Hard sports were part of the Etruscan funeral rite as human sacrifices.
The Romans accepted the Etruscan funeral rite and changed it over time; they stopped killing participants in mortal combat immediately, but forced them to fight with swords in their hands near the grave of the deceased; the weak died in the duel, and strong fighter remained alive, causing the delight of those present. The Romans first saw this cruel spectacle in 264 BC. e. in a bull market , where three pairs of gladiators fought at the funeral of Brutus Pere, organized by his sons. The spectacle seemed so unusual and remarkable to the Romans that this event was included in the annals of Rome.
The connection between gladiatorial games and funerals has never been forgotten, they were called "funeral games", and the official name was mumus ("duty"), the duty of the living towards the deceased.
In 105 BC. e. gladiatorial games were introduced into public spectacles in Rome . From now on, the state entrusted its magistrates with the responsibility of organizing gladiatorial games, and they became a favorite spectacle, both in Rome and in the provinces of the Roman Empire. Caesar in 65 BC uh . organized gladiatorial games in which 320 pairs of gladiators took part. His enemies were frightened: not only were these armed fellows frightening, but the frightening thing was that luxurious games had become a sure way to gain the favor of the people and secure votes in elections. In 63 BC. uh . on offer Cicero's law was passed , which prohibited a candidate for magistrate from “giving gladiators” for two years before the election. No one, however, could prohibit a private person from “giving” them under the pretext of a funeral for his relative, especially if the latter bequeathed to his heir to organize games.
Depending on the weapon and specifics Their participation in fights distinguished the following types of gladiators:
Andabat (from the Greek word “άναβαται” - “raised, located on an eminence”) Andabata fighters were dressed in chain mail, like the eastern cavalry (cataphracts), and helmets with visors without slits for the eyes. Andabats fought each other in much the same way as knights did in medieval jousting tournaments.
Bestiary
were armed dart or dagger,
these fighters were initially not gladiators, but criminals (noxii), sentenced to fight with predatory animals, with a high probability of death for the condemned. 
Bestiaries later became highly trained gladiators, specializing in combat with a variety of exotic predators using javelins. The battles were organized in such a way that the animals had little chance of defeating the bestiary.
Bustuary. These gladiators fought in honor of the deceased in ritual games during the funeral rite.
Velit - foot gladiators armed with a javelin with a cord attached to it for throwing. Named after units of the early Republican Roman army.
Dimacher (from the Greek “διμάχαιρος” - “ bearer of two daggers" ). They fought without a helmet or shield with two daggers in each hand. They were dressed in a short soft tunic, their arms and legs were bandaged with tight bandages, and sometimes they wore greaves.
Gaul.
The fighters were equipped with a spear, a helmet and a small Gallic shield. 
Hoplomachus (from the Greek “οπλομάχος” - “armed fighter”). The fighters were dressed in quilted, trouser-like leg clothing, possibly made of thick cotton or linen fabric, a loincloth, a belt, and leggings. The armor was worn on the forearms (manica) of the right hand, and a helmet with a brim and a stylized griffin on the crest, decorated with a brush of feathers on the top and single feathers on each side. For weapons, they carried a very small round shield made from a single sheet of thick bronze; examples of shields were preserved in Pompeii. The fighters were sent to fight against the Mirmillons or Thracians.
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.
Mirmillon - "mormylos" - " sea fish", fighters n
donned a helmet with a stylized fish on the crest, armor for the forearm (maniku), a loincloth and belt, a greave right leg, thick windings covering the top of the foot, and very short armor. The Mirmillons were armed with a gladius sword (40-50 cm in length) and a large rectangular shield, like legionnaires. They were fielded in battles against the Thracians, Retiarii, and sometimes also against the Hoplomachus. 
Pegniaria They used a whip, a club and a shield, which was attached to the left hand with straps.
The provocateur is the “applicant.”
The fighters were depicted wearing a loincloth, a belt, a long greave on the left leg, a manica on right hand, and a helmet with a visor, without brim or crest, but with feathers on each side. They were the only gladiators protected by a cuirass (cardiophylax), which was at first rectangular, then often rounded. The provocateurs were armed with a gladius and a large rectangular shield. They were exhibited in battles with the Samnites or other provocateurs. 
Retiarius - “fighter with a net.” They are
appeared at the dawn of the Roman Empire. The fighters were armed with a trident, a dagger and a net. In addition to a loincloth supported by a wide belt (balteus) and large armor on the left shoulder joint, the retiarius did not have any clothing, including a helmet. Sometimes a metal shield (galerus) was used to protect the neck and lower part of the face. There were retiarii who played female roles in the arena (“retiarius tunicatus”), who differed from ordinary retiarii in that they were dressed in a tunic. The Retiarius usually fought the Secutors, but sometimes also the Myrmillons. 
