{"id":3287,"date":"2025-03-21T14:32:37","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/?post_type=percorsi&p=3287"},"modified":"2025-05-19T13:58:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T13:58:48","slug":"the-caupona-of-alexander-and-helix","status":"publish","type":"percorsi","link":"https:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/en\/trails\/sport-and-athletes-in-ancient-ostia\/the-caupona-of-alexander-and-helix\/","title":{"rendered":"The Caupona of Alexander and Helix"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"La<\/p>\n

Alexander and Helix must have been quite famous boxers at the beginning of the 3rd century CE. Their names are known from written sources, but most notably, they appear in two mosaics \u2014 one from Pompeii and another from Ostia Antica.<\/p>\n

In Ostia Antica, a boxing match between the two athletes is depicted on the mosaic floor of a caupona<\/em> \u2014 a tavern located near Porta Marina. This building is known as the Caupona of Alexander and Helix<\/em> precisely because of this mosaic.<\/p>\n

The two boxers are shown facing each other with clenched fists wrapped in leather gloves, raised in a fighting stance. Their bodies are nude, and their heads are shaved except for a single lock of hair \u2014 the cirrus<\/em> \u2014 which marked them as professional athletes. Their names are inscribed on the floor above their heads for clear identification.<\/p>\n

Currently, the Caupona of Alexander and Helix<\/em> is not open to visitors due to ongoing restoration work. It is located along the Decumanus Maximus<\/em>, near Porta Marina.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alexander and Helix must have been quite famous boxers at the beginning of the 3rd century CE. Their names are known from written sources, but most notably, they appear in two mosaics \u2014 one from Pompeii and another from Ostia Antica.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":319,"parent":3283,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-3287","percorsi","type-percorsi","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/percorsi\/3287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/percorsi"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/percorsi"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/percorsi\/3283"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}