Gladiators held the status of
slaves, but were lauded like
modern sports superstars. Their
arena winnings could make
them
fabulously wealthy and
attract
scores of admiring
women. A
combination of
strength and
vulnerability,
gladiators would pave the way for later warriors.
Roman gladiators were armed in a variety of styles,
designed to mimic mythical figures and Rome’s past
enemies.
Gladiators were matched to make their fights
exciting and entertaining.
Gladiators did not usually choose their profession - it chose
them. Slaves, prisoners of war and condemned criminals were
first in line to be taken up by a lanista, a trainer who would
purchase gladiator candidates and then sell them or rent
them out for use in combats staged by wealthy individuals or
public officials. Arson, murder, mutiny and bankruptcy were
among the acts that could win a
sentence of "damnatio ad ludum" or
"condemned to the gladiator schools."
(As demand for gladiators increased,
this judgment became more
frequent.)
On the other hand, those citizens simply drawn
by the potential for prize money and popular
acclaim could volunteer to become a gladiator
and receive a sign-on bonus. In surrendering
their liberty and rank as Roman citizens,
however, they were looked down upon.
There were female gladiators until they were
banned by Emperor Septimus Severus in 200
AD from fighting as gladiators. Women did
become -often of their own accord - gladiators,
fighting other women or male dwarfs. However,
though a male gladiator's social rank was low, a
woman's was even lower. The satirical writer
Juvenal scoffed, "What modesty can be looked
for in some
helmeted vixen, a renegade
from her sex, who thrives
on masculine violence - yet
would not prefer to be a
man?"
Student gladiators started out with wooden swords to do
battle with a wooden pole called a palus, then moved on to a
straw dummy before practicing footwork, thrusts and feints
on fellow students. Ex-gladiators acted as instructors
(doctores) and provided
coaching in the fighting
techniques and weapons
of specific gladiator roles.
As gladiator games grew,
imperial ludi (schools)
became the only
institutions authorized to
instruct novices in the
gladiator craft. The ludi were spread throughout the Roman
empire. Rome featured three (Ludus Magnus, Ludus Gallicus,
Ludus Dacicus), the largest of which, Ludus Magnus, was
connected to the Colosseum by an underground passageway.
Life at gladiator school was tough.
Gladiator schools were closely guarded Spartacus's famous revolt in 73 BC had
started in a school in Capua and the
government did not want a repeat.
Living quarters were organized like cells
in a prison; Pompeii's gladiator school
contained a prison with sitting-room
only. No real weapons were allowed
inside the school, nor were gladiators-intraining allowed to exit.
At the same time, to guarantee a return on their investment,
gladiator owners had an interest in making sure their fighters
lived long. Medical staff included dieticians and masseurs.
(Galen, the most famous of Roman doctors and personal
physician to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, got his start as a doctor
at a gladiator school in Asia Minor.) Gladiators ate three highprotein meals a day consisting of barley grains (thought to
protect the arteries with fat and prevent bleeding to death),
boiled beans, oatmeal and, ash, believed to help fortify the
body. Gladiators were often called hordearii or "barley men."
Gladiators took common roles. Trainers at gladiator schools would make
the decision of what role a gladiator was best suited to play. The five
main roles were (1)Thracian, (2)Samnite, (3)Retarius, (4)Murmillo and
(5)Secutor. But gladiators could also fight as: Dimachaerus (twosworded gladiator with no shield); Laquearius (fought with a lasso and
perhaps a dagger); Eques (fought on horseback with a lance);
Essedarius (fought from a moving chariot); Provocator (only gladiator
to wear a full breastplate of armor); Andabatus (wore a helmet without
eye holes).
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2
3
4
5
Gladiators could also be selected to be a venator or bestiarius -- an
animal fighter - though this required separate training, perhaps at Rome's
Ludus Bestiariorim. One of the more dazzling displays for games
audiences was to see gladiators dressed as enemies of Rome - Greeks
and Persians - fighting in naval battles (naumachia) in a flooded arena.
Gladiators had a slim chance of survival. Most gladiators died young. The
celebrity fighter Flamma died at the age of 30 after winning 21 of 34
fights. Another respected fighter, Felix, was one of the more long-lived,
dying at age 45 after receiving Roman citizenship.
Aside from his own
skill, how a gladiator's
fight went
depended largely on the
crowd. Once a
gladiator could fight no
more, he would raise
his left hand to the
emperor or the
highest public official
present. At that point,
the emperor looked to
the crowd for their
recommendation. If they
showed thumbs down
and shouted "Iugula!"
(Cut his throat!), he was killed. If they showed thumbs up and shouted
"Mitte!" (Release him!), he was allowed to leave the arena and have his
wounds treated.
However, at the same time, some celebrity fights are thought to have
been fixed. To ensure that a slain gladiator was actually dead, a slave
dressed as the Etruscan demon, Charon, would knock him on the head
with a hammer. The slain gladiator was then dragged from the arena
through the Gate of Death and slaves raked over the arena to prepare it
for the next fight.
