What were the names of the gladiators responsible for training the animals? Gladiators: equipment and weapons

Samnite: Samnites, ancient type heavily armed fighters The historical Samnites were an influential alliance of Italic tribes living in the Campania region south of Rome. The equipment of the Samnites was a large rectangular shield (scutum), a helmet decorated with feathers, a short sword, a sword and a greave on the left leg.

Skissor (scissor, “one who cuts”, “cutting”) - a gladiator who was armed with a short sword (gladius) and instead of a shield had a cutting weapon, two small swords that had one handle) or, in another scenario, wore left hand an iron hollow rod with a hook and chain, or a sharp horizontal point. With this cutting weapon, the scissor delivered blows that resulted in minor wounds to the opponent, but the wounds bled a lot (several arteries were cut, which naturally caused fountains of blood). The rest of the scissor was similar to a secutor, except for the additional protection of the right arm (from shoulder to elbow), which consisted of many iron plates fastened together with strong leather laces. As many resources claim, absolutely nothing is known about the Scissors, however, this is not the case and today we can confidently imagine what this gladiator looked like, and he looked truly terrifying.

(Scissor carvers):They were armed with two large swords.

Peltasts - lightly armed gladiators (a type of velite) , were often used as skirmishers who threw darts. The peltasts' armament consisted of several darts, often with "throwing belts" that made it possible to increase the leverage when throwing. As the main means of defense, the peltasts used a crescent-shaped wicker shield called a pelta.

Thracian peltast Spartan peltast

Provocateur (“applicant”). Their uniforms could be different, depending on the nature of the games. They were depicted wearing a loincloth, big beltwith iron buckle , a long greave on the left leg, a manicure on right hand, Andsmooth-topped helmet with visor,rounded cutouts for the eyes, covered with mesh and with feathers on each side.They were in fierce battles , protected by a cuirass (cardiophylax), which was at first rectangular, then often rounded. The weapons of the provocateurs were a gladius and a large rectangular , sometimes rounded shield.

Andabat (from the Greek word “andibatus” - “located on an eminence” They were so named because they fought on horseback. They were dressed in chain mail, like the eastern cavalry, and helmets with visors, or a helmet with a metal mask, sometimes an aventail, covering the face. Cataphracts wore a plate or scaly armor. Parthian cataphracts of the 2nd century AD used a combined scale-plate armor, in which the chest was covered with large rectangular vertical plates instead of scales.

Bestiary and Venator (Beast Fighters) Armed with a spear or knife, these gladiators went out to fight dangerous animals. Later, Bestiaries received special training for battle against specific types of beasts.They specialized in demonstration hunts for animals, without fighting them in close combat, like bestiaries. The Venators also performed tricks with animals: they put their hand in the mouth of a lion; rode a camel, holding lions on a leash nearby; forced an elephant to walk on a tightrope).

Laquerii (Lakvearium) ("lasso fighter"): Laquearii may have been a type of retiarii that tried to catch their opponents with a lasso (laqueus) instead of a net. Weapons: lasso (lasso) and short knife. Laquearia clothing consists of light armor on the chest, light boots and light hand guards, a wide leather belt with metal plates that protects the stomach. The shoulder pad covers the left shoulder, the arm up to the elbow and rises high enough above the shoulder so that one could cover the head from a blow by moving the shoulder.

And of course, we all know and love: secutor, dimacherus, murmilion, Thracian, hoplomachus, velite, equitus, sagittarium and essedarius.

Dimacher is, as you know, two swords, he is good in attack, weak in defense, with two swords it is very difficult to block blows, without a shield, he is very weak against strong blows, even if he blocks the blows, he quickly falls. Dimacher should definitely be placed on the attack, not 1% should be left, no distance, only a maximum attack! He must very quickly crush the enemy with his attack, not allow the enemy to breathe, and in a successful scenario he will win, well, at least he will have there's more chance of that.

Hoplomachus - He has a large shield, has a unique pose, he knows how to sit down and in this position it is very difficult to get him, while he is sitting and it is impossible to get him. But Hoplomakh will only sit when he is on defense; the higher the percentage of defense, the more often he sits. Next, he should rarely open (that is, get up from behind the shield and hit the enemy), but forcefully!

Retiarius (lat. retiarius - fighter with a net) is one of the types of gladiators.

