The extraordinary Mosaic of the Athletes is a perfect summary of what took place in a palaestra (exercise yard): the room where this mosaic served as the floor was, in fact, a transitional space between the bath areas and the palaestra itself, making it the ideal introduction to the athletic area.
The Mosaic of the Athletes
The entire mosaic is highly significant because it depicts athletes engaging in various disciplines at different moments of their activity:
Two boxers and a contest judge
A long jumper holding halteres, the weights used for propulsion
Two athletes holding strigils (scrapers used to clean the body)
Two wrestlers locked in combat
A discus thrower
A musician playing a wind instrument, who may have won a music competition — he is the only figure wearing a laurel crown, which closely resembles another crown depicted on the table at the center of the mosaic.
On the table is another prize: the palm branch of victory, a highly coveted award for athletes.
Let’s take a closer look at each athlete and the discipline they are practicing or have just completed:
The Long Jumper
In the Mosaic of the Athletes, we see a nude athlete holding two weights and raising his left arm. He has been interpreted as a long jumper, and the two weights — called halteres — were used to gain momentum and jump further.
Long jumping was typically performed in a specially prepared section of the stadium, where the ground was dug out and softened to cushion the athlete’s landing. The jumper would launch from a starting line while holding the halteres, which helped propel him forward for a longer leap. The distance was then measured by a referee using a wooden stick.
This version of the long jump was quite different from the modern technique: there was no run-up, and momentum came entirely from the use of the halteres, which were made of stone or metal and could weigh up to 1.8 kg.
The Discus Thrower (Discobolus)
The mosaic also shows a discobolus — a discus thrower. Unlike the canonical representation seen in the famous “Discobolus of Myron,” here the athlete is not depicted in the extreme twist just before launching the discus. Instead, he holds the discus and raises his left arm, possibly as a sign of victory.
The discus event is an ancient sport. The metal diskos in circular form dates back to the 5th century BCE. Before that, a rounded metal object called a solos was used.
The athlete had five attempts and would throw from a set platform. The metal discus, thinner at the edges and thicker in the middle, measured 15–20 cm in diameter and could weigh between 1 and 5 kg.
The Boxing Match
The boxing match in the mosaic seems to have just ended: one boxer raises his arms in victory, while the other appears to be appealing to the judge — who is distinguishable from the athletes by his cloak. The two boxers are nude, wearing only their gloves, which are rendered in fine detail.
Boxing is one of the oldest sports, first introduced into the Olympic Games in 688 BCE. The gloves — known as caestus — evolved significantly over time. Originally simple leather straps wrapped around the hands and wrists, they were later padded inside and reinforced on the outside. By the 3rd century BCE, a thick, heavy leather ring was introduced, leaving the fingers exposed.
In Roman times, the gloves became even more advanced — and more dangerous — with the addition of lead inserts and even metal spikes.
