03-10-2008, 09:23 PM
What evidence to we have? For the provinces we lack inscriptions like those found at Pompeii announcing the pairing of an upcoming munus. But we also find reliefs, mosaics (like above example), frescoes (e.g. the fresco from Mechern, Saarland shows a hoplomachus against a murmillo), small arts like statuettes or oil lamps in the provinces. And they all show more or less the same types of gladiators. But as even Junkelmann states there might not always be all types available esp. for itenerant troupes. One example is shown on an earthen ware bottle showing a fight of a provocator against a murmillo. Usually the provocator fights against another provocator but the murmillo is similarily equipped.
Reliefs of a "strange" type, the scissor have been found in Turkey. We have discussed this elsewhere in this subforum. The dimachaerus is known only from an inscription in Pompeii.
In the beginning gladiators evolved from native military types such as the Samnite or the Gaul and the provocator resembles in his equipment very much the Roman legionary. But types like the Samnite and Gaul "died out" and the scholars since Junkelmann agree that they are not sure what the armature of those types really looked like.
Reliefs of a "strange" type, the scissor have been found in Turkey. We have discussed this elsewhere in this subforum. The dimachaerus is known only from an inscription in Pompeii.
In the beginning gladiators evolved from native military types such as the Samnite or the Gaul and the provocator resembles in his equipment very much the Roman legionary. But types like the Samnite and Gaul "died out" and the scholars since Junkelmann agree that they are not sure what the armature of those types really looked like.