The armament of this gladiator was a net with which he was supposed to entangle the enemy, and a trident. The retiarius fought almost naked in a wide belt and pauldron, which covered the shoulder and left side breasts The retarius is the strongest type in the game of gladiators, and is quite dangerous for the opponent, because when he throws the net and hits it, after several hits on the opponent, he gains an advantage. However, he also has disadvantages, he does not have a shield, and this makes it difficult to defend against blows, and it is difficult for him to block them. The task of the retiarius was to throw a net so as to entangle the enemy from head to toe, and then finish him off with a trident or dagger. The retiarius had neither a helmet nor a shield - he had to rely only on his own dexterity. The fastest and most coordinated newcomers were taken into this group.

The secutor is the main enemy of the retiarius, so named because of its ability to prevent the retiarius from running away to a safe distance. Armed with a sword and a small shield. The smooth rounded helmet does not cling to the net and allows the pruner to slip out even if the net covers it. Secutor is also good against other types of gladiators who like to attack from afar.

Velite comes from the branch of the same name in the Roman army. Armed with three throwing darts, a small shield and a sword. He is dangerous at a distance, but weakly protected up close, so he usually tries to keep his distance if he still has darts in stock.

Murmilon - comes from one of the three very first types of gladiators, who was called a Gaul (as a representative of captives from Gaul) and in ancient times fought with a Samnite and a Thracian. On the helmets of the Gauls, or Murmillons (from the Latin “murma” - fish), a fish was depicted , and their weapons corresponded to the Gallic ones. Often the opponents of the Murmillons were the retiarii, who during the fight sang a song invented in ancient times: “I’m not catching you, I’m catching fish. Why are you running away from me, Gaul? . He fights barefoot, armed with a large Gallic shield and sword, and his helmet is decorated with a figurine of a fish.

Thracian - descends from one of the three very first types of gladiators, who was even then called a Thracian (as a representative of captives from Thrace) and in ancient times fought with a Gaul and a Samnite. However, now the Greeks often play the role of the Thracians. The Frankians were armed with a small round shield, a small curved sword, greaves on both legs, an iron armlet on the right arm, and a helmet with a visor with many holes that covered the entire face.

Sagittarius: Sagittarius (from Latin sagitta - "arrow") Originally horse archers, armed with a flexible bow capable of launching an arrow over a long distance.

Essedarii were gladiators who fought on war chariots. They were armed with lassos, slings, bows and clubs. The first essedarii were captive Britons whom Julius Caesar brought from his not very successful British campaign.

Praegenarii - technically They were not gladiators, although they sometimes took part in gladiator battles, but did not fight to the death. They opened the show with musical numbers and clowning. Their goal was to entertain the crowd so as not to kill each other. Praegenarii used a wooden sword, rudis. But they also used other weapons used by real gladiators, such as the lasso, gladius, saber, trident and net.The body armor and helmet worn by this type of gladiator were the same as those of the other types of gladiators they parodied: the Praegenarii were clowns. They adopted the body armor and gladiator helmets, but their only purpose was to entertain the crowd. Make for a laugh and provide a good warm-up for the main show. If the emperor was not satisfied with the performance, or he did not like the manner of presenting the pregnarius, then they were put up as a laughing stock for a non-lethal battle against the gladiators.

For centuries, stories about gladiatorial battles have aroused people's admiration. And it is not surprising, because these fearless wars fought for the right to live. For the most colorful presentation, the mighty warriors were divided into types and each of them was used in various battles and was armed in its own way.

Bestiaries They never fought with gladiators of other classes, they fought with exotic animals. Various dangerous animals were brought especially for fighting. Bestiaries were divided into two types. "Damnatio ad bestias" - handed over to the beasts. These included lower-class citizens scheduled for execution. And this fight was more like a simple baiting by animals. The second type was called "venatio", which translates as hunter. The hunters were armed with a club, a spear or darts, and entered the arena with an almost naked body without any armor. Hunters also trained aggressive animals and often showed real performances to the audience, putting their hands and heads into the predator’s mouth.

They were distinguished by cold-bloodedness and courage in any hopeless situation. They entered the arena armed only with light spears against opponents with heavy weapons. With the help of a surprise attack and masterly defense, the velites showed the most colorful and bright victories, gaining fame as cold-blooded fighters capable of the most effective actions during brutal battles in the arena.

