JOURNAL ARTICLE

ST. DEMETRIOS, THE GLADIATORIAL COMBATS, AND THE STADIUM OF THESSALONIKI.

  • Published In: Hesperia, 2026, v. 95, n. 1. P. 143 1 of 3

  • Database: Art Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Karambinis, Michalis 3 of 3

Abstract

Gladiatorial spectacles were held in Roman Thessaloniki, though the exact venue for these events remains uncertain. The martyrdom accounts of St. Demetrios, who was reportedly executed in the city during the reign of Galerius in the early 4th century ce, mention the stadium as the site of these games. These texts suggest that the Thessaloniki stadium was temporarily transformed into an arena, with a wooden barrier constructed to close its open side and a protective fence installed for the safety of spectators. This is the only known literary source describing the temporary modifications made to theaters and stadia to accommodate gladiatorial and related spectacles. Moreover, these descriptions offer valuable insights for assessing the historicity of the martyrdom accounts of St. Demetrios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Hesperia. 2026/01, Vol. 95, Issue 1, p143
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:0018-098X
  • DOI:10.2972/hes.2026.a985793
  • Accession Number:192534718
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Hesperia is the property of American School of Classical Studies at Athens and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.