Commodus and Historical Accuracy...

[Talk2BigSteve]

In college I took an upper level history class called The Roman Empire. There are somethings that we take for granted that are simply not accurate...

The Sign of the Sword

Many people believe that the Thumbs Up is a good thing and Thumbs Down is a bad thing. This is widely accepted in culture from movies like Gladiator to TV show like Happy Days(Fonzie) and At the Movies with Ebert & Roper.

The TRUTH is that the Sign of the Sword (the Thumb) was used at the gladiator fights in the Roman Empire; but, how it was used is the key here. When a gladiator was defeated in a death match the crowd would try to impress upon the emperor the fate of the loser.

The Coliseum crowd would begin to give the Sign of the Sword. Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down. However, the accurate meanings are completely reverse of what they now mean.

Thumbs Up in the Sign of the Sword would indicate to the victor that you want him to raise his sword. This would be followed by taking your thumb and slowly making a cutting motion across your neck. This was a sign to show no mercy and finish the fight to the death.

Thumbs Down in the Sign of the Sword was to show compassion to a brave yet fallen gladiator, this was a sign to the victor of the match, to lower his sword and have mercy on his competitor.

The Decision, ultimately, lay with the Emperor as to the outcome of the match....Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down.



Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Duke]

Interesting. Thanks for not making yet another "I'm gay in the bible belt" post.

~D

[Talk2BigSteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting. Thanks for not making yet another "I'm gay in the bible belt" post.

~D

[/ QUOTE ]

Your very welcome, Duke.

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[TheIrishThug]

yeah, i remembered that a few days ago, and decided to ignore it. its just to good to change it now.

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting. Thanks for not making yet another "I'm gay in the bible belt" post.

~D

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you sure? It was a post about 'sword up' and stuff.



jk Steve.... /images/graemlins/smile.gif

My portrayal of Commodus in The Gladiator is not historically accurate. The real Commodus did not fight Maximus to the death, but with the bod that Russell has, the days we spent filming that sequence was the highlight of the film for me.

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

I'm pretty sure this is wrong too, though. I'm pretty sure any thumb meant to show no mercy. A closed fist would indicate that mercy had been granted.

[The Yugoslavian]

I mentioned this once and basically everyone said I sucked at life.

/images/graemlins/frown.gif

It somehow bothers me every time I see the thumbs up/down misused in the context of gladiator fights as I learned the historicdally correct usage before seeing it in pop culture.

Yugoslav

[siccjay]

Uhm, exactly opposite?

Thumbs up means yes kill him.

Thumbs down means no don't kill him.

This is the opposite of the movie? Been awhile since I seen it.

[Brainwalter]

I declare you a Close Second.

[cnfuzzd]

didnt you decide to leave and never post again?

peace

john nickle

[smokingrobot]

since when did pop culture movies concern themselves with historical accuracy?

[TheCroShow]

did any of you morans take a film class? film makers have to assume their audience is dumb, to use the historical accurate thumb up or thumb down gesture would confuse the audience.

put your thick black framed glasses back on, go sip a cup of tea and talk about world peace at your local starbucks kthx

I also saw this in a program on the History Channel or PBS.

Thumb enclosed in fist = mercy.

Thumb sticking out up, down, or sideways = death.