Gladiatorial types GLADIATORIAL TYPES Categories (from Susanna Shadrake's The World of the Gladiator) Provocator The provocator in the imperial period remained very similar to his republican counterpart. The essential element of the provocator was his tradition of reflecting a military origin, but once this armatura was added to the gladiatorial categories, its distinct features ceased to move with the times; the connection with the military was forgotten, and the modifications to the equipment reflected the changing fashions in arena combat, and nothing more. The provocator in the later imperial period sometimes wore a crescent shaped short breastplate, rather than a rectangular one, and the open helmet of legionary type became a visored one, as the cheek-pieces were expanded to meet in the middle, then hinged at the sides, and eye-grilles were added to enclose the face. All other items of equipment remained broadly the same. Depictions of Provocators usually show them fighting each other and no other variety of gladiator. Eques Like the provocator, the evidence is that eques only ever fought another eques.

A mounted gladiator equipped with lance, sword and the traditional small round shield of the republican cavalry, the parma equestris, he was distinctive for his uncrested round brimmed helmet with its feathers at either side, and for the fact that he did not wear a loincloth unlike the other categories of gladiator. In earlier images of this gladiator, they were shown in scale-armour, though this changed to knee-length tunica in the imperial age. Imperial eques: Depictions of later, imperial equites usually portray them wearing capacious tunics, sometimes brightly coloured and decorated, with the very typical clavus, the two integral woven vertical stripes running the length of the garment from neck to hem. The two stripes are generally designated in the singular form, clavus rather than the plural, clavi. The stripes are quite narrow, perhaps an inch wide, and conform to the angustus clavus, which members of the equestrian class were allowed to wear, as opposed to the latus clavus (three inches wide) reserved for patrician senatorial rank.

Thraex This older category of gladiator was so popular, it did not disappear or mutate into another named type; however, the thraex did acquire new elements as time went on. Fashions changed in the arena, but it is possible to recognise the distinct armature of the thraex, whatever the date. The thraex carried a small square or rectangular shield, of wooden construction, planking or ply with a covering of leather, known as the parma or its diminutive, parmula; from examples depicted, it appears to have been emphatically convex rather than flat, and tended not to have a boss. From this shield, the thraeces got their popular nickname, parmularii, just as their opponents with the curved rectilinear shields were called scutarii. Because the shield was small, about twenty four inches by twenty inches, and offered little protection below groin level, the thraex wore greaves, ocreae, on both legs, which reached up as far as mid-thigh, and is often depicted wearing a form of leg protectors above them, from at least knee to groin, which appear to be padded or quilted fabric wrappings around both legs.

On the dominant arm a manica was worn. The most instantly recognizable feature of the thraex was his brimmed, crested helmet with its distinctive griffin’s head. In all but a very few depictions of thraeces, the griffin is shown on the crest of the helmet, aiding identification. The significance of this particular mythological creature in a gladiatorial context may stem from its role as a guardian of the dead, or from a reputed association with Nemesis; four griffins were said to draw her chariot. As a symbol, the griffin frequently occurs in Greek and Roman art, and particularly at tombs, as a protector of souls. It can be seen on many Roman architectural features, usually as part of a pair. Herodotus told of griffins that guarded the gold of the Hyperboreans, who incidentally were geographically located near the Carpathian mountains, west of Thrace.

Why exactly the creature should be thought appropriate for a Thracian helmet, apart from the link with Nemesis, cultic goddess of gladiators, is open to question; there is a suggestion it symbolizes arrogant pride, superbia, and that might be thought reason enough for a professional gladiator. The primary weapon of this category was the curved bladed sica, depictions of this vary from dagger to sword length. The Hoplomachus The Hoplomachus is often confused with the thraex, and indeed they have many pieces of equipment in common. The word is from the Greek, meaning simply ‘armed fighter’. They both had the distinctive forward-curving crested visored helmet, though that of the hoplomachus did not appear to have the griffin’s head on its crest. Both had the same high greaves, and padded leg wrappings, fasciae. They even shared the same opponent, the murmillo. But whereas the shield, parmula, of the thraex was small and square or rectangular, that of the hoplomachus was round, though still small in size.

