09-27-2007, 11:05 AM
Quote:""[i]As for the Retiarius's trident; This is the pomp and from my understanding the gladiators were kitted in their finest but not necessarily their actual combat weapons. It think that this scene is a good depiction of this. What I would say is that trident wounds, suggest a much smaller 'fork', closer to the fishing tool rather than a 'pitch fork' (we'll need to change ours)"
cheers
There was this discussion about the weapons found in Pompeii if they were parade armor only or if they were used in combat. Scholars now believe that they were used in combat, esp. one nicely decorated provocator helmet shows repair marks (lunula shaped). Esp. gladiators from the Imperial shools showed off what they got and used that even in combat.
As for the tridents, there were different types depicted and found. Many do look like a pitch fork, while in London they found one with a prolonged middle-tongue with a small fork but hooks on the end which does resemble more like fishing tool. I would say you could use the shape you personally prefer and which you think is easier for you to handle.
