of stuff down there .they were sex mad phalluses everywhere erotic art .and where houses .nothings changed

[@latsnojokelee6434]

When I went to Pompeii way back in the early 1980s as a kid, they had a whole sections of it sealed away from the tourists because of all the sexual stuff.

[@misterw2000]

:o

[@gabesherwood6000]

Ceremonial helmet.