The shield was always round, convex, and made of a single sheet of metal, usually copper-alloy (bronze). The thickness of the sheet bronze was an important factor in determining the weight of the shield—too thick, and its defensive qualities would be negated by its unwieldiness. The primary weapon of this category seems to have been the spear, that the other weapon of the hoplomachus, the sword, or perhaps a longer dagger, like the pugio, could be held in the left hand at the same time as the shield, ready for use once the spear was cast or lost. The Murmillo The murmillo gets his name from the Greek word for a type of fish, as many contemporary sources indicated, it was derived from the image of a fish on their helmets, although the archaeological record has no firm evidence to support that assertion. The fish in question was the mormyros, or in Latin, murmo or murmuros, the striped bream, which was very common in the Mediterranean then as now, and best caught by the age-old method of surf-casting, a fishing technique involving casting the net into the surf to trap the fish coming in from the sandy bottoms where they feed.

It is in this technique that perhaps a clue to the origin of the murmillo may be found. The emperor Vespasian’s rhetorician, Quintilian, records a sing-song chant supposedly addressed to a murmillo by a pursuing retiarius: Non te peto, piscem peto; cur me fugis, Galle?— ‘It’s not you I’m after, it’s your fish; why are you running away from me, Gaul?’. If there is any historical authenticity at all in this jeering provocation of the heavy-armoured murmillo, it reveals two things; firstly, a clever and realistic tactic by the retiarius-- to exhaust his opponent by baiting him into excessive movement, and secondly, the net-man’s reference to the fish emblem on the helmet, identifying the other gladiator as murmillo, but calling him ‘Gaul’. Whatever the origin of the term murmillo, it is generally believed that they evolved from the earlier category known as the Gaul, or gallus, about which little is known. We do know however that the murmillo wore a manica, an arm guard, on his sword arm.

He carried the large rectangular semi-cylindrical wooden shield very similar in appearance and construction to the legionary scutum. On his left leg was a short greave worn over padding. Unlike the thraex or hoplomachus, the murmillo, having the almost complete cover of the very large shield, the scutum, did not need the high, thigh length greaves that they wore—so long as there was sufficient overlap between the bottom of the shield and the top of the greave, his defence was maintained. The murmillo was armed with the gladius. The helmet of the murmillo had a broad brim, with a bulging face-plate that included grillwork eye-pieces; its distinctive appearance was partly due to the prominent visor, but also to the angular, sometimes hollow, box crest which was then able to take the insertion of a wooden plume-holder into which a further horsehair (or feathered) crest could be fixed. Single plume-holders for feathers were fixed on either side of the bowl.

In common with most of the categories of gladiator, the torso of the murmillo was, as we have seen, exposed, and he wore the subligaria, the elaborate folded loincloth together with the balteus, the ostentatiously wide belt, often highly decorated. A good example of the lavishness of the ornamentation of belts is shown in the bone figure of a murmillo gladiator from Lexden, Colchester. Secutor The first thing to note about the secutor is the name: meaning ‘chaser, pursuer’, it hints at the reason for this particular gladiator’s existence. Otherwise known as the contraretiarius, the secutor fought the retiarius; it is thought that the category was specially created for that purpose; if that origin is authentic, then there is some justification for thinking that the secutor was an offshoot of the murmillo. In a nutshell, the arms and armour of the secutor were the same as those of the murmillo, and only the form of the helmet differed; it was brimless and had only a low, smooth, featureless crest following the curve of the bowl. The back of the helmet curled into a small neck-guard.

