Thumbs up?

[eshark]

Did Roman emperors give a thumbs up or a thumbs down to approve execution of a gladiator?

[jdcfc]

Thumb down to die

[andy hughes]

The popular belief is that the signal for death was a 'thumb down', but historians suggest this may be an invention of Hollywood film makers. Some documentation advises that a 'thumbs up' sign was the signal for a sword to be thrust upwards into the vanquished gladiator's body, and that the actual signal for leniency was a waved handkerchief. The truth is, it may have varied according to the custom of the particular emperor in power at the time.

[incitatus]

and if you read your tacitus he makes it plain that it was the circus crowd, not the emperor, who gave the verdict on a gladiators performance.

[Thoth]

Hmmm... very interesting Incitatus.

I shall remember that one...