Fighting Gladiator

The Gladiator is a bronze replica of a marble Roman statue that sits today in the Louvre in Paris.

The original Roman marble statue was called the Borghese Gladiator after the family which owned it. The original statue dates to about 100 BC, and was discovered in 1611 among the ruins of a palace of Nero.  In 1805 the statue was purchased by Napoleon, a brother-in-law to the Borgheses, who installed the piece at the Louvre.

One of many bronze statues cast by local company Gorham Manufacturing, this is the only statue that was actually donated by the firm. The Gladiator is one of the few Park monuments in its original location, except for a period in mid 20th-century when it was stored for safekeeping and restoration.