11-01-2002, 04:59 PM
Hi Conal,<br>
<br>
Nice to hear of another gladiator fan.<br>
<br>
The Zliten mosaic is interesting because it shows so many different gladiator<br>
types in one image. I do not know of any on-line source for an image of the<br>
complete mosaic. The reason that "only the clear bits" are normally shown<br>
is because the rest of the mosaic is either not relevant (as well as gladiator<br>
fights, it shows executions and a very badly damaged "venatio" scene) or it<br>
is too badly crumbled to give any useful information. The arena scenes<br>
appear only around the margins. The centre of the mosaic has tableaux of<br>
fishes and abstract designs on it.<br>
Of the gladiatorial figures, two fighting pairs are almost completely lost. The<br>
remainder are well preserved and it is images of these, along with the musicians<br>
(there are two groups of musicians on the mosaic), which are normally shown<br>
and which are readily available from several popular sources. The mosaic shows<br>
ten fighting pairs: On the northern side: eques vs eques, retiarius vs secutor,<br>
thraex vs myrmillo, hoplomachus vs myrmillo, provocator vs provocator.<br>
On the southern side: retiarius vs secutor, essedarius vs essedarius, thraex<br>
vs myrmillo, hoplomachus vs myrmillo, retiarius vs secutor. Of the last two<br>
pairs, only the left side and legs of the hoplomachus and the legs of the<br>
secutor survive, the rest has totally crumbled away<br>
<br>
On the Zliten mosaic one pair is identified as provocatores because they are both<br>
"scutarii" and because they wear helmets different to the wide rimmed ones worn<br>
by all the other gladiators on the mosaic. These two wear what look like close<br>
fitting vizored helmets. Indeed they have central crests, drawn in a somewhat<br>
idiosyncratic style. They look almost like "wind socks" but are most likely<br>
feathers. The pose of the figures and the cover of their big shields prevents us<br>
seeing if they wear little breastplates or not. There is some scanty evidence<br>
that provocatores fought myrmillones on occasion, but the two guys here do<br>
seem most likely to be provocatores. This is all of course dependent on the<br>
correctness of our assumption that myrmillones always wore those big wide<br>
helmets, when they were still in fashion, and provocatores wore closer fitting<br>
ones.<br>
Interestingly, in the same mosaic, many of the other guys wear upright<br>
feathers only (there are shown essedarii and equites like this) and others<br>
wear helmets with both a central crest and upright feathers.<br>
With no other evidence I think all you can do is be interested in the fact that<br>
(in at least Libya in the 2nd century) provocatores wore central hair crests and<br>
not just the usual upright feathers. I reckon it's either a "regional variation" or<br>
else valuable evidence of a common practise that hasn't otherwise survived.<br>
<br>
As regards arm-guards. It seems likely that these were primarily for protection<br>
against attacks. The fact that exactly the same construction appears to be<br>
used by men who do not carry shields (ie. retiarii, scissores) seems to suggest<br>
this. That they would also protect the forearm from hitting the edges of shields<br>
is also undeniable. Some of the coloured images of gladiators that are still extant<br>
indicate, both from colour and from shape, very strongly that these defences<br>
are indeed of fabric or some other non-metallic substance. Whether these were<br>
wrappings or bandages or actual padded sleeves is not known. A satire of<br>
Juvenal (Saturae, VI, 263) explicitly mentions "wrappings" around gladiators'<br>
limbs and likens them to tree trunks (literally "tree bark"): "quam denso fascia<br>
libro" (the word "fascia" in general means "something wrapped around". Bandages<br>
are fasciae as are baby's swaddling clothes etc).<br>
I am not aware of any fabric armours that survive from Roman times, but they<br>
are known from medieval contexts. Padded fabric (remember that this would<br>
most likely be quilted and packed hard with straw, or rags or something similar)<br>
would save you well enough from getting cut, and would save you from getting<br>
"casually" jabbed but wouldn't save you from a determined, powerful and well<br>
angled assault. Same I think can be said for most armours. But given that in<br>
a fight it is hard enough to even hit a moving opponent who is strenuously<br>
defending himself and trying to hit you back it seems likely that fabric arm-guards<br>
would have done the job well enough in protecting you from the worst effects<br>
of stray hits to the arm. As well as the fabric (?) ones, other gladiators are<br>
shown wearing what are very clearly metallic arm guards.<br>
Why not make a fabric one for yourself and try it out? Busted arms heal in<br>
a few weeks and they can do wonders with re-attaching severed limbs<br>
nowadays.<br>
<br>
I look forward, though, to getting more information on the military arm-guards<br>
that are now becoming more well known. Perhaps the incidental protection from<br>
striking the edges of shields was actually better known among soldiers<br>
than was previously thought? Maybe they got the idea from watching gladiators?<br>
Sorry, I'm sounding like Marcus Junkelmann there...<br>
<br>
Have fun<br>
<br>
Susan<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