Rudiary - gladiator who earned his release and was awarded a wooden sword - rudis, but decided to remain a gladiator. Not all rudiarii continued to fight in the arena; there was a special hierarchy among them: they could be trainers, assistants, judges, fighters, etc. Rudiarii fighters were very popular among the public, since they had vast experience and could be expected from them a truly exciting gladiatorial game.
Samnites
— ancient type heavily armed fighters, which disappeared in the early imperial period, its name indicates the origin of gladiatorial combat. Historical Samnites
were influential union of Italian tribes
, living in the Campania region south of Rome, against whom The Romans fought wars from 326 to 291 BC. e.
The Samnites' equipment included a large rectangular shield (scutum), a feathered helmet, a short sword, and possibly a greave on the left leg.
Secutor - this type of fighter was specifically intended for fights with retiarii.
Sagittarius - horse archers armed with a flexible bow capable of launching an arrow over a long distance.
Secutors were equipped with armor and weapons, large rectangular shields and gladiuses. Their helmet, however, covered the entire face except for two eye holes, in order to protect the face from the sharp trident of their opponent. The helmet is round and smooth so that the retiarius' net cannot catch on it.
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, put on left hand an iron hollow rod with a sharp horizontal tip. With this cutting weapon, the scissor delivered blows that resulted in minor wounds to the opponent, but the wounds bled a lot. Otherwise, the scissor was similar to a pruner, except for the additional protection of the right arm from the shoulder to the elbow, which consisted of many iron plates fastened together with strong leather laces. The helmet and protective equipment of the secutors and scissors were the same
Tertiaries
also called "Suppositicius" - "substitute". Some competitions involved three gladiators. First, the first two fought with each other, then the winner of this fight fought with the third, who was called tertiary - “third”. 
Thracians were equipped with the same armor as the hoplomachus. The Thracians wore grand slam covering the entire head and decorated with a griffin on the forehead or on the front of the crest, the Griffin was a symbol of the goddess of retribution Nemesis. The Thracians wore a small round shield (parmula), and two large greaves. Their weapon was a Thracian curved sword-axe - sicca, about 34 cm long. Thracians fought with the Myrmillons or Hoplomachus.
The Venators arranged demonstration hunting of wild animals, without fighting them in close combat, like bestiaries. They performed tricks with animals - they put their hand in the mouth of a lion, rode a camel while holding lions on a leash nearby, and forced an elephant to walk on a tightrope (Seneca Ep. 85.41). The Venators were not gladiators, but their performances were part of gladiator battles.
Equitus ("rider"). In Sanskrit: – horse. In early descriptions, these lightly armed gladiators were dressed in scale armor and carried a medium-sized round cavalry shield ( parma equestris), a helmet with a brim, without a crest, but with two decorative tassels. During the Roman Empire, they wore forearm armor (manica) on their right arm, a sleeveless tunic (which distinguished them from other gladiators who fought bare-chested), and a belt. The Equites began the battle on horseback, but after they threw their spear (hasta), they dismounted and continued the fight with a short sword (gladius). Typically, equites only fought other equites.
Essedary - “chariot fighter” (from the Latin name for the Celtic chariot - “esseda”). Essedarii are mentioned in many descriptions starting from the 1st century AD. BC may have been first brought to Rome by Julius Caesar from Britain.
Pregenaries in performed at the beginning of the competition to “warm up” the crowd. They used wooden swords (rudis) and wrapped cloth around the body. Their fights took place to the accompaniment of cymbals, trumpets and water organs (hydraulis).
Why did Roman citizens become gladiators?
People who took the “gladiator oath” were deprived of many of the rights of free citizens, including the right to their lives, which depended on the outcome of the battle. Perhaps this freed the citizen from debt, and made it possible to get away from creditors, and even make money if the public liked you in the arena during a gladiator fight. Apparently, for many Roman citizens, gladiatorial combat was a good job - " shod, dressed, there is a roof over your head and you live on everything ready.”
Gladiators had to live in special gladiatorial schools, where they studied the art of gladiatorial combat under the supervision of freedmen, that is, former gladiators. Naturally, there were doctors, massage therapists, and cooks at their service, providing the gladiators with everything necessary to train and provide professional fighters.
A high salary was a good incentive for a brave, dexterous and warlike gladiator. Even slave gladiators had every right to part of the reward for victory in the arena; they received coins that spectators threw into the arena during the battle. If the former gladiator, having received his release, wished to remain in the arena, he received a generous reward. Emperor Tiberius offered one thousand gold coins to one of the freed gladiator slaves if he would return back to the arena.