Powerful and brave, they had the reputation of being the elite of the gladiator world. These formidable wars cut a person in half with one blow. They were distinguished by great pressure and endurance; often a seriously wounded hoplomakh, the winner, did not leave the battlefield for a long time, listening to the enthusiastic cries of the spectators. Powerful hoplomachus could fearlessly fight alone against several opponents. Hoplomachus came out armed with swords - gladiuses or heavy two-pronged axes, and used massive shields for protection. Worn on the head grand slam, decorated with horns or feathers.

belonged to the equestrian type of gladiators, they began the fight on horses and with long spears 2 - 2.5 meters, but they always ended the battle on foot with the help of swords. In the arena, they wore a wide-brimmed helmet, as well as a medium-sized round shield made of leather. This species was considered lightly armed, since the weight of the uniform was no more than 12 kg. Equites always fought only with Equites and were not fielded against gladiators of other types.

fought in the arena without armor and wearing a spectacular mask on their face. Possessing great agility and speed, they inflicted many cutting and stabbing wounds, exhausting their opponents with their inaccessibility. Armed with two thin and light swords, the Dimachers easily fought opponents with heavy weapons. There were cases when some Dimachers released by the emperor subsequently became excellent actors.

The main distinguishing ability Legniarii there was the ability, honed to perfection, to concentrate all his strength in one key blow. These skilled fighters rarely participated in fights to the death, but performed on the lists to show off an amazing spectacle. The main weapon was a staff or a whip, but sometimes they were armed with a long whip for a mortal duel with terrible animals. With one strong and clear blow of this whip, the legniary easily broke the spine of a huge beast or his opponent.

They were armed with shields and gladius swords and always acted in pairs, against particularly strong opponents. They wore distinctive helmets on their heads, decorated with delightful crests with bright stripes. The ridges helped the fighters not to lose sight of each other in order to cover their comrade in time. Often, in the event of the death of his partner, the other fighter committed suicide without leaving the arena. Such fidelity was considered a confirmation of strong male friendship.

Retiarii are the oldest type of gladiator. Thanks to their great combat effectiveness, these trained warriors successfully resisted the heavily armed secutors and Thracians. At first, the retiarii went into battle equipped with a dagger, trident and net, later they were allowed to wear an impressive helmet and neck guards. But it was the net and the trident that remained the constant feature of these brave warriors. A net thrown by an experienced hand for some time entangled the opponent in heavy weapons, who, trying to disentangle himself, became an easy target for a huge trident.

armed with a huge shield and sword, dressed in heavy armor and a round-shaped helmet covering the face with two small slits for the eyes. Typically, gladiators of this type were fielded against retiarii. At the beginning of the battle, the retiarius retreated to a safe distance, and the secutor pursued him, trying not to get caught in the net or hit by the trident. Wearing heavy armor and weapons, these brave warriors quickly grew tired.

Thracians Thanks to their courage and boundless courage, they became a legend of gladiatorial battles. They went out to fight wearing a heavy helmet with sharpened horns, a sharp Thracian sword and a strong bronze shield. Such uniforms turned the fighter into a dangerous weapon against mounted and foot enemies. If they lost their sword, the Thracians immediately took off their helmet and used it as a weapon during close combat. Many eminent Thracians received the privilege of wearing a colorful staff during the appearance of all the gladiators before the start of the battles.

Sagittarius were mounted gladiators who were skilled with the bow. Swift sagittarii usually came out at the end of mass battles, killed the surviving fighters, and at the same time managed to fight against each other to the death. There were situations when these reckless brave men shot at the emperor’s box, in anticipation of killing the ruler who took away their freedom. The attempts always ended in failure, but the memories of these exceptional feats gave the gladiators hope and one day resulted in the famous rebellion of Spartacus.

were the most dangerous single gladiators of Rome, with their special sharpened shields and gladiuses, they inflicted cutting wounds on their opponents. Perfect mastery of any melee weapon, as well as good physical training allowed wars to strike their rivals in any position. The Sixsors also fought with mounted gladiators, they hit the horse and killed the riders with gladius, who were knocked down by their own horse.

