Gladiators

Gladiator training

Gladiators could be slaves, prisoners of war, prisoners condemned to death or even women, but in the days of the Amphitheatre of Nîmes, the gladiators were almost exclusively free men who had chosen this risky profession. Each gladiator signed a contract in which he abandoned his status as a free man for the period of his commitment, and submitted to the authority of the owner of a gladiator troop, the lanista. Once recruited, the new gladiator did not enter the arena straight away. He would only put on a poor show, the public would demand his death and that would damage the reputation of his troop. If he was to offer a real show and fight in an entertaining and technical manner, he had to attend a school called ludus. At this school, he was entrusted to the care of a doctor or trainer who was often a former gladiator. His trainer taught him a large number of skills, whilst integrating a fundamental component of all gladiatorial combats: the entertainment value. The skill and knowledge of his doctor would make him a star or a condemned man. Municipal ludi existed in large towns such as Capoua, Pompeii or Córdoba. Nîmes also had its own school, as illustrated by the existence of the doctor Latinus who paid for a gravestone for one of his pupils. “Imperial” schools were also set up as early as Caesar’s reign. Trained in Rome and other cities, these imperial gladiators were highly sought-after stars.

The different types of gladiators

Each gladiator specialised in a particular form of combat and had weapons of a very specific nature.
 

The Samnite was the oldest. His name came from the defeated province of Samnium. He was heavily armed with a helmet, a long shield, a left greave and a sword. 
In the early days, the helmet was open and left the face free, but protected by chin straps. From the time of Augustus (27 BC), these chin straps became a continuous metal component. The face remained uncovered, at least until the reign of Claudius (41 AD), who had a pronounced taste for seeing the expressions of the gladiators as they died. Later, the face was completely hidden by a visor with two eye holes. Then the holes increased in number, resembling a grill. The arm that held the sword was almost always protected, from the shoulder to the hand, by the manica. His shield was curved, almost semi-cylindrical, and quite long with a hump in the middle. His sword was short and straight: a gladius. His left leg was protected by a greave.
 

The Secutor was actually the new name for the Samnite. This term meant “the pursuer”. He was equipped like the former Samnites but the fins on his helmet had disappeared and the crest was smaller to lessen the number of points of impact where the Retiarius, his main adversary, could attach his net. The name Secutor was due to his attacking tactics. He followed his opponent and fought hand to hand with him. This was the only way that he could win with the weapons he had.

 

The Hoplomachus also appeared after the disappearance of the Samnites. He fought with weighty weapons: a heavy rectangular shield and a long sword. Only his left leg was protected by a greave which stopped just below the knee. His helmet was impressive: decorated with figurines and sporting a turned edge. He fought against the Thracian or the Myrmillo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Thracian was lightly armed; he carried a small square or rectangular shield that was sometimes circular or triangular, although these shapes were rare. Armed with a short sword, he protected both his legs with greaves that were initially flat and metallic with an elegant design, and then in the Imperial period were decorated with several embossed or chiselled elements. His helmet was identical to the Samnite’s.

 

 

 

 

 

The Myrmillo or Gaul was equipped like a Gallic warrior. Armed with a short sword, he was protected by an absolute shell of iron that made him impenetrable. His large concave shield, which he held in his left hand, covered his body from the shoulder to the tibia and enveloped part of his back. His more exposed right side was protected by the manica, an armband made from leather and metal, and by a metallic greave. He wore a helmet which was decorated on the crest with a fish, the myrmo, to which he owed his name. His fighting technique was to wait. At the opportune moment, he burst forth, striking his adversary with his sword. Usually big and strong, he fought the light retiarius, armed with his net and his trident.

 

 

 

The Retiarius was easy to recognise: his head was uncovered, and he was armed with a net (rete in Latin, which is where his name came from), a trident, a dagger and the manica which he used to protect his right arm. The left arm was left bare, to be free to manoeuvre his net better. Maybe the technique of the net was inspired by fishermen.
With his light weapons, he tried to keep his adversary at some distance: he had to keep sufficient space in between them to be able to turn his net and throw it on the enemy. The aim of his combat was to prevent the adversary from getting too near and risking too close a combat.