Gladiators who won in the arena were presented with palm branches
and a bowl, usually made of silver, containing gold coins. If they
continued to win fights and their fame grew, they could receive
additional gifts. The Emperor Nero, a hard-core devotee of gladiator
games, gave a palace to the gladiator Spiculus. Other gladiators were
promoted to form the personal guard of Mark Anthony.
If the crowd voted for his retirement, a gladiator could stop fighting.
This was something, though, that was only offered to the most
successful of gladiators. The symbol of the event was a wooden sword,
known as a rudis, was given to the gladiator by the emperor. Only one
gladiator, Flamma, is known to have ever turned down retirement - an
incredible four times. After a few years, gladiators might be sent to
work in the gladiator schools for several more years. Rich gladiators
could retire to a life of ease. Emperor Tiberius (14-37 AD) once offered
1,000 gold coins to retired gladiators who would agree to return to the
arena.
Gladiators received popular acclaim. Successful gladiators
could enjoy a following not far different from what modern
athletes command today. The Roman Empire valued
military exploits above all else and the ability of a fighter
to face death without flinching was highly revered.
Gladiators were featured in wall mosaics, oil lamps
and other ornaments. Rich women flocked to the
banquets held for gladiators on the eve of their
games. Procuring female companions was no problem
for the victorious gladiator.
Emperor Commodus gave one of the most potent displays of the
extent to which gladiators could command the
respect of their audience. Rumored to be the
son of a gladiator, Commodus fought a
reported 300 times as a gladiator, dressed as
the god Hercules and showing a particular like
for taking on wild animals such as tigers and
elephants.
The most common type of gladiator was probably the Samnite
warrior who was the heaviest armored gladiator.
They took their name, costume and
weapons from the mighty warriors of
Samnium, a region in southern Italy
conquered by Rome.
The Samnite gladiator wore an imposing
helmet with crest and visor. He used a
large oblong shield called a scutum,
similar to those of Roman legionaries but
possibly tapered towards the bottom to
render it more agile.
Besides the helmet, the Samnite gladiator
also wore armored protection over his
right arm and left leg.
They had a short gladius sword.
The Thracian gladiator was considered lightly armored.
Thracian gladiators were modeled after fighters from the
northern Greece region of Thrace.
Their strategy focused on their sword, which was
fashioned to snake past heavier opponents' shields.
The Thracian was equipped with a broad-rimmed
helmet that enclosed the entire head, a small round or
square-shaped shield, and two thigh-length greaves. He
carried a very small round or square shield called
parma and a very curved sword called sica. The
sica was a brutal gladiator weapon.
He wore leg guards on both legs and these guards they
were very tall, covering up to the tops of his thighs.
Thracians always fought heavily armored gladiators.
The armor and dash with which Thracians performed
their fights made these among the most popular of gladiators.
The gladiator Retiarius (net fighter in English), fought with a trident
(a 3 pronged fishing spear) and a net!! He fought as a fisherman with
deadly purpose.
In contrast to other gladiators, the Retarius wore no
helmet and very little armor. He had only on his left
shoulder a metal shield protection called
galerus and his arm was protected with
leather or metal.
No helmet or shield... but he was very light
and fast. A leather belt provided some
protection to his abdomen and an arm guard
with a shoulder shield on his left arm
protected one side. Speed and dexterity were
his strategic advantages.
The Retarius gladiator would use his leadweighted net to ensnare an opponent and
then move in for the kill with his trident. If his
cast missed its object, the Retarius could
retrieve it via an attached cord.
The Retarius would often chant to his opponent “I seek not you, I
seek a fish. Why do you flee from me?”
The Murmillo was also called the fish man.
This gladiator is thought to have been derived from the
dress and weapons of prisoners of war from the
conquered Gauls who had been living in northern Italy.
It was identified by images of scales on his
helmet. He wore a high-crested, broad-rimmed
helmet similar to the shape of a fish, with a
perforated face mask.
He used a short sword and greaves (shin
armor); and leather or linen armor for the
sword arm. In the other arm he carried a big,
round shield that protected his unarmored legs.
Although he looks unprotected, the Romans
classified him as a "heavy" gladiator because of
his large shield.
He often had to fight against a Retiarius. It is
kind of ironic, because Retiarius' tried to catch
their opponent in a net!
The gladiator Secutor (chaser in English), got his name from his
fighting technique. In fact, he used to chase his opponent around
the arena. The Secutor was specially trained to fight a
retarius.
The very distinctive helmet of the Secutor had
only two small eye-holes, in order to prevent a
Retiarius's trident from being thrust through
the face, as well as a rounded top, so as not to
get caught in a net. The flanges protecting his
neck were smooth and shaped like fish fins for
this purpose.
Because of the weight and lack of space in the
helmet, the Secutor had to be quick, unless he
fall to exhaustion or faint due to breath
constrictions.
The Secutor's entire left side was protected by a
heavy curved shield and a metal leg guard.