Thumb gesture used in the context of gladiatorial combat
For the painting, see Pollice Verso (Gérôme).
Pollice Verso, an 1872 painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme (Phoenix Art Museum), was the subject of great debate regarding its historical accuracyThe Cavillargues medallion (c. AD 200) depicts the ēditor (games manager) showing a closed fist with wraparound thumb, meaning "spare him."
Pollice verso or verso pollice (Classical Latin:[ˈpɔlʲːɪkeˈu̯ɛrs̠oː]) is a Latin phrase, meaning "with a turned thumb", that is used in the context of gladiatorial combat. It refers to a hand gesture or thumb signal used by Ancient Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator.
The precise gesture described by the phrase pollice verso, and its meaning, are the subject of scholarly debate.
According to Anthony Corbeill, a classical studies professor who has extensively researched the practice, thumbs up signalled killing the gladiator while "a closed fist with a wraparound thumb" meant sparing him.[1][2]
Zoologist Desmond Morris describes human gestures of this type to be culturally determined and transmitted.[3]
^Koerner, Brendan (28 March 2003). "What does a "thumbs up" mean in Iraq?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
^Where Does the 'Thumbs-Up' Gesture Really Come From?, Time
^"Desmond Morris On Symbolic Gestures". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
Polliceverso or versopollice (Classical Latin: [ˈpɔlʲːɪke ˈu̯ɛrs̠oː]) is a Latin phrase, meaning "with a turned thumb", that is used in the context of...
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Hand-in-waistcoat Hand rubbing Jazz hands Laban sign Merkel-Raute Pointing Polliceverso Shrug Sign of the cross Related List of gestures Articulatory gestures...
Hand-in-waistcoat Hand rubbing Jazz hands Laban sign Merkel-Raute Pointing Polliceverso Shrug Sign of the cross Related List of gestures Articulatory gestures...
who signalled his choice with a gesture described by Roman sources as polliceverso meaning "with a turned thumb"; a description too imprecise for reconstruction...
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Hand-in-waistcoat Hand rubbing Jazz hands Laban sign Merkel-Raute Pointing Polliceverso Shrug Sign of the cross Related List of gestures Articulatory gestures...
Maria Obregon, 1869, oil on canvas, Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico City PolliceVerso (Thumbs Down), by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1872, oil on canvas, Phoenix Art...
atop and wrapped around. The pollices premere was contrasted with the polliceverso, a thumbs up signal that indicated that a fighter was to be killed....
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Clark assembled a collection of French academic paintings. He purchased PolliceVerso (Thumbs Down) (1872) by Jean-Léon Gérôme from the estate of Alexander...
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