Unlike other helmets with metal grilles forming the upper half of the visor, the secutor helmet enclosed the face completely; the visor had only two small eyeholes, each a scant inch (3 cm) in diameter, and although it was hinged to open from the side, it had a catch on the exterior to ‘lock’ the gladiator in it. The Retiarius Of all the gladiator categories, the most instantly recognisable is that of the retiarius, the net and trident fighter, named after the net he used, rete. Until halfway through the first century AD, there is no record, whether pictorial, literary, or archaeological, of this type of gladiator. After that point, the traditional pairing of retiarius and secutor starts to appear regularly, quickly becoming one of the most popular and enduring of the arena combats. From this, it is fair to assume that the secutor was invented at the same time as the retiarius, in order to create an exciting and novel combat; nothing like it can be detected at any earlier point in the historical record.

The reason for the comparatively sudden appearance of this type of fighter cannot even be guessed at, and the usual sources are silent on the subject. All other categories of gladiator have an originating connection, however weak, with military or martial activities; the retiarius, with his obvious fishing and sea-related equipment, does not follow that pattern. The best we can do is to agree that the Roman appetite for watching new and inventive ways of killing was once again being gratified by this innovatory combat. So many depictions of the retiarius show him holding the trident with both hands, with the left arm (as that is usually the leading arm for right-handers) forward and the right arm back at an angle, ready to thrust, that this is possibly the textbook stance for trident fighting. His body armour consisted solely of a high metal shoulder-guard, the galerus, on his left, or leading, shoulder, overlapping and affixed to the top edge of a manica protecting the left arm. Of course, this presupposes that the retiarius was right-handed, and that he would therefore cast his net with his right hand, while gripping his trident and dagger in the left hand.

However, in a fragment of relief, one of the very few representations of this gladiator to actually show him with a net (from Chester, Cheshire, and now in Saffron Walden Museum), he is holding it in his left hand. He wore no helmet and is often depicted with a knife as a secondary weapon. The paegniarii The paegniarii seem to have been comedy fighters, whose combats did not involve sharp weapons and were played strictly for laughs. They have an ancient pedigree, more related to the Atellian farces from which they seem to have strayed. They would presumably have been deployed in the intervals between more bloodthirsty parts of the programme, at lunchtime perhaps, to hold the crowd’s interest and to provide light relief. A variant on the usual paegniarius was offered by Caligula, who, as Suetonius relates, ‘would stage comic duels between respectable householders who happened to be physically disabled in some way or other’. In depictions of paegniarii, they do not wear armour, and carry non-lethal weapons, like whips and sticks.

So the knockabout contests they performed would not have presented much danger to life and limb, as is indicated by the grave inscription of the paegniarius Secundus; it proudly states he was attached to the familia at the Ludus Magnus, the great imperial gladiator training school next to the Colosseum, that it was the familia who had set up the memorial, and that he lived to the ripe old age of annis XCVIII, mensibu(s) VIII, diebus XVIII. (Ninety seven!!!!) The crupellarius This was an extremely heavily armed gladiator whose origin was Gaul. They are first mentioned by the first century AD historian, Tacitus. In an account of the revolt of Julius Florus and Julius Sacrovir in AD21, the crupellarii, heavily armoured Gallic gladiators fought against the Roman legionaries. Tacitus gives a colourful account of the outcome: There was also a party of slaves training to be gladiators. Completely encased in iron in the national fashion, these crupellarii, as they were called, were too clumsy for offensive purposes but impregnable in defence… …the infantry made a frontal attack.

The Gallic flanks were driven in. The iron-clad contingent caused some delay as their casing resisted javelins and swords. However the Romans used axes and mattocks and struck at their plating and its wearers like men demolishing a wall. Others knocked down the immobile gladiators with poles or pitchforks, and, lacking the power to rise, they were left for dead. Tacitus Annales III. 43 Gladiators with that amount of heavy armour were unknown elsewhere in the Roman empire, but a small figurine found at Versigny, France, fitting the description of a crupellarius, shows a ‘robotic’ looking gladiator clad almost entirely in plate armour from head to foot. The helmet has a perforated bucket appearance, and it is not difficult to imagine the Roman legionaries being impressed by their adversaries’ defences. The Gladiatrix The subject of female gladiators has always aroused strong emotions; then as now, they have been seen as aberrations or novelties. There are a few references to women fighters in the literary sources, and some evidence from inscriptions on monuments.

