Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum

On a visit to Fernbank Museum’s new exhibit, “Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum,” kids will marvel at the cool artifacts and adults will gain a greater appreciation of how difficult it was to design and build the Colosseum. The first thing we noticed as we entered the exhibit was a painting on stone that is more than 2,000 years old! My daughters and I examined a real gladiator sandal, architectural and statue remains and weapons preserved from the Colosseum. We learned that the round amphitheater was a distinctly Roman invention. “Seeing a real gladius (sword) and dagger is even cooler than I thought it would be, even though it is rusted,” my 14-year-old daughter Georgia exclaimed. My kids were familiar with many concepts from learning about the Roman Empire in school and from reading “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” book series by Rick Riordan. The exhibit gave them visuals for things they had read about and lots of information about the artifacts. Some of the attire on display includes well-preserved artifacts such as helmets, spears, daggers and “greaves” (shin guards). One little boy marveled, “That’s a trident, like Ariel’s dad’s!” as he looked at examples of uniforms and weapons worn by gladiators. Videos bring the training ludus and combat to life in a tasteful but exciting way. In the last area of the exhibit, kids can dress up in costumes, or play with a puppet stage and puppets, a Colosseum building set and puzzles.

Good to Know: As a mom and preschool teacher, I was initially concerned about depictions of violence in the exhibit considering the history that I know of gladiators. It was good to see that there was no blood and the emphasis of the exhibit was on how complicated and challenging it was to build the Colosseum, and how gladiators were trained and attired.

–Becky Cooper

Discover the story behind one of Rome’s most brutal and celebrated traditions, gladiators. Explore the world these men inhabited, from training, discipline and constant peril to fame and wealth. Sept. 30-Jan. 7. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $20; ages 3-12, $18; ages 2 and younger, free.