Galdiators as Soldiers

[Olaf]

Tacitus writes in his Histories that during the Vitellius vs Otho Campaign 69AD that Otho had

together with these, 2000 gladiators, a disreputable kind of auxiliaries, but employed throughout the civil wars even by strict disciplinarians.

In other Parts of this campaign the galdiators are mentioned in combat against Batavians of Vitellius and sustain heavy losses while crossing the river Padus.

What I would like to discuss here is how would these Gladiator Auxilliaries be armed and equipped , and how would they fight alongside the regular legionary soldiers.

Concerning equipment I guess the standard arena outfit would not be used in the field of course, but maybe parts of it like the scutum, manica and greaves.

[Conal]

I suspect that Gladiator equipment would be an impediment in the field of open battle.

By AD69 I believe that the equipment would have been too complicated and heavy to warrant prolonged use in battle, with perhaps the exception of the scutum and sword at this time. But it of course depends on what tactics they used if they foungt as a phalanx then heavy gear is not so much a problem.

[Martin Moser]

I would think that the reason for their use was their fighting experience rather than their equipment. As long as you could command them in the first place you could be sure to have an ad-hoc unit that would not easily loose their nerve in the face of battle, just like veteran soldiers. Under this aspect I think that they would be issued whatever was at hand at the time.

As for in what formation etc. they fought - they would probably be considered as not too reliable and therefore dispersion among regular, loyal troops may have been the first choice.

In the end however, we will not get beyond speculation I'm afraid.

[DARTHICUS]

Since many Gladiators were once enemy or even former Roman soldiers, they might have actual battlefeild exp.( So they might know the difference between close order co operative combat and the dueling they would do in the ring.) and their low status might have made them ideal to use as "Spear fodder" in situations where you might eant to use them over your regular and Ala.

One would think might make good skirmishers?

[john m roberts]

It's interesting to ponder what a headache having a bunch of gladiators under your command might have been. Except for the deserters and some veterans of foreign armies, they would have lacked the skills of professional soldiers. They were trained for single combat and nothing else. Soldiers were expected to dig and build a lot more than to fight. They probably wouldn't have excelled at sentry duty, either. They were probably employed as skirmishing auxilia, like those Spaniards attached to the legions who were splendid fighters and absolutely useless for anything else, like the ones who saw legionaries working and were concerned that the men had become seriously ill and delirious, since no warrior would ever dream of working.

[Praefectusclassis]

Then it's interesting they were used as marines on the Po river during 69 AD. Fighting aboard ships was much more individual than in land formations.

[Tib. Gabinius]

Additional i ve to mention again the cruppelarius, which is described as fighting in his gladiatorial equipment, causing trouble for the regular milites in the enemies army.

To take gladiatores in the army is an act of emergency in my eyes, and it would make it to regular thing, which it isn't, if theres a rule or a law for it in any case.
Also it would be a bash in the face of the regular soldiers, which serve in honesta, if the waste of rome would be honored the same way.

[Olaf]

OK finally some time to link some relevant Quotes:
[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=Ann_BK01_22[/url]
[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=Ann_BK01_23[/url]
Looks as if Gladiators could be employed as bodyguards and strongmen of a general.

[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=Ann_BK03_43[/url]
The crupellarii are mentioned siding with the Aedui during the Revolt.

[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=His_Bk03_57[/url]
A troop of Gladiators used together with a city cohort in the civil war.

[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=His_Bk02_11[/url]
2000 Gladiators from the capital arr conscripted as Auxiliaries. Tacitus mentions that Gladiators were employed throughout the civil wars even by strict disciplinarians.

[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=His_Bk02_23[/url]
Gladiators cross the Po and rout the Auxillia stationed on the other side of the River. Fear of enemy reinforcements prevented a pursuit, but it isnt mentioned if that was due to the Gladiators bad discipline or an error on the part of the officers.

[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=His_Bk02_34[/url]
This time the Gladiators are stationed to prevent a river crossing.

[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=His_Bk02_35[/url]
The Gladiators fight Batavians from boats and gallies during a river crossing of the Po and are handicapped due to the unsteady ground on which they had to fight.

Some other quotes concerning the last event:
[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=His_Bk02_43[/url]
[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=Plt_otho_10[/url]
[url:3w1hwg6u]http://www.romansonline.com/Src_Frame.asp?DocID=Plt_otho_12[/url]