From these pieces of evidence, the existence of the gladiatrix as an authentic gladiatorial category rather than a fevered fantasy can be established; however, proof of existence is not the same as a guarantee of frequency of occurrence. Juvenal gives a scathing picture of the wannabe gladiatrix: Everyone knows about the purple wraps and the women’s wrestling floors. And everyone’s seen the battered training post, hacked away by her repeated sword thrusts and bashed by her shield. The lady goes through all the drill, absolutely qualified for the trumpet at the festival of Flora. Unless, of course, in her heart she’s planning something more and is practising for the real arena. What sense of modesty can you find in a woman wearing a helmet, who runs away from her own gender? It’s violence she likes. All the same, she wouldn’t want to be a man—after all, the pleasure we experience is so little in comparison! What a fine sight it would be if there were an auction of your wife’s things—her sword belt and her arm protectors and her crests and the half-size shin guard for her left leg!

Or, if it’s a different kind of battle that she fights, you’ll be in bliss as your girl sells off her greaves! Yet these are women who break out into a sweat in the thinnest wrap and whose delicate skin is chafed by the finest wisp of silk. Hark at her roaring while she drives home the thrusts she’s been taught. Hark at the weight of the helmet that has her wilting, at the size and the thickness of the bandages that surround her knees—and then have a laugh when she takes off her armour to pick up the chamber pot. (Juvenal, Satirae VI 246-264) Types of Gladiators - gladiators gladiators Eques (“horseman”) The Eques (plural, equites) usually fought against another gladiator of the same type. They probably began their matches on horseback, but they ended in hand-to-hand combat . These were the only gladiators who wore regular tunics rather than any type of body armor (see modern mannequin ), though they wore bronze helmets with two feathers and padded shin-protectors; they carried round shields and often fought with long swords .

Hoplomachus (“heavy-weapons fighter”) community.imaginefx.com The Hoplomachus , named after the Greek Hoplite warrior, fought with a long spear as well as a short sword or dagger; he wore a visored helmet with crest and long greaves over both legs to protect them since he carried only a small shield, usually round (see original and replica ). In this terracotta relief , a Hoplomachus battles a Thraex, who is attempting to reach over his shield and stab him. A late Republican funeral monument depicts a Thraex fighting against a kneeling Hoplomachus , though both gladiators wear early types of crested helmets without visors. Murmillo (“fish”) The Murmillo , named for a Greek saltwater fish, wore a large visored helmet with a high crest ; these helmets became increasingly enhanced with relief decorations, as for example the head of Hercules (see also replica ), military trophies (see front and side of replica ), and the Gorgon , Mars Ultor , and decorative vessels (see replica ).

The Murmillo was protected by a large, slightly curved, rectangular shield (see replica ), so he needed only one short shin-guard (ocrea) to protect his left leg ( side view ; replica ). He fought with a short stabbing sword (gladius). The wreaths on a tombstone from Ephesus indicate that this Murmillo won many combats. In another relief from Ephesus, the Murmillo Asteropaios , on the left, is attempting to stab the Thraex Drakon; both gladiators have lost their shields and are fighting in a “clinch.” Provocator (“attacker”) The Provocator was the most heavily armed gladiator; he was the only gladiator who wore a pectoral covering the vulnerable upper chest. He also wore a padded arm-protector and one greave on his left leg; he carried a large rectangular shield and stabbing sword. His large, distinctive visored helmet had no crest and extended over his shoulders (see also replica ). The extent of his armor made the Provocator slower and less agile than other gladiators, which may explain why he tended to be paired with another gladiator of the same type in combat.