They went out to fight only against provocateurs. They could themselves challenge an opponent to a fight in order to strengthen their position by defeating a more popular opponent, or to resolve conflicts between two gladiator schools that competed with each other. The provocateurs armed themselves in the clothes of Roman legionnaires, wearing a rectangular shield, cuirass and helmet.

Samnites like the retiarii, they were an early type of gladiator. These were prisoners of war from the Samnium region. Roman soldiers, having defeated the Samnites, forced them to participate in amusing battles, which later turned into gladiatorial battles. The Samnites wore military uniforms and fought with the assistance of a sword and a rectangular shield. Their enemies were captured soldiers from the territories defeated by Rome. Later, when Samnium became a province of the Roman Empire, the Samnites were no longer classified as a separate species and were joined with the Hoplomachus and Murmillons, who fought with similar weapons.

they almost didn’t put on armor and went out to fight with their torso exposed and without using a helmet, so that it could be seen that a woman was fighting. They were armed with light swords and small shields. Fights involving female gladiators were rare, and were accepted by the public as a novelty. Women competed with each other and, in rare cases, with dwarfs, which shocked the crowd. Women's gladiator fights were always accompanied by scandals and were soon banned.

Navmachiari were considered the gladiatorial elite and took part in naval battles. Due to the fact that not all arenas could be filled with water, such performances were very rare. The naumachiari came out armed with heavy spears, short swords and grappling hooks. In water battles, various historical battles were usually reconstructed, but the outcome of the battle did not always correspond to reality.

Rudiaria there were the most experienced warriors who earned freedom for their merits, but decided to remain in the gladiator craft. They received a wooden sword as a symbol of freedom. Rudiarii could become trainers, judges, or remain fighters. The public adored them, so every appearance of the rudiary promised a real show.

Pregenaries came out before the start of the competition to warm up the crowd. They fought with wooden swords without any armor.

Tertiaries– were put up to replace a previously announced gladiator, in cases where he could not come out. Also, sometimes there were three gladiators in the arena. The first two fought against each other, and the third fought the winner.

All these fearless wars certainly deserved respect and the legends about them will not die for a long time.

Gladiator Ancient Rome was professional fighter, who specialized in specific weapons and fought in front of audiences in large, purpose-built arenas. Such arenas were built throughout the Roman Empire.

Gladiatorial fights began in 105 BC. e. and had the status of official competitions until 404 AD. e. The battles continued, as a rule, until the death of one of the gladiators. This is why the life expectancy of such fighters was short. And although it was considered prestigious to be a gladiator, most fighters were slaves, freed slaves, or convicts. Without a doubt, gladiatorial combat was one of the most popular forms of entertainment in ancient Rome.

The Romans in many respects believed in the signs and traditions of their Italian ancestors, the Etruscans. For example, animal sacrifices were used to predict the future, symbolic fasces were used, and gladiator fights were organized. The Etruscans associated competitions of this kind with the performance of death rites, so gladiatorial fights had a certain religious significance for them. Although, the first private gladiatorial competitions took place in 264 BC. e. and were organized in memory of the death of their father; later, for the organization of official battles, this reason was not taken into account. However, traces of religious origin were left by the tradition of finishing off defeated gladiators. In this case, the assistant had to strike the injured gladiator in the forehead. The assistant on duty was required to wear a costume representing the costume of the god Hermes, who escorted souls to the afterlife or "Charun". The presence of God's messenger and the emperor, accompanied by priests and vestals, showed a certain pseudo-religious spirit at the battles.

Roman gladiatorial fights provided an opportunity for emperors and wealthy aristocrats to demonstrate their wealth to the population. Fights were organized in honor of military victories, visits of important officials, in honor of birthday celebrations, or simply to distract people from economic and political problems. In the eyes of the public, it was something of an entertainment that literally became a matter of life and death. These extremely popular events took place in all the public arenas of the Roman Empire. The Colosseum (Flavian amphitheater) was the largest of them. From 30 to 50 thousand spectators from all levels of Roman society flocked here to be entertained by bloody spectacles, where wild and exotic animals were hunted, prisoners were executed, religious martyrs were thrown into cages with lions, star shows were staged, which were symbols of Roman virtue, honor and courage.

