Belt Width

[Titus Manlius Verus]

I have seen quite a few gladiator depictions and reenactors; and I've noticed that some have a narrow bronze belt holding up their subgullum, while others have wide leather belts that protect their bowels. Is there a system for who wears which (like all of the other equipment), or is this a "gray area" that each person can choose for themselves? :-?

[Titus Manlius Verus]

Nobody knows?

[Olaf]

As no Gladiator belts have been found to date we have to interpret what we see in Iconography.
Of course proportions are often not to scale in these depictions.
We do see variation in belt styles through the ages though, sometimes corresponding to military fashion.

[richard robinson]

I think some of the great repros have based their bronze belts on the samnite examples, which makes sense when many samnites found their way to the arena after the wars- so much so that a gladiator type became known as a Samnite. Later mosaics do show wider belts and I believe it was this iconography that influenced nineteenth century artists to portray wider belts, which in turn influenced Hollywood and Italian sword and sandal epics (though they probably also looked at other great wide bronze belts from the "archaic" era in their museums), which in turn influences us.

Reenactment has improved a lot since the 1970s but I think that you can follow your instincts based on which period gladiator you wish to portray and then look at the mosaics and lamps etc and choose how you wish to interpret the evidence.
regards
Richard