Retiarius (“netman”) The Retiarius was the quickest and most mobile of gladiators; as the only type of gladiator who wore no helmet, he had much more range of vision than his opponents. However, since he wore practically no defensive armor, he was also more vulnerable to serious wounds; his only body protection was a padded arm-protector (manica) on his left arm often topped with a high metal shoulder protector (galerus), also shown in this replica . His weapons were a large net with which he attempted to entangle his opponent , a long trident, and a small dagger (see also replica ). The Retiarius in this relief advances on a Secutor who has lost his shield (which is held by the referee). However, looking at the Retiarius in this mosaic , one has to ask, “Why is this man smiling?” because the Secutor appears about to stab him, while the kneeling position of this Retiarius indicates that he has surrendered to the Secutor who stands menacingly above him. Secutor (“pursuer”) The Secutor was typically paired with a Retiarius.

His egg-shaped helmet with round eye-holes had no crest or reliefs to snag on the net of the Retiarius but also gave him little range of vision . He wore a short shin protector (ocrea) on one leg and an arm protector ; he carried a large rectangular shield and stabbing sword . The wreaths on this tombstone of a Secutor indicate his many victories, while an exultant Secutor named Improbus prepares to dispatch a fallen Retiarius in this relief. Thraex (“Thracian”) legioxiiisl.blogspot.com The Thraex gladiator was loosely based on the Thracians, former enemies of Rome. His most distinctive feature was his weapon, a short sword (sica) whose blade was either curved or kinked . His visored helmet with wide brim resembled that of a Murmillo except that it was topped with the head of a griffin (see replica ). Because the Thraex carried a short rectangular shield, he wore an arm-protector and long shin protectors (ocreae) on both legs (these are decorated with theatrical masks and an eagle vs. snake motif ; see also replica ).

The victorious gladiator in this mosaic is a Thraex, while this Thraex holds up an index finger to signal surrender. A tombstone from Antalya and one from Akhisar in Turkey provide good illustrations of this type of gladiator. Bestiarius (“animal-fighter”) The bestiarii were the lowest ranking gladiators; they did not become as popular or individually well known as other types of gladiators. Although this relief depicts bestiarii wearing armor, most depictions show them without armor, equipped with whips or spears , wearing cloth or leather garments and leggings . "Indeed, five hundred lions were used up in five days, and eighteen elephants fought against men in heavy armour. Some of these beasts were killed at the time and others a little later. For some of them, contrary to Pompey's wish, were pitied by the people when, after being wounded and ceasing to fight, they walked about with their trunks raised toward heaven, lamenting so bitterly as to give rise to the report that they did so not by mere chance, but were crying out against the oaths in which they had trusted when they crossed over from Africa, and were calling on Heaven to avenge them.

For it is said that they would not set foot upon the ships before they received a pledge under oath from their drivers that they should suffer no harm. Whether this is really so or not I do not know;....' Gladiator Warriors | Roman Gladiators | Gladiator Warrior Classes, Dimachaeri, Gaul, Murmillo Gladiator Warriors The Gladiators Gladiators were the ultimate one on one fighting machines, they lived, ate, breathed and slept combat. Steeped in mysticism and bravado, the Gladiator warriors were the entertainment for a blood thirsty Roman society, and they delivered in true Gladiatorial style. The Gladiator name actually comes from the name of a sword the Gladius, which was the popular Roman weapon of the Roman army. A Gladiator was considered in Latin terms to mean Swordsman, yet in later days the Gladiators would have master more than just one weapon to keep their lives. “Caselo had just won his second fight, the adreneline was still flowing, and the noise of the crowd was barely audible over the sound of his own heart beat. His opponent Cnaeus had fought skillfully but was to slow and cumbersome for the agility Caselo possesed.

Many though Caselo to be a prime Gladiator yet he, himself would not yet believe the hype. There was a long way to go before Caselo could retire from the arena.” The Arrival of the Gladiator Warriors There is much dispute on the time that the Gladiators were first seen fighting, different text give different dates to the arrival of the Gladiators. Hard facts can be found at certain dates however, recording the early dates to be around the 3rd Century BCE Around the 1st Century BCE to the 2nd Century CE the gladiatorial arena was at its peak popularity. the games were still popular even when the Roman state was falling rapidly into decline which is testament to the drawing power of the Gladiator Warriors. Gladiator Warrior Victorious in Battle Where the Gladiators Came From Gladiators were bound by oath to their owner and they could be a slave who was forced into fighting, or they might choose of their own accord to become a warrior in the gladiator arena. Both men and women could be a Gladiator and Rome was not afraid of allowing women to fight in the most unforgiving arena of the time.