They used all their fighting skills, fighting under the motto “kill or be killed.” A popular misconception is that gladiators greeted their emperor at the beginning of each battle with the lines: “Long live the emperor!” We, who are going to death, greet you!” However, in reality these words were spoken in honor of prisoners and those killed in initiated naval battles (Naumachia), which also took place in closed arenas on special occasions.

Most often gladiators were slaves or criminals, also many prisoners of war were forced to perform in arenas. There were cases when, due to bankruptcy, aristocrats had to make a living with the sword, for example, Sempronius, a descendant of the powerful Gracchi clan. It should be noted that before the adoption of the law Septimius Severus (Septimius North) in 200 AD. BC, women were allowed to fight as gladiators.

Throughout the empire, special gladiator schools. There were three such barracks in Rome itself. Capua is one of the barracks that was especially famous for its gladiators. Throughout the Risque Empire, agents searched for potential gladiators to meet the ever-increasing demand and fill the schools that were expected to have a huge turnover of fighters. The conditions in the schools were similar to a prison - small cages and shackles, however, the food was better (for example, sprouted barley), and the students also received better medical care, since they were an expensive investment for the school.

The winners of gladiatorial battles became crowd favorites and were especially popular among women.

The term " Gladiator" comes from Latin gladiators, after the name of their main weapon gladius or short sword. However, there was a wide range of other weapons used in gladiatorial combat. Also, gladiators wore armor and helmets, which, in particular, were examples of great craftsmanship, were richly decorated with decorative patterns, and the crests were decorated with feathers of ostriches and peacocks. The type of weapon and armor depended on what species the gladiator belonged to.

Types of gladiators

In ancient Rome there were four main types of gladiators:

• Samnite species, was named after the great Samnite warriors who fought for Rome in the early years of the empire. Interestingly, the Romans used the words “gladiator” and “samnite” interchangeably. Some of the Samnite's best weapons were a sword or spear, a large square shield, and protective armor on the right arm and left leg;
• Thracian gladiator(Thracian) had a short curved sword (sika) and a very small square or round shield (parma), which was used to deflect enemy blows;
• gladiator Murmillo, also known as "Fishman", was equipped in the image of a fish - a crest was installed on the helmet. Like the Samnite, he had a short sword and shield, but the only armor he had was pads on the arm and leg;
• at gladiator Retiarius there was no helmet or armor, except for soft shoulder pads. He had a net and a trident as weapons. He tried to entangle his opponent with a net, and then struck with his trident.

Gladiators fought in certain combinations. As a rule, pairings were chosen for contrast that consisted of a slow and heavily armored gladiator (Murmillo) against a fast and less protected gladiator (Retiarius).

There were also other less common types of gladiators with different combinations of weapons and armor, the names of which changed over time. For example, "Samnite" and "Gal" became politically incorrect when these countries became allies. Other types of gladiators included archers, boxers, and bestiaries (armed with a javelin or dagger), who fought wild animals.

Those who lacked the courage to fight were forced to fight using leather whips and hot metal rods. However, under the indignant roar of the crowd (from 40 thousand spectators) and the ruthless attack of their opponent, many fought to the end. There were cases of refusal to fight. One of the most famous cases was a gladiatorial match organized by Quintus Aurelius Symmachus in 401 AD. BC, when German prisoners who were supposed to fight at the games instead hanged themselves in their cells, thereby leaving the Roman population without a spectacle.

If the losing gladiator was not killed on the spot, he would apply for mercy by lowering his weapon and shield and raising his finger. The enemy could show leniency, although there was then a risk of meeting again in the arena, but this was considered good professional practice. If the emperor was present at the battles, then he made the decision, although the crowd tried to influence his judgment by waving rags and hand gestures - raising a finger up and shouting “mitte!”, which meant “let him go”; thumb down and shouted “iugula!”, which meant “execute him.”

The winners of fights, especially multiple winners, became crowd favorites and images were created in their honor on Roman buildings, and they were also popular among the female half of the population of Ancient Rome.

The Pompeii graffiti provides a unique insight into the extent to which gladiators were accepted by the public. They depict gladiators and the number of their victories, for example Severus is 55. However, the average number of victories was significantly lower. Sometimes fights were held, with the winners of one battle fighting the winners of others until only one remained alive. The winners were awarded material prizes that included the prestigious palm of victory and a silver platter containing money. After many years of victories, the gladiator was granted freedom.

