Gladiator Mosaic

[6] The mosaic depicts a single narrative of munera and venationes similar to the celebratory events a wealthy person would host in their domus at the time.

[8] Many of the figures are depicted wearing highly decorated tunics and subligacula, adorned with little circles or contrasting lines, or shown with streaks of gray tesserae to indicate the flow of the garment.

Alumnus is shown wearing a multicolor sleeve and a subligaculum shaded with gray streaks brandishing a dagger that has been created using red tessera for the blood.

[2][10] Callimorfus is artistically depicted as having been mortally wounded in the chest dropping his dagger with a pained expression on his face while the victorious hoplomachus, whose name is only preserved with a "-us", towers over him.

On the left side of the panel, Licentious deals a mortal blow to Purpureus with a smaller incitator wearing a red loincloth below them.

[5] Rocchetti points out these gladiatorial pairs are examples of Roman "expressionism" in contrast to the late-Hellenic idea of "orderly beauty," such as those found on battle scenes.

Above the two retiarii is another pair of gladiators, the retiarius Cupido appears lying on the ground dead, while the secutor Bellefrons has dropped his shield and is delivering the death blow.

A variety of scenes of hunting and fighting joined together in a single continuous narrative is similar to the mosaic floor found in a domus on the Aventine Hill.

[14] The tunics of the venatores are similar to those worn by hunters in the Villa Romana del Casale boar hunt mosaic in Piazza Armerina.

[4] While the geometric design on the shoulder of Melitio's tunic is similar to that found on the men hunting a rhinoceros in the Piazza Armerina mosaics.