It was also possible that a gladiator would not be pit against another human but would be faced against a beast, a lion or a tiger which would present its own set of challenges. The original gladiators were believed to be slaves or thieves and criminals who were forced to face each other to the death, this was believed to have evolved into the more organised and more open gladiatorial rules. The owners of the Gladiators would usually be wealthy individuals who would organize gladiatorial displays to show how wealthy they were, this would be a valid sign of a status in the Roman community. Gladiators could be expensive to keep due to doctor bills, training and food supplies. Gladiator Warrior Classes The Gladiator shows in Ancient Rome would feature a mix of different Gladiator warriors, each with their own unique style and weapon choices. While there were a mix of various types of Gladiators including animal trainers like the Bestiarii who typically fought and performed tricks with animals, in this section we will focus typically on the foot fighters, the gladiators who typically faced another gladiator. Dimachaeri The Dimachaeri gladiator was possibly the lightest armoured warrior.

With only small armour on possibly the arms or legs in the form of padding or small plates, the Dimacheari would have no shield. For attacks the Dimachearus would use two swords, which in combination they could also use as a makeshift shield. Gaul The Gaul was a Celtic Gladiator, captured by the Romans, the Gaul would have to fight in the arena. Armed with their typical weapons the Gaul would have a shield and a sword in most cases with no body armour. Murmillo The Murmillo gladiator were armoured with a large metal plumed helmet which encases the whole head, and wore leg armour. The Murmillo would be armed with a large shield and a gladius sword for attacking. Hoplomachus The Hoplomachus gladiator were armoured with quilted padding on one arm and both legs and wore a full enclosed helmet. The Hoplomachus would be armed with a small circular shield, a knife and a spear for mid range attacks. Retiarius Often called the ‘net fighters’ the Retiarius were partially armoured with an arm guard that covered part of their shoulder and chest.

The Retiarius gladiators fought with a trident, a net and a dagger in case they lost their trident. Samnite The Samnite Gladiator was considered to be a heavily armoured fighter, with a large and tall rectangular shield to fend off blows, and a short sword to thrust and cut their opponents. Secutor The Secutor was armoured with a helmet with covered their entire face except for two eye holes, though in part to be due to their pairing with Retiarius fighters to protect their face from the trident. The Secutor was armed with a Gladius and a large shield which it would use to deflect attacks before striking back. Thraex The Thraex, often known as the Thracians, wore what many would consider traditional gladiator armour, with leg wrappings, metal shin guards, greaves, an arm guard and a rimmed helmet. The Thraex would carry a curved sword known as the sica and would have a small square shield to defend themselves. Velites The Velites gladiators would be armoured with a small helmet and a circular shield. For attacks the Velites would use javelins and a short short in case they lose all their javelins in battle.

Fighting Style The fighting style of the Gladiator warrior was unique, with the wide choice or weapon combinations, each Gladiator would fight in their own bespoke style depending on their gladiator class. With the rigorous training that Gladiators incurred, they were usually adept or at least skilful with most weapons they could bring to arms. “As Caselo stepped into the arena, he could see the blood from the previous fight, the Thraex had won but only just and Caselo was now pondering how his own fight would end. His enemy this time as a Samnite known as Ideaus who hadn’t lost a fight in his last ten battles, Caselo’s records wasn’t bad either with eight straight wins. ‘It’s time to fight’ Caselo chanted to himself, the roars of the crowd bringing him into the mental zone that many Gladiators of the past had spoke about, ‘it was too good a day to die yet’ Caselo told himself.” Gladiator Warrior Fighting the Big Cats Weapons used by the Gladiators The Gladiator warriors used a mix of weapons when doing battle, from swords to harpoons, with the sole intention of inflicting damage on their opponent.

