Gladiators

1. Gladiators

2. Introduction • Gladiators were criminals or slaves captured in war. • Gladiators were made to fight to the death to earn their freedom. • Gladiators were named after the gladius. The gladius was a short sword used for stabbing, Roman soldiers also used it. • Not all gladiators used the gladius, they used different weapons instead.

3. Types of gladiators There were lots of different types of gladiators. They had different armour and weaponry.

4. Murmillo • Murmillo gladiators used the gladius and a large shield. • Murmillo gladiators sometimes fought as part of a team. • They usually fought other gladiators with heavy weapons

5. Thracians • Thracian gladiators used weapons used by soldiers from the Kingdom of Thrace. • They used shields that were small and square. • Their swords had a curved blade. • A Thracian’s helmet had a Griffin on it.

6. Provocator • Provocator gladiators wore a breastplate, leg armour and a helmet to protect themselves. • Their armour was the heaviest of all the gladiators. • They fought with a gladius and shield.

7. Retiarius • Retiarius gladiators fought with a trident and fishing net. • They wore hardly any armour at all. • They were quick and skilful to fight the more heavily armoured gladiators.

8. The Colosseum

9. Gladiators fought in many different amphitheatres across the empire. • The Colosseum was the biggest amphitheatre in the entire empire and probably the biggest building in the world. • It was in the centre of Rome. • It was finished in 80 AD. • 50,000 spectators could sit and watch the gladiator fights.

10. Under the Colosseum • There were lots of different tunnels and rooms. • The rooms were used to keep gladiators and animals in, before fighting in the arena.