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Down time clothing
#1
I'm wondering if there's any information on what a Gladiator (first or early second century) would have worn when not training or in the arena as a good portion of any show we do is standing or sitting around in view of the public. I'm assuming it wouldn't be too different from a general roman civilian but I'm struggling on specifics like would they have worn Galigae? or what sort of belts would they have worn with a tunica?, are there any colours that should be used or avoided? and of what sort of quality would their clothes have been given their unique place in roman society, looked down upon as less than human yet revered as sporting superstars.

These may seem like pretty trivial questions but they're the kind of details I like to get into the kit of any era of history I re-enact, it's an ego thing Wink

I'd appreciate peoples information or opinions.
Jason Rogers
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#2
I would say you first have to know your status. As a gladiator you're a slave, a property of your lanista. Normally I would say slaves would wear normal tunics. Not that expensive dyes. If you're a 'roman citizen' with some money and you trade yourself to the lanista, you probably have access to better clothing, but I don't know.

So I would say simple tunics would be the best. And as far as I know, the caligea is a military shoe, so, these wasn't used by citizen, nor by gladiators. In their own home (in this case the ludus) they would probably loose their belt and change to simple solea (or bare-foot), as the Romans were used to at home.
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Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
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#3
It's highly speculative since none of the scholar have written anything about the clothing of gladiators in their free time or after training. I assume since you could keep your prize money why not buy a nice tunica or good shoes. Especially if you were an auctoratus you were kinda "slave for time" i.e. for the duration of the contract but nonetheless you could leave maybe the ludus after training or had a free day.

And in the case of a gladiatrix why not buying some nice piece of jewelry which she could not have afforded before or a nice tunica.
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