Marcus Antonius Exochus, The Roman Gladiator Who Won His Freedom
Public DomainMarcus Antonius Exochus was a gladiator from Alexandria who won his freedom during an impressive fight in 117 C.E.
Not much is known about Marcus Antonius Exochus, but this gladiator’s story is remarkable anyway.
He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and came to fight in Rome in 117 C.E.
That year, the city was celebrating the posthumous triumph of the emperor Trajan, who reigned from 98 to 117 C.E. As with the opening of the Colosseum, Trajan’s triumph was celebrated with gladiatorial games.
TimeTravelRome/Wikimedia CommonsGladiators in battle.
Though Marcus Antonius Exochus was a novice fighter, he put on an impressive display that was later recorded on his tombstone. It reads, in part: “On the second day, as a novice, [Marcus Antonius Exochus] fought with Caesar’s slave Araxis and received missio.”
Missio means that the fight was stopped before either Marcus Antonius Exochus or Araxis was killed. In the aftermath, Exochus was permitted to become a Roman citizen.
