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Gladiators. Nimes. Underneath the Stands. Verona. The Colosseum: Rome. Gladiators.
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Gladiators • Gladiators were volunteers who sacrificed their freedom for glory or monetary gain. They underwent intensive training within the gladiators' schools (ludi). Though they were treated as slaves, their bravery often won them the admiration of the people. The presence of a referee during solemn fights (munera) was systematic. It guaranteed that no cheating, nor alliances between the fighters would occur during contests.
The Provocator • The Provocator was equipped with a curved shield, a greave showing the left leg up to the knee and a helmet without a crown. Armed with a short sword, his basic weapon consisted of his shield that he sometimes used to strike his opponent. He appeared at the end of the Republic. The Provocatorwas certainly the basic armatura through which the majority of the gladiators passed through first.
The Thracian • The Thracian was armed with a curved sword (sica), a small very bent rectangular shield, the parma and two large greaves. He appeared at the beginning of the first century B.C. A fighter of Greek origin, the Thracian was opposed to the Mirmillo. This pair experienced a great deal of success in the first century A.D.
The Oplomachus • Developed in the first century B.C., the Oplomachus was a variant of the Thracian. He was distinguished by his small hemishericalshield, his lance and his dagger with a straight blade. Like the Thracian, he had two large greaves. He fought the Mirmillo or, more rarely, the Thracian. In competition with the Retiarius, he disappeared from the second century A.D.
The Mirmillo • The Mirmillo was armed with a large shield, the scutum, a short sword, a helmutequipped with a large crest and a small greave. This gladiator appeared at the end of the Republic and consituted an evolution of the Gaul destined to fight the Thracian. Under the reign of Augustus he was also opposed to Retiarius, then he evolved in this duel to become the Secutor. Nonetheless, the Mirmillo still existed until the end of the gladiatorial combat, fighting against the Thracian and the Oplomachus.
The Retiarius • The Retiarius was a gladiator armed with a trident, a dagger and a net. His left arm was protected by an arm guard supplemented by a shoulder pad, the galerus. Devoid of helmet , greave and shield, using arms that did not originate in the military field, the Retiarius was a very distinctive gladiator. He appeared before the end of the first century B.C. and fought first with the Mirmillo. It was necessary to wait nearly a century to find him an effective adversary with the Secutor.
The Secutor • The Secutor (the one who pursues) was armed with a large shield, the scutum, a short sword and a small greave. He appeared in the middle of the first century A.D. Developed from the Mirmillo, the Secutor was distinguished by his reinforced helmet, with rough edges and equipped with a finely finished crest in the shape of a half moon. These characteristics were specially adapted to resist the trident and the net of his only adversary, the Retiarius. This pair experienced great success from the second century A.D.
The Scissor • The Scissor was a gladiator equipped with a muff with half moon. It is also called an arabelas, a term that suits it better because the Greek word arbelos indicates the shoemaker's knife. This actually has the same shape as the half moons attached to the muffs of certain gladiators.
