11-04-2005, 03:38 PM
Greg:
Try to get a copy of "Das Spiel mit dem Tod" by Marcus Junkelmann. It's in German, but it has detailed illustrations of all the known gladiatorial types. Don't trust older texts, they always get it wrong. They invariably say the Thracian held a "small, round buckler." The Thracian's shield was almost square and really wasn't all that small. His sword was single-edged and curved or bent at an angle. The secutor was just a variant of the murmillo. The only difference was the form of his helmet, which was smooth and oval so as not to snag the net. The only gladiators who wore the galerus were unhelmeted and used a polearm. Most common was the retiarius but there is a mysterious type seen in some Pompeii are who seems to have been armed with a spear and who wore a galerus.
Feel free to ask your questions here. Most of the real gladiator experts who speak English contribute to this forum.
Try to get a copy of "Das Spiel mit dem Tod" by Marcus Junkelmann. It's in German, but it has detailed illustrations of all the known gladiatorial types. Don't trust older texts, they always get it wrong. They invariably say the Thracian held a "small, round buckler." The Thracian's shield was almost square and really wasn't all that small. His sword was single-edged and curved or bent at an angle. The secutor was just a variant of the murmillo. The only difference was the form of his helmet, which was smooth and oval so as not to snag the net. The only gladiators who wore the galerus were unhelmeted and used a polearm. Most common was the retiarius but there is a mysterious type seen in some Pompeii are who seems to have been armed with a spear and who wore a galerus.
Feel free to ask your questions here. Most of the real gladiator experts who speak English contribute to this forum.
Pecunia non olet
