Gladiatrix A gladiatrix was the female counterpart to the male gladiator , an armed fighter who engaged in violent combat with humans or animals for the entertainment of audiences in the arenas of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire . Though unusual , gladiatrices are attested in archaeology and literature . Evidence . Larinum decree as evidence . The Larinum decree under Tiberius banned senators ' daughters , granddaughters and great - granddaughters , and " any female whose husband or father or grandfather , whether paternal or maternal or brother had ever possessed the right of sitting in the seats reserved for the equites " from training or making paid appearances as gladiators , implying though not confirming that some females did already appear as gladiators . Their first attested appearance is under Nero , at the games organised by Patrobius for Tiridates I of Armenia . There is also a reference in Petronius ' s " Satyricon " - possibly based on a factual show - to a female " essedarius " , or one who fought from a Celtic - style chariot . The Emperor Domitian liked to stage torch - lit fights between dwarves and women , according to Suetonius in " The Twelve Caesars " . From depictions it appears they fought bare - chested and rarely wore helmets , no matter what type of gladiator they fought as . Women apparently fought at night , and the fact that this coincided with the main events of a Games indicates the possible importance or rarity of female gladiators . Most modern scholars consider female gladiators a novelty act due to the sparse writings about them , but writer Amy Zoll notes that the fact that those ancient historians that do mention them do so casually may suggest that they were " more widespread than direct evidence might otherwise indicate . " The author of an inscription found in Pompeii boasts of being the first " editor " ( promoter or sponsor ) to bring female gladiators to the town . Dio Cassius ( 62 . 3 . 1 ) mentions that not only women but children fought in a gladiatorial event that Nero sponsored in 66 AD . It is known the emperor Nero also forced the wives of some Roman senators into amphitheaters , though it is not known if they were forced to fight . A 1st or 2nd century marble relief from Halicarnassus suggests that some women fought in heavy armour . Both women are depicted as " provocatrices " in combat . The inscription names them as “ Amazon ” and “ Achillia ” and mentions that both received a " missio " ( honourable discharge ) from the arena despite fighting each other ( both were deemed to have won ) . Mark Vesley , a Roman social historian speculates that as gladiatorial schools were not fit places for women , they may have studied under private tutors in the " collegia iuvenum " . These schools were for training high ranking males over the age of 14 in martial arts , but Vesley found three references to women training there , including one who died . . . An inscription read : " To the divine shades of Valeria Iucunda , who belonged to the body of the " iuvenes " . She lived 17 years , 9 months . " The gladiatrices employed by Emperor Domitian are mentioned in Suetonius , Martial , and Statius . Juvenal . A strong condemnation against female gladiators of the Flavian and Trajan ic eras can be found in the Satire VI of Juvenal , decrying the fact female gladiators were typically from upper - class families and seeking thrill and attention . Banning . Septimius Severus banned female gladiators around AD 200 . A later inscription at Ostia advertises “ " mulieres " ” ( women ) competing so the ban apparently was ineffective . Halicarnassus . The most compelling piece of evidence for the existence of female gladiators is a marble relief found in Halicarnassus and currently on display at the British Museum . The relief depicts two female gladiators . With an adopted nom de guerre appearing beneath each of them ( " Amazon " and " Achillia " ) , they are depicted in loincloth s and wearing traditional gladiator equipment such as greave s and a manica . Each is armed with a sword and shield ; neither is wearing a helmet nor a shirt ( they are bare - breasted , as in of amazonomachy , but perhaps also implying a degree of sexual titillation in the use of female gladiators ) . Excavations . Southwark . A female Roman skeleton unearthed in Southwark , London in 2001 was identified as a female gladiator , but this was on the basis that although wealthy she was buried as an outcast outside the main cemetery , had pottery lamps of Anubis , a lamp with a depiction of a fallen gladiator engraved on it and bowls containing burnt pine cones from a Stone Pine placed in the grave . The only Stone Pines in Britain at the time were those planted around the London amphitheatre as the pine cones of this particular species were traditionally burnt during games . Most experts believe the identification to be erroneous but the Museum of London states it is " 70 percent probable " that the Great Dover Street Woman was a gladiator . Hedley Swain , head of early history at the Museum , stated : " No single piece of evidence says that she is a gladiator . Instead , there ’ s simply a group of circumstantial evidence that makes it an intriguing idea . " She is now on display at the end of the Roman London section of the Museum of London . This gladiator was the subject of a program on the UK ' s Channel 4 . Herefordshire . On July 2 , 2010 , the BBC reported that archaeologists engaged in a rescue dig at Credenhill in Herefordshire had uncovered the remains of what might be a female gladiator . The burial , which was in a wooden chest secured with three iron bands and a number of iron nails , was in a crouched position . Such a coffin indicated the dead person ' s status . When removed , the leg and arm bones were found to be unusually heavy with large attachment points for what were clearly strong muscles . The pelvis and head , however , were clearly that of a woman . The area where the burial was found appears to be part of a suburb of the Roman town of Kenchester , which makes the find even more unusual as burials were forbidden by Roman law within city limits . A team of archaeologists from Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service , working in close co - operation with Amey Consulting and Herefordshire Council ' s archaeology team , were excavating a 10 - metre wide corridor , to allow a flood culvert to be built when they made their discovery . However , there is insufficient proof to say categorically that the corpse was or wasn ' t a gladiatrix . The established ' Heritage Key ' website claims that the project leader of the excavation himself doubts that the dead woman was a gladiatrix . His doubts were reported on the website by Bija Knowles , a freelance journalist based outside Rome . In Renaissance art . Among the pictures commissioned in Italy by king Philip IV of Spain for his Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid , there is a series on Roman circuses including a picture of female gladiators . See also . Sites and Monuments Record