08-08-2014, 08:02 PM
Quote:Gladiator combat was supposed to be a depiction of high martial skill. This was the contrast to the bloody and spectacular executions of beasts and men/women during the rest of the day.
So if "amazons" would enact mythical fights against males it would have been Noxii against Noxii, both condemned to die.
In Gladiator combat, skill and ability was supposed to be shown, and seeing this kind of skill and ability in women would have an even greater novelty effect as it does today, when we see female boxers fighting or even soldiers in combat.
To be able to show this skill and ability the fighters have to have roughly the same chances, so the different Armaturae were designed to allow for a fair fight, even when the gear was vastly different.
But the main reason to not let Gladiatrix fight a Gladiator might exactly have been the chance that the woman could actually be victorious. In a patriarchal society the Romans had this would have been a serious affront against the natural order. To even provide a chance for this to happen would have been unthinkable for any editor or emperor. This is a similar reason why in group fights of Noxii or Naumachiae neither side ever represented a Roman army, as the chance of the Romans actually loosing would have been to great a risk to take. For the same reason there was never a "Roman" Armatura while there were plenty of Armaturae based on Romes enemies.
Could you point me to the source that all gladiator vs gladiator games would be to the death because I have always read exactly the opposite.
The Arena in my understanding was simply a place of chaos; the armatures would be based on the vanquished; and the gladiators pretending to be them would be considered scum and even if they joined voluntarily or became free from slavery would be forever branded with infamia and (in the case of males) lose all right to any public functions.
The death of someone Roman Society considered unworthy scum wouldn't effect views on Patriarchy.
That isn't to say women fought men; it is only to say that I find the reasons given for why it wouldn't happen flawed. A real female trained to fight and needing to subdue her would match Greek legends about the Amazons; so maybe the woman would be allowed to go pell mell while the male gladiator would be required to do everything to subdue but not kill her to make up for size difference?
As you said we don't have the time of day females fought; and it isn't inconceivable that it was recreating abducted amazon myths; with a real amazon.
Dan