Perhaps one of the most famous gladiators was Spartacus, who led a revolt of gladiators and slaves in 73 BC. e.

Beloved by the public and sometimes despised by the elite, Roman gladiators were the heroes of antiquity. For almost seven centuries, they attracted crowds of people to arenas and amphitheaters, demonstrating their skill, strength and dexterity. Bloody gladiator fights were equal parts sport, theatrical performance and cold-blooded murder.

Here are a few facts about the mysterious warriors who became the pillar of the most massive, cruel and popular entertainment that the history of Ancient Rome has preserved.

Not all gladiators were slaves

Most of the first warriors were brought to gladiatorial schools in chains, but by the first century AD. e. The ratio of slaves and free people has changed greatly. The screams and recognition of the crowd, awe and excitement attracted many free people to gladiator schools who hoped to gain fame and money. These free birds were most often desperate people who had nothing to lose, or former soldiers who had the necessary training and knowledge for fighting in the arena. Sometimes some patricians and even senators temporarily joined the ranks of gladiators, wanting to show off their military training.

Gladiator fights were originally part of a funeral ceremony

Most modern historians insist that gladiator performances in the arena are rooted in the bloody tradition of staging fights between slaves or criminals at the funerals of prominent aristocrats. This kind of bloody obituary follows from the belief of the ancient Romans that human blood cleanses the soul of the deceased. Thus, these cruel rituals replaced human sacrifice. On the occasion of the death of his father and daughter, Julius Caesar organized fights between hundreds of gladiators. The performances enjoyed mass popularity in the first century BC. e. Ancient Rome began staging gladiatorial fights whenever the government needed to calm, distract, or gain the support of a crowd.

They didn't always fight to the death

Despite the popular depiction of gladiator fights in literature and cinema as spontaneous and uncontrolled bloodshed, most of them were carried out according to strict rules. Most often, fights were one-on-one between gladiators of similar build and equal combat experience. The judges oversaw the battle and stopped it if one of the opponents was seriously injured. Sometimes battles ended in a draw if they were too long. If the gladiators managed to put on an interesting performance and delight the crowd, both opponents were allowed to leave the arena with honor.

The famous "thumbs down" gesture did not mean death

When a gladiator was seriously wounded or chose to admit defeat by throwing his weapon aside, it was left to the spectators to decide his fate. Various works of art often describe a crowd with thrown index fingers, if the audience wanted to save the loser. But this opinion is probably not entirely true. Historians believe that the gesture of mercy was different - the thumb hidden in the fist. The fact is that the finger symbolized a sword, and the crowd showed them exactly how to kill the loser: a finger up could mean a cut throat, a finger to the side could mean a blow with a sword between the shoulder blades, and a finger down could mean a deep blow with a sword in the neck, towards heart. The gestures were often accompanied by loud screams demanding release or death.

Gladiators were divided into types and classes, according to types of battles and experience

For the opening of the Colosseum in 80 AD. e., gladiator fights became a highly organized, bloody sport with its own directions and types of weapons. Fighters were divided into classes according to their level of training, experience in the arena and weight category. The division into types depended on the choice of weapons and type of fighting, the most popular types were the Murmillons, Hoplomachus and Thracians, whose weapons were a sword and shield. There were also equites - horsemen, essedarii - chariot fighters, dimacheres - armed with two swords or daggers, and many others.

They very rarely fought with wild animals

Among the military types were bestiaries, who were originally criminals sentenced to fight with wild animals, with little chance of survival. Later, bestiaries began to train specifically for fights with animals; they were armed with darts and daggers. Other gladiators very rarely participated in fights with animals, even though the fights were organized in such a way that the beast did not have a chance to survive. Often, performances involving wild animals opened battles and were simultaneously used for the public execution of criminals.

Women were gladiators too

These were mostly slaves, too headstrong for housework, but occasionally they were joined by free women of Rome. Historians cannot say exactly when women first tried on gladiator armor, but it is certain that by the first century AD. e. they were constant participants in battles. They were often the subject of ridicule by the patriarchal Roman elite, but were comparatively popular with the crowd. Despite this, Emperor Septimius Severus banned women from participating in any games at the beginning of the 3rd century.