In many cases a gladiator would be able to choose his choice of weapons, but typically a gladiator would have to conform to the choices of his fighting class, be it a Dimachaerus fighter or a Hoplomachus. The well known sword the Gladius, which was the weapon of choice for Roman foot troops was popular with gladiators thanks in part to its easy availability and its ability to cut, thrust and chop. The Trident and Net was also a common choice, and used by the Retiarius Gladiators the net to slow and hinder their foe and the trident to block attacks and also deliver damage. The Gladiator Warrior and his Future If a Gladiator was to lose their fight, their warrior reputation depending on their performance could be tarnished and the spectators of the event would decide if the Gladiator was to survive. The umpire in the arena would either be watching from the sidelines or holding the successful gladiators arm stopping them from delivering the final strike of the their down opponents life, if the crowd deemed it necessary.

Whatever the reasons for being in the arena, a winning gladiator would be the star of the moment and after the fight was fought, and the winner announced the noise of the crowd would be deafening, chants for the Gladiators name, screams and whoops would be heard. That was of course if you ever lived to see that day, in the life of a Gladiator. Murmillo Gladiator | Murmillo Warriors and Legends > Gladiators > Murmillo Gladiator Murmillo Gladiator The murmillo gladiator was a very general type of occupant in the Colosseum due to their standard weaponry and shield. They were initially created as a gladiator class when the relations between Rome and the Gauls at the time grew more fruitful. The new murmillo gladiator easily replaced the gaul gladiator class to reflect the growth of the Roman/Gaul relationship. In battle the murmillo would often fight one of two other gladiators, the thraex and the hoplomachus. Both of these gladiators shared a common trait they were often equipped with Greek weaponry and armour, and thus with the murmillo tooled like a Roman legionary it was a reflection of the battle between Greece and Rome.

Think of a classic image of a Roman gladiator in your head, and you’re likely thinking of a murmillo gladiator. Their iconic look is typically the style that most people associated with the brave Roman gladiators. The mighty murmillo gladiator stands ready for his next battle. Weapons of the murmillones The singular weapon of the murmillo gladiator was that famed roman sword the Gladius. The gladius sword was well tested and the standard issue of the roman army, itself very similar to the Greek swords from earlier history. To use this sword effectively was probably second nature for a murmillo, with thrusting actions a primary attack method with a gladius, aiming for the stomach, or even the legs. The gladius was also double edged meaning it was able to slice and cut as well, and a skilled murmillo gladiator would be able to use this weapon for various attacks on their opponent. Murmillo armour Armed with a large Roman shield, the Scutum, the murmillo was in a good position to deflect blows from any foe with ease.

The large scutum was the common shield used by the Roman legionaries, and while heavy it was very strong and capable of affording the murmillo to adopt an interesting style of fighting. As was also common with gladiators was the helmet, and the murmillo also had one, specifically classed as the Cassis Crista, a heavy often bronze helmet that had a fine grill to protect the face from any bladed attacks. The murmillo leaps forward with a sword strike on his foe. In addition to their shield and helmet, this gladiator class also wore a manica on their arm, typically made from leather, fabric or metal, it would protect their weapon arm ensuring they would still be able to strike and defend with some protection. To top off their outfit, the murmillo wore shin guards known as Ocrea. These guards were typically made from metal and would protect the rather delicate shin area from all manner of attacks. Opponents of the murmillo The murmillo was a gladiator that was often matched with many other gladiator types, including the thraex, the hoplomachus and even the retiarius.

