Colchester Vase facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colchester Vase
Created	Romano-British, 175 AD
Discovered	Colchester, Essex, England
Place	West Lodge Roman Cemetery

The Colchester Vase is a super old pot from Roman Britain. It was made in Colchester, England, way back in 175 AD! This special vase shows an exciting gladiator battle. The fighters are named Memnon and Valentinus. These names were probably their stage names, like a wrestler's nickname today.

This amazing vase was found in 1853 inside a Roman grave. It held the ashes of someone who had been cremated. Today, you can see the Colchester Vase at the Colchester Castle Museum. It's known as one of the best examples of Roman-British pottery ever found!

What is the Colchester Vase?

This ancient vase is about 17.5 cm wide and 22.5 cm tall. It weighs about 1 kilogram. It's made from rough clay found right in the Colchester area. This type of pottery is called "black ware." People usually used it for storing things or for cooking.

The vase was found in 1853 on West Lodge Road. A local history lover named John Taylor discovered it. He gave it to the Colchester Castle Museum. Inside the vase were the ashes of a person over 40 years old. This person was not from the local area.

At first, people thought the vase must have come from another country. The pictures on it were so detailed! But in 2023, scientists studied the vase closely. They found out it was actually made right there in Colchester. The vase shows us how popular gladiator fights were, even far from the main Roman Empire. The words on the vase were carved into the soft clay before it was baked.

Roman Colchester was also called Camulodunum. It was a big center for making pottery in the 3rd century. There were about 40 pottery ovens, called kilns, found in the town!

What Does the Vase Show?

The names of the four gladiators—Secundus against Marius, Memnon, and Valentinus—are inscribed around the top of the vase

The venator

The chase

Camulodunum was a very important Roman city in Britain. It had public places for fun, like two Roman theaters. Gladiator battles might have happened in these theaters. Another similar pot, now at the British Museum, also shows these kinds of fun activities in the city.

The Colchester Vase has three different scenes. They all show popular activities from Roman times. The words carved on the vase say:

'Secundus (and) Mario'/'Memnon the secutor (victor) nine (times)'/'Valentinu(s) of the Thirtieth Legion'

Animal Fights and Hunts

The first scene on the vase shows animals fighting. A dog is chasing two deer and a hare.

The second scene shows a "bestiarius" event. This was a show where people hunted animals. Here, "venators" (animal hunters) named Secundus and Mario are fighting a bear.

Gladiator Battle

The third scene shows a gladiator battle between two men. One is Memnon, a "secutor" gladiator. The other is Valentinus, a "retiarius" gladiator. A secutor usually fought with a sword and shield. A retiarius fought with a net and a trident.

The words on the vase say Valentinus was part of the Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix. This was a Roman army group. But this legion was not based in Britain. It was in a place called Germania Superior, which is now Xanten in Germany.

Memnon is shown as the winner of the fight. The "VIIII" on the vase means this was his ninth victory! Valentinus is shown raising his finger. This was a sign that he was giving up.

Who Was Memnon?

Memnon's name might come from a famous king in an old Greek story. This king was from Ethiopia. So, Memnon was probably a stage name for the winning gladiator. It also gives us a hint that there might have been people of African descent living in Roman Britain.