Gladiators had their own unions

Despite the fact that gladiators were forced to fight each other, sometimes even to the death, they viewed themselves as a brotherhood and sometimes met in colleges. The gladiatorial unions had their own elected leaders, patron deities, and levies. When one of them died in battle, the colleges paid compensation to his family and gave the fallen a decent funeral.

Emperors sometimes participated in gladiator fights

Among the arena's regulars were Caligula, Commodus, Hadrian and Titus. Most often, they took part in staged battles or had a clear advantage over their opponents. Emperor Commodus once defeated several frightened and poorly armed spectators.

Gladiators often became famous and were popular with women

Gladiators were often described by Roman historians as uneducated brutes and looked down upon by the elite, but successful fighters were resoundingly popular among the lower classes. Their portraits decorated taverns and houses, children played with clay figurines of their favorite gladiators, and girls wore hair clips covered in gladiator blood.

Initially, gladiators were people sentenced to death who had nothing to lose. The statutes of ancient Rome made it possible to fight for freedom and, in case of victory, one could exchange one’s life for money gained in battle. Then to gladiator fights ordinary people joined who desperately wanted to achieve fame and material well-being. In order to become one of the fighters, they had to take an oath and become “legally dead.” Each person who decided to do this was fed high-calorie food free of charge and provided with timely treatment. Fighting sponsors spent a lot of money on the maintenance of gladiators, so it was often very expensive at the show where the fight was fought. There are known cases when bloody gladiatorial battles of women were staged.

Gladiator Schools

In ancient Rome, there were even special institutions in which gladiators were trained in combat. They could belong to either the state or a private person. The manager of such an establishment was called a “lanista.” Under his command was a staff of teachers teaching fighters fencing and weaponry, as well as cooks, doctors and even a funeral team. The daily routine and discipline at the gladiator school were extremely strict.

In some similar institutions they also taught fighting with wild animals. Such fighters underwent training much longer. They were taught training, habits various types animals. Elephants, lions, tigers, bears, panthers, and leopards died in the ring along with people.

Gladiator classification

Ancient Rome was full of gladiator fights, which were first held during church holidays, and then became an integral part of almost everyday entertainment for citizens. There was even a classification of fighters by specialization.

1. Andabats - gladiators who fought on the principle of cavalry competitions, without the right to see their opponent.

2. Bestiaries were originally criminals sentenced to fight with animals. The convicts actually had no chance to survive. Subsequently, these gladiators began to undergo training. Armed with darts or darts, fighters often began to win such battles.

3. Bustarii - gladiators who fought in memory of those killed at ceremonial games.

4. Velites - pedestrian gladiators who fought with javelins, a small dagger and a shield.

5. The Venators were not gladiators, but were present at every battle. They entertained the audience using animals. They performed tricks: they put their hands into the lion's mouth, they rode on a camel.

6. Dimachers had 2 swords with them during the fight. A helmet and shield were not allowed.

7. The Gauls were armed with a spear, a small shield and a helmet.

8. Laquearia. Their task was to catch the enemy using a lasso.

9. Murmillons. On the crest of their helmet was a stylized fish. Armed with a short sword and shield.

10. Noxii are criminals who were released to fight each other. Sometimes they were blindfolded and given this or that weapon. The judge or someone from the crowd was allowed to give hints to the combatants. However, most often the public shouted down the instructions and nothing was heard by the fighters.

11. Pregenaries. By performing first, they warmed up the crowd. These gladiators wrapped their bodies in rags and used wooden swords.

12. Provocateurs - gladiators armed with gladiuses and shields were the only ones allowed to protect their bodies with a cuirass.

13. Rudiarii - fighters who earned freedom, but decided to remain in the ranks of gladiators. They were awarded with a wooden sword. They became coaches, judges or assistants.

14. The Sagittarii fought on horseback and were armed with a bow.

15. Scissors - fighters armed with weapons resembling scissors.

16. Tertiary - a reserve player who came in as a substitute if for some reason one of the gladiators could not participate in the battle. In other battles, the tertiaries fought the winner of the main competition.

17. The Equiti spent the first half of the battle on horseback, and after the spear with which they were armed was thrown, they continued to fight on their feet with short swords.

18. Cestus - fighters who fought using only a cestus - an old analogue of brass knuckles.

The tradition of gladiator fights in the territory of Ancient Rome persisted for more than half a millennium.