Gladiator’s Temple (Patreon)

The digital version of Mythic Odysseys of Theros is out (but the print edition has been delayed by some sort of global pandemic). In that book I did maps of temples and temple-like structures of all the gods of the setting. For this piece, I wanted a slightly smaller structure – a minor temple of Iroas in human form where warriors and gladiators go to seek inner balance and blessings before battle.

While Iroas is normally depicted as a centaur, as the god of noble warriors minor temples of the cult are often decorated with statues of great warriors famous in the region instead of Iroas himself. This particular temple is dedicated to Iroas in the guise of a gladiator who was blessed by the god of victory and defeated all comers with nobility and as humanely as possible.

Times have changed, and instead of gladiatorial combat the arena is now used for great sporting events in Iroas’ name. But many come to this smaller temple for the blessings of the gladiator – both athletes competing in the arena, and warriors heading to the field of battle.

https://dysonlogos.blog/2020/07/06/gladiators-temple/