War criminals as Gladiators

[The Barbarian at the gate]

I am in the midst of researching a novel where one of the major story arcs involves modern war criminals that are forced into gladiatorial combat. So far, I have found a wealth of information here but I have some rather strange questions and am having some difficulty tracking down reasonable answers.

The war criminals are recruited from around the world and do not fit into traditional Roman Gladiatorial types. They are made to fight in their native costume and arms.

For example, there is a Peruvian with a brass helmet decorated with a plume of black and red feathers. He wears a long sur coat with black and white checkered squares, with bare legs and leather sandals. He wields a spear and has the round hide shield of an Incan warrior.

Now the questions:
1. There is a Bosnian Serb. Due to the waves of invaders through the Balkan peninsula, he could the traditional arms of anything from Byzantine to Celtic to Greek to Slav, etc. Is there one that you feel is most appropriate?

2. There is a Chechnyan. Is it accurate that he have the arms of a Scythian or a Slav? Do you have more details on the regional arms? Flails, heavy furs?

3. What weapon would an ancient Pakistani wield?

I know these questions are from way out of left field but I think if anyone can help, this forum can! Thanks very much in advance for any insight you can offer!

_________________________
The Barbarian at the gate
AKA Robert X

'Two things only the people desire -- bread and circuses'
- Juvenal

[Ironhand]

Hmm. You've got a long way to go as you haven't barely even reached square one. It takes a lot of historical knowledge to create a mildly accurate portait of the past where you can seperate a lot of the modern stereotypes and coloration and begin to get a feel for the people.

Now as to the storyline it sounds very implausible. Sounds more like a Gladiator movie fantasy than something that could have happened. Captured war criminals would have been executed and probably in a horrible manner that serves as an example. For a war criminal to fight in the arena in native garb would have meant that he was destined to serve as an example to the people of Rome that the enemy is weak and far less frightening than rumors based on fear of the unknown might seem. The war criminal WOULD die and have no chance of survival in that scenario.
If made a slave (probably not a war criminal, but it could be men who fought Rome, but were made slaves for other reasons) or a freeman who gave up his freedom to become a gladiator then the gladiator would fight in the standard match ups and probably not have a new gladiator type created for him. That sounds more like the stuff of movies that appeals to the modern love of the exotic combined with a lack of knowledge about Rome and gladiatorial combat.

[The Barbarian at the gate]

The story is set in the present and does draw upon modern stereotypes, including the inherent ignorance of what actual gladiatorial combat was. Reenacting the sands using references to movies and T.V. is the limit of the character's knowledge.

Bringing flavor to fiction through believable detail is quite different than writing an accurate historical record. I make no claim that I am creating the latter.

Thanks for your comment, though.