07-05-2007, 05:42 AM
The boxing analogy is quite plausible.
"Fencing" was not realy part of the Roman combat philosophy as the Scutum, Galdius combination was designed to "take the enemy on the shield" and quickly stab around it.
Except for the Tridens and the Hasta all weapons were short stabbing weapons and slashing or chopping would not be used with these.
One notable exception might have been the esedarii depicted with flatt or round shaped tips on there gladii.
But basicaly you could say the take gladiators take would take the opponents "jabs" on their guard and would counter with "jabs" and "hooks" themselves.
The shield of the scutarii can be very effectively used to keep the parmularii at bay if it is held straight or sligtly angled out to the front, though this can only ever be done for a short while as it stresses the shoulder alot.
The parmularii, provocatores and essedarii can of course use their lighter shields a little bit more dynamic and offensively.
I dont believe in the advancement theory referd to in the original post as I can remember one or two textual references in Junkelmanns book that mention gladiators fighting in multiple styles at once.
There are also gravestones of a retarius and a secutor that depict the fight-history of a gladiator as a kind of graphical list, and all fights are depicting the gladiator in his single armentarum.
As I cant read frensh I can only judge their site by the pictures and videos shown.
And I do actualy like their equipment and fighting style.
In this video
[url:2kyz58b4]http://www.acta-archeo.com/html/media/clip%20internet%201.wmv[/url]
at 00:11 you can actually see why the murmillo shoud not keep his scutum close to his body, as the thraex can then easily find a way around it.
The thraey however nicely keeps his shield angled out to keep his opponent out of reach.
"Fencing" was not realy part of the Roman combat philosophy as the Scutum, Galdius combination was designed to "take the enemy on the shield" and quickly stab around it.
Except for the Tridens and the Hasta all weapons were short stabbing weapons and slashing or chopping would not be used with these.
One notable exception might have been the esedarii depicted with flatt or round shaped tips on there gladii.
But basicaly you could say the take gladiators take would take the opponents "jabs" on their guard and would counter with "jabs" and "hooks" themselves.
The shield of the scutarii can be very effectively used to keep the parmularii at bay if it is held straight or sligtly angled out to the front, though this can only ever be done for a short while as it stresses the shoulder alot.
The parmularii, provocatores and essedarii can of course use their lighter shields a little bit more dynamic and offensively.
I dont believe in the advancement theory referd to in the original post as I can remember one or two textual references in Junkelmanns book that mention gladiators fighting in multiple styles at once.
There are also gravestones of a retarius and a secutor that depict the fight-history of a gladiator as a kind of graphical list, and all fights are depicting the gladiator in his single armentarum.
As I cant read frensh I can only judge their site by the pictures and videos shown.
And I do actualy like their equipment and fighting style.
In this video
[url:2kyz58b4]http://www.acta-archeo.com/html/media/clip%20internet%201.wmv[/url]
at 00:11 you can actually see why the murmillo shoud not keep his scutum close to his body, as the thraex can then easily find a way around it.
The thraey however nicely keeps his shield angled out to keep his opponent out of reach.
Olaf Küppers - Histotainment, Event und Promotion - Germany
