Morituri Te Salutant – The Games in the Colosseum
The greeting to Emperor Claudius, AD 52 · Suetonius
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The story behind it
“Those who are about to die salute you.” Despite the films, the greeting is reported for one single day only, and it was not the usual gladiators’ salute. In AD 52 Emperor Claudius staged a sea battle on the Fucine Lake with thousands of condemned men. They called out “Hail, emperor, those who are about to die salute you!” He replied “Or not”, they took it as a pardon and refused to fight, until he ran along the shore and drove them to it. The historians Suetonius and Cassius Dio both tell the story. The picture shows the Colosseum at the height of the games: a murmillo and a retiarius clash on the sand while the emperor watches from his box and the crowd roars beneath the velarium.
Sources: Suet. Claud. 21.6; Cass. Dio 60.33.3–4.
Details
“Morituri te salutant.” – Those who are about to die salute you. Suetonius, Life of Claudius 21.6.
The Colosseum at the height of the games: a murmillo and a retiarius clash on the sand while the emperor watches from his box and the crowd roars beneath the velarium – a cinematic scene with the Latin words set in Roman capitals.
Matte canvas stretched over a 0.75" (1.9 cm) pine frame, mirrored edges, hanging hardware on the back. Printed on demand close to you. Plus shipping, calculated at checkout.
Canvas & sizes
- Matte canvas, durable cotton-polyester blend (approx. 333 g/m²) with a protective coating
- Canvas print: stretched over a 0.75" (1.9 cm) pine frame, the image continues mirrored around the edges
- Framed: the canvas floats in a 1.25" (3.2 cm) deep frame – black, espresso, white or natural
- Sizes: 16 × 12 in (40 × 30 cm), 24 × 18 in (61 × 46 cm), 32 × 24 in (81 × 61 cm), tolerance ± 3 mm
- Arrives ready to hang, hanging hardware included
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- Dust with a soft, dry cloth – no water or cleaning agents
- Keep out of direct sunlight and damp rooms
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