Naples National Archaeological Museum
The "retiarius" is the most readily identifiable gladiator type, due to his signature equipment: arm guard ("manica"), shoulder guard ("galerus"), net ("rete"), trident ("fuscina" or "tridens"), and dagger ("pugio"). (Technically, the "retiarius" was not a "gladiator" at all, since he did not fight with the sword—"gladius"—after which such fighters took their name.) His weapons and armour could be decorated. An embellished gladiatorial dagger is held at the Naples National Archaeological Museum. Archaeologists have excavated three engraved shoulder guards from the gladiator barracks at Pompeii: one is engraved with illustrations of an anchor, a crab, and a dolphin; another with cupids and the head of Hercules; and a third with weapons and the inscription "RET/SECUND" (""retiarius", second rank").