Fighting style With a large shield and heavy helmet the murmillo gladiator was typically strong and powerfully built. Their strength would make it easier to manouver the shield in position to defend themselves while striking back with their gladius sword. Because of the size of their large rectangular scutum shield, the murmillo was often a patient fighter. They would be able to use their scutum to protect themselves from more aggressive and lightly armoured foes like the thraex and the hoplomachus who both had a much smaller shield. A murmillo gladiator stands victorious in the ampitheatre. As they were suited to defensive attacks if their foe was to over commit on an attack the powerful murmillo would be able to launch an effective couterstrike with their gladius. Additionally if anyone tried to get too close, the murmillo could use their powerful upper body to push them away using their shield as a buffer, hoping to knock their enemy off their feet. ‘No battle in the amphitheater was easy but Gaius knew this one would be simple, he had seen this other gladiator fight last month. His technique was sloppy, slow and uncoordinated.

Gaius was going to make this poor excuse for a gladiator pay, then his turn at the colleseum would arrive. The goal was to win this match with flair, style and confidence, something Gaius had in spades.’ Summary of the murmillones The murmillo gladiator is pretty much the visual representation of what most people think of when the word gladiator comes to mind. Armed with a roman sword and shield, and wearing leg and arm greaves, the look of the iconic murmillo was topped off with the gladiator helmet known as the Cassis Crista. The murmillo also served that purpose of almost being the favourite home town champion, often fighting against the gladiators with Greek weaponry and armour, allowing their battles in the Colosseum to be truly engaging for the massive crowds. 1000+ images about Gladiator on Pinterest | Mosaics, Bulgaria and Roman mosaics Forward A subligaculum was a kind of undergarment worn by ancient Romans. It could come either in the form of a pair of shorts, or in the form of a simple loincloth wrapped around the lower body. It could be worn both by men and women.

In particular, it was part of the dress of gladiators, athletes, and of actors on the stage. See More Gladiator Fighting Styles & Pairings Gladiator Mosaic 320-30 AD Villa Borghese Despite what Hollywood would have you believe, gladiators were not given random weapons, sent into the arena and told to fight. When someone became a gladiator, they were assigned a specific type and style of fighting and practiced it constantly. A specific type of gladiator only fought another specific type of gladiator as determined by well established rules. These pairings were intended to provide the combatants with offsetting strengths and weaknesses in an effort to give the best showing. Although underground fights could do what they wanted, official “games” (as they were called) were very strict with following the rules. Below are the most common and well known types of gladiators and their usual pairing: Cestus – Fought with spikes imbedded in leather wrappings around their hands. Fought other cestus or occasionally unarmed noxii.

Murmillo – Similar to the Thraex, the murmillo wore a helmet with basic arm and leg protection but carried a tall, oblong shield like the ones carried by Roman legionnaires and a gladius short sword. The murmillo commonly fought the thraex or hoplomachus. Hoplomachus – Wore a helmet with basic arm and leg protection, a very small, round shield, a gladius and a spear. The hoplomachus commonly fought the thraex or murmillo. Noxii – Although not considered gladiators, the noxii were still fighters in the arena. Made up of criminals and other undesirables the Emperor and his officials wanted to be rid of, the noxii fought in deplorable conditions with little to no means to defend themselves. Noxii fought animals, other noxii, trained gladiators in “mock fights”, etc. Retiarius – The retiarius wore no head or leg protection and only had an arm and shoulder guard as armor. This gladiator carried a weighted net, trident, and dagger into battle. The retiarius commonly fought the secutor and sometimes the murmillo.

Secutor – The secutor was armed almost exactly like the murmillo. The only difference in weapons and armor is that the secutor had a very tight fitting, smooth helmet to keep the net of the retiarius from catching. Commonly fights the retiarius. Thraex – Wore a helmet with basic arm and leg protection, a small shield, and a curved sword called a sica. The thraex commonly fought the murmillo or hoplomachus. The arenas of ancient Rome, more specifically the Coliseum, were specially designed to allow fights of all kinds: from the standard gladiator match to fights with animals and even large scale naval battles. The marvel of engineering that is the Coliseum is only overshadowed by its bloody and brutal history. Byzantine floor mosaic, 5th century by Alex Smith, MRL staff writer

Question: Thraex, murmillo, and hoplomachus are types of?
Answer: Roman gladiators