Nice to hear of another gladiator fan.<br>
<br>
The Zliten mosaic is interesting because it shows so many different gladiator<br>
types in one image. I do not know of any on-line source for an image of the<br>
complete mosaic. The reason that "only the clear bits" are normally shown<br>
is because the rest of the mosaic is either not relevant (as well as gladiator<br>
fights, it shows executions and a very badly damaged "venatio" scene) or it<br>
is too badly crumbled to give any useful information. The arena scenes<br>
appear only around the margins. The centre of the mosaic has tableaux of<br>
fishes and abstract designs on it.<br>
Of the gladiatorial figures, two fighting pairs are almost completely lost. The<br>
remainder are well preserved and it is images of these, along with the musicians<br>
(there are two groups of musicians on the mosaic), which are normally shown<br>
and which are readily available from several popular sources. The mosaic shows<br>
ten fighting pairs: On the northern side: eques vs eques, retiarius vs secutor,<br>
thraex vs myrmillo, hoplomachus vs myrmillo, provocator vs provocator.<br>
On the southern side: retiarius vs secutor, essedarius vs essedarius, thraex<br>
vs myrmillo, hoplomachus vs myrmillo, retiarius vs secutor. Of the last two<br>
pairs, only the left side and legs of the hoplomachus and the legs of the<br>
secutor survive, the rest has totally crumbled away<br>
<br>
On the Zliten mosaic one pair is identified as provocatores because they are both<br>
"scutarii" and because they wear helmets different to the wide rimmed ones worn<br>
by all the other gladiators on the mosaic. These two wear what look like close<br>
fitting vizored helmets. Indeed they have central crests, drawn in a somewhat<br>
idiosyncratic style. They look almost like "wind socks" but are most likely<br>
feathers. The pose of the figures and the cover of their big shields prevents us<br>
seeing if they wear little breastplates or not. There is some scanty evidence<br>
that provocatores fought myrmillones on occasion, but the two guys here do<br>
seem most likely to be provocatores. This is all of course dependent on the<br>
correctness of our assumption that myrmillones always wore those big wide<br>
helmets, when they were still in fashion, and provocatores wore closer fitting<br>
ones.<br>
Interestingly, in the same mosaic, many of the other guys wear upright<br>
feathers only (there are shown essedarii and equites like this) and others<br>
wear helmets with both a central crest and upright feathers.<br>
With no other evidence I think all you can do is be interested in the fact that<br>
(in at least Libya in the 2nd century) provocatores wore central hair crests and<br>
not just the usual upright feathers. I reckon it's either a "regional variation" or<br>
else valuable evidence of a common practise that hasn't otherwise survived.<br>
<br>
As regards arm-guards. It seems likely that these were primarily for protection<br>
against attacks. The fact that exactly the same construction appears to be<br>
used by men who do not carry shields (ie. retiarii, scissores) seems to suggest<br>
this. That they would also protect the forearm from hitting the edges of shields<br>
is also undeniable. Some of the coloured images of gladiators that are still extant<br>
indicate, both from colour and from shape, very strongly that these defences<br>
are indeed of fabric or some other non-metallic substance. Whether these were<br>
wrappings or bandages or actual padded sleeves is not known. A satire of<br>
Juvenal (Saturae, VI, 263) explicitly mentions "wrappings" around gladiators'<br>
limbs and likens them to tree trunks (literally "tree bark"): "quam denso fascia<br>
libro" (the word "fascia" in general means "something wrapped around". Bandages<br>
are fasciae as are baby's swaddling clothes etc).<br>
I am not aware of any fabric armours that survive from Roman times, but they<br>
are known from medieval contexts. Padded fabric (remember that this would<br>
most likely be quilted and packed hard with straw, or rags or something similar)<br>
would save you well enough from getting cut, and would save you from getting<br>
"casually" jabbed but wouldn't save you from a determined, powerful and well<br>
angled assault. Same I think can be said for most armours. But given that in<br>
a fight it is hard enough to even hit a moving opponent who is strenuously<br>
defending himself and trying to hit you back it seems likely that fabric arm-guards<br>
would have done the job well enough in protecting you from the worst effects<br>
of stray hits to the arm. As well as the fabric (?) ones, other gladiators are<br>
shown wearing what are very clearly metallic arm guards.<br>
Why not make a fabric one for yourself and try it out? Busted arms heal in<br>
a few weeks and they can do wonders with re-attaching severed limbs<br>
nowadays.<br>
<br>
I look forward, though, to getting more information on the military arm-guards<br>
that are now becoming more well known. Perhaps the incidental protection from<br>
striking the edges of shields was actually better known among soldiers<br>
than was previously thought? Maybe they got the idea from watching gladiators?<br>
Sorry, I'm sounding like Marcus Junkelmann there...<br>
<br>
Have fun<br>
<br>
Susan<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
