Tomba del Guerriero, Lanuvio
Tomb of the Warrior, Lanuvium

     "Within the general picture of Latium's 6th-5th century tombs, the tomb of the Warrior from Lanuvium (c. 475 BC) remains an exception. It stands out because, though modest and without grave goods, it contained the body of a military commander, buried with his arms and athletic equipment in a rough peperino sarcophagus. This combination of military and athletic ideals points to Greek cultural influence, hardly surprising during the years in which the cult of the Dioscuri, after spreading through Latium, appears even in Rome. Of the arms found in the tomb are exhibited: bronze anatomic breastplate, parade helmet of bronze, silver, gold, and glass paste, axe, a sword, three spear heads. From the athletic equipment: discus, strigil, pouch for sand, alabaster flask." (Exhibition text, Museo Nazionale Romano, Baths of Diocletian)Map of Latium

Selected Bibliography:

  • G. Colonna 1977. "Un aspetto oscuro del Lazio antico. Le tombe del VI-V sec. a.C.," PP 32, pp. 131-165.
  • ---, 1988. "I Latini e gli altri popoli del Lazio," in Italia omnium terrarum alumna (Milan) p. 493.
  • M. Egg 1988. "Italische Helme mit Krempe," in Antike Helme (RGZM, M.14), Mainz. p 250 ss.
  • A. Galieti 1934. "Contributo alla conoscenza dell'armatura dei Prisci Latini," Atti del III Congresso Internazionale per Studi Romani, Rome, II, pp. 281 ss.
  • --- 1980. "Appendice," Schede lanuvine, catalogo della mostra fotografica, Lanuvio.
  • J.M. Hemelrijk 1984. Caeretan Hydriae, Mainz. pp. 89ss.
  • A. Rouveret 1976. "Les oiseaux d'Ugento," Melanges J. Heurgon, Rome, II. p. 931.
  • J.M. Thuillier 1985. Les jeux athletiques dans la civilisation etrusque, Rome. pp. 106 ss.; 349 ss.
  • Fausto Zevi, "Tomba del Guerriero di Lanuvio," in M. Cristofani, ed., La Grande Roma dei Tarquini (1990), Rome. pp. 264-69.
  • ---, "La tomba del Guerriero di Lanuvio," in Spectacles sportifs et sceniques dans le monde etrusco-italique. Actes de la table ronde (Rome, 3-4 mai 1991) (Collection de l'Ecole francaise de Rome 172), (1993), Rome. pp 409-442.

Helmet

 Mus. Naz. Rom., Inv. No. 115195
Bronze, silver, glass paste, gold.
Height (without crest mount): 16.4 cm
Maximum diameter 23.7 cm
Minimum diameter 21 cm
Negau-type, variant.
product of Vulci? 		The eyes are outlined in silver, the irises picked out in gold.


Bivalve cuirass (anatomical cuirass, "lorica musculata")

 Mus. Naz. Rom., Inv. 115194
Bronze, traces of leather and linen.
Maximum height (front middle): 40.8 cm
   with shoulders, 50 cm
Width: circa 30 cm
Thickness (spessore): 26 cm
Probably Italiote Greek manufacture,
   490-480 BCE.


Sword (spada ricurva, machaira)

 Mus. Naz. Rom., Inv. 115196
Iron.
Length: 81.7 cm
Width at hilt: 7.5 cm
Width at blade: 7 cm


Axe(?)
Spear-points
Inv. 115203
Iron.
Length 24.9 cm
Maximum width at blade 10.2 cm
Width at shaft 2.9 cm
 (Spear-point)
Inv. 115201
Iron.
Length 20.8 cm
Width 4 cm 		Javelin-points or spear-butts (sauroters)
Iron.
Inv. 115206:
Length 15 cm
Diameter 2 cm
Inv. 115207:
Length 19 cm
Diameter 2.2 cm


Discus
Inv. 115197
Bronze.
Diameter 23.1 cm
thickness 0.65-0.7 cm
Weight 2.100 kg


Alabastra
Strigils
Alabaster.
Inv. 115204 (illustrated):
Extant height 11.2 cm
Maximum extant diameter 4.1 cm
Diameter at mouth 4.9 cm
Inv. 115205 (fragmentary)
Extant diameter at brim 4.1 cm 		Of a third alabastron mentioned
by the excavator, no trace now remains.
Iron.
Inv. 115198 (illustrated):
Length 23.3 cm
Width at spoon 4.2 cm
Width at handle 2.9 cm
Inv. 115199
Extant length 8.4 cm


Sandpouch
Belt
Inv. 115202
Leather and bronze
Mouthpiece diameter 7 cm 		(not exhibited)
Inv. 115200
Leather and bronze
Height 7 cm
Length 56 cm (in actual disposition of fragments)


Page created and maintained by Dan Diffendale.
Last updated April 27, 2007.