types of gladiators

[jbd_29349]

I know that their are many types of gladiators some well armoured and some not so well armoured, and some more common than others.

How many different types of gladiators are there? What are there names, and fighting styles? What type of weapon and armour did they use?

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

If you check out on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator you will find a short list of the various types of gladiators which existed. I have written a little bit longer summary based on all the gladiator books I have, but that's in German. If you give me some time I'll translate it.

[jbd_29349]

Thank you for that site!

What about the pairing of gladiators? Which pairs were more commonly paired against each other?

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

There were types of gladiators which fought against the same type:

Equites: Gladiators who opened the fight on horse back but then dismounted and continued fighting on foot. They were one of the rare types who wore a tunica instead of just the subligaculum (loincloth). They had a round shield, a lance and a gladius.

Provocatores: They were equipped with a gladius, scutum, pectorale (breast plate), helmet which resembled in the 1stcentury BCE a legionary helmet without visor, but in the 1st century CE with a visor.

Essedarii: The name is derived from the Celtic chariot and it is believed that they drove into the arena on a chariot but continued then their fight on foot. They were equipped with a gladius, the helmet resembled in the 1st century BCE also legionary helmet and had a large shield.

Pairings of different gladiator types:

Murmillo - Thraex: The murmillo (mirmillo or myrmillo) had a helmet with visor with a high crest, a scutum, a gladius, manica (arm guard) and a greave on the left leg. The thraex had a parma (small rectangular shield), a sica (curved sword), his helmet had a crest which ended often in a griffin head.

Murmillo - Hoplomachus: Instead of fighting against the thraex the murmillo could fight against the hoplomachus. This type was equipped with a parmula (small round shield) and hasta. The rest of his gear was identical to that of the thraex.

Retiarius - Secutor: The retiarius is the most strangest type of gladiator since he had basically no protection except for a galerus (shoulder guard), but he had no helmet and no shield. He had a rete (net), a trident and a pugio (dagger). His oponent was a specialized version of the murmillo who had an eggshaped helmet so the net couldn't get tangled on the helmet. His other armor is identical to the one of the murmillo.

Retiarius - Scissor: The scissor was a very rare type. He had a helmet like a secutor. Instead of a scutum he wore on his left arm a kind of pipe which ended in a kind of chopping-knife. Because he had no shield he wore a coat of mail.

[Tib. Gabinius]

To Remember it, there are evidences that there were more types of gladiatores than just the known by the grat writers.
e.g. the Dimacheri, fought with to swords, or the cruppelarius.
Its a well known fact that every area in the imperium prefers another kind of munera than the others.
The fully armored cruppelarius is based in gallia while in ephesos retiarii and secutores seemed to be very famous.
So Junkelmann gives in his Book "Das Spiel mit dem Tod" a really wide view about existing andd well documented gladiators and some hints in case of the others.
And most articel in net bases on Junkelmann and some also use Baker and Wiedemann, while Baker needs really an update since Junkelmanns book appeared.

[john m roberts]

Occasionally we see the Thracian and Hoplomachus paired. In these cases it seems that the hoplomachus did not use the hasta, which may have been too big an advantage against the small-shield Thracian. Instead he used the narrow, straight sword he usually carried bahind his shield as a backup.
In the east there were also different pairings. I know of at least one relief depicting a Thracian and a provocator fighting.

[Conal]

John

The Thracian vs Prococator pairing ....... where can I find it ?

[jbd_29349]

The Scissor type gladiator, did the tube of the weapon extend all the way up the arm or not.

I have also seen an artist rendering of this type and he had a breastplate instead of a coat of mail.

[Martin Moser]

Hi Joshua,

for a scissor image check this thread:

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=6503

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

Pegaso Models also has a miniature of a scissor:

[Primitivus]

I have long been intrigued by the fact that free men would volunteer to become gladiators. I have read that by the end of the Republic, they constituted nearly half of the total number of gladiators. Naturally, it was usually the destitute who volunteered to risk their lives in the arena. Typically, they served for a stipulated period of time, and gambled that they could survive the battles and gain a stake for a brighter future.

[Opifex]

Occasionally we see the Thracian and Hoplomachus paired. In these cases it seems that the hoplomachus did not use the hasta, which may have been too big an advantage against the small-shield Thracian. Instead he used the narrow, straight sword he usually carried bahind his shield as a backup.
In the east there were also different pairings. I know of at least one relief depicting a Thracian and a provocator fighting.

It could work. (We tried and the advanteages is not that big)
And do not forget that there is another possibilities for the Thracian. The thracian spear (don't know the latin name).

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

I have long been intrigued by the fact that free men would volunteer to become gladiators. I have read that by the end of the Republic, they constituted nearly half of the total number of gladiators. Naturally, it was usually the destitute who volunteered to risk their lives in the arena. Typically, they served for a stipulated period of time, and gambled that they could survive the battles and gain a stake for a brighter future.

The death rate among gladiators hasn't been as high as usually thought. It was expensive to train the gladiators and to run a ludus so the lanista charged the editor of the games a high fee for any gladiator who fell in the arena. The audience could express their vote by cheering and/or signs (but not thumbs up/thumbs down :!: ) but in the end it was for the editor to decide if a gladiator who fought well but surrendered could leave the arena living (missio).

Depending on the contract a gladiator got some percentage of the money he won. The rest the lanista kept. A man might need this price money to pay off any debts he might have. But some men also hoped to become a star gladiator admired in the arena by the masses. A volunteer gladiator usually signed a contract for three years which was much shorter than joining the army where the time of service was between 20-25 years.

[Primitivus]

The death rate among gladiators hasn't been as high as usually thought. It was expensive to train the gladiators and to run a ludus so the lanista charged the editor of the games a high fee for any gladiator who fell in the arena... A volunteer gladiator usually signed a contract for three years which was much shorter than joining the army where the time of service was between 20-25 years.

Army--arena. Army--arena. Interesting choice!

The investment in actual gladiators was certainly significant. The crowds could have most of their lust for bloodshed satisfied with the "execution" of criminals, etc. I'm sure that the editors were rather frugal when it came to "spending" the lives of trained gladiators.

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

[Army--arena. Army--arena. Interesting choice!

Don't laugh, Junkelmann and Wiedemann really compared this in their books esp. for volunteers. Of course you had your fixed income when joining the army, but you had to join it for a very long time and in uncertain times the risk of dying in war might have been very high. Therefore another option of earning some money might have been to sign up at a ludus as a gladiator for three years, even though you lost your status as a Roman citizen and had to sign a contract which allowed the lanista to do to you whatever he wanted.