In the morning before the gladiator competition, a hunt for wild animals (venatio) took place; in the afternoon, criminals sentenced to death were executed, they were thrown to be torn to pieces by animals. Before the fight, the gladiators dined at public banquets with local residents. Before the start of the gladiatorial fights, the fighters entered the arena, organizing a kind of parade to pre-set the mood of the public and demonstrate their fighting form, then the gladiator fights began.
The number of gladiator fights depended on the number of competitors participating. Usually the fights continued until the end of the day, and each fight lasted on average about ten to fifteen minutes.
A gladiator match was a hand-to-hand fight between fighters with different weapons. After one of the fighters was wounded or weakened, he threw his shield to the ground and raised his finger up (ad digitum), indicating his desire to surrender and stop the fight. The judge of a gladiatorial match was obliged to intervene and stop the fight, leaving the fate of the vanquished to the mumerarius (the owner of the gladiators). The decision he made sometimes depended on the opinion of the assembled public - he could spare (missio) the defeated one or even grant freedom to one or both fighters, but such release did not happen often, since this only brought losses to the mumerarium. Mumerarium entered the arena and handed it to the lucky gladiator wooden sword (rudis), which meant that the gladiator was no longer a slave, but a free man.
Mumerarium could raise thumb up (pollits verso) or point it down - this meant deciding the fate of the vanquished. The public also expressed their opinion by showing their thumbs up, which meant "missio" (mercy), which allows the gladiator to return to the ludus and prepare for the next fight. The thumb down meant that the winner of the fight should strike the defeated fighter death blow(coup de grace).
There was a dual attitude towards male gladiators in Rome; they were loved and despised at the same time. Some citizens of Rome looked at the warlike gladiators as their idols, while others treated them with contempt as barbarians.
For a noble Roman, it was a disgrace to participate in gladiatorial battles in the arena, and participation in military campaigns, battles and wars was considered military valor.
Autocrats - Volunteer Gladiators They might not live in gladiator schools, but take lessons from private trainers or visit special studios for training. Autocrats entered the gladiatorial arena quite rarely, two or three times a year.
There is an opinion that all gladiators were doomed to death, but in fact this is not so! Of course, gladiators died, including by decision of the public. However, not as often as is commonly believed. Educate, train martial art, and maintaining such a fighter was very expensive. It was much more profitable to receive money from the audience for the performance of a good gladiator fighter than to pay for his burial.
Fights in the ancient Roman arena were not an exclusively male affair. In 63 AD er. Emperor Nero issued a decree allowing free women to participate in gladiatorial tournaments. After him, Pozzuoli allows Ethiopian women to fight.
Women in the gladiatorial arena fought like men, and trained before the performance, like male gladiators. It is known that most of the gladiators in the Roman Empire were slaves, but some citizens voluntarily became gladiators and took an oath that they agreed “to be doomed, to be beaten, and to die by the sword” (uri, vinciri, uerberari, ferroque necari). By the end of the Roman Republic, about half of the Roman gladiators were volunteers - a huge number, considering that the battles took place not only in Rome, but also in many large cities of the country.
Women participated in fights, lived and died as fighters. The life of female gladiators was perhaps harder than that of males, daily physical training prepared them for ownership various types weapons during a gladiator fight. Some Roman women, trampling all boundaries of all decency, visited special studios, while others trained with their gladiator fathers.
Roman historian Tacitus with condemnation he mentions women with a fairly high social status who participated in gladiatorial fights for entertainment, and considers these performances in the arena to be their disgrace. “This year's gladiatorial games were no less magnificent than last year. However, many ladies from high society and people of senatorial rank disgraced themselves by appearing in the arena.” In general, Roman society considered female gladiatorial combat to be reprehensible and undignified!
The Roman historian Suetonius (c. 69 – 122 AD) spoke about gladiator fights involving women, under the emperor Domitian, who outdid Caligula, Nero and Heliogabalus in his entertainment. Dio Cassius (ancient Greek: Δίων ὁ Κάσσιος,) wrote that these female gladiatorial fights were held by torchlight late at night, at the end of the entire gladiatorial performance.
Roman poet Statius
in a poem about gladiatorial battles under the emperor Domitian, he reports that “Moors, women and pygmies” took part in the battles. “The sex unsuited to the use of weapons competes with men in battle! You'd think it was a gang of Amazons fighting."
According to the Roman senator and historian Tacitus (c. 56 AD - 177 AD),
Even noble and rich women did not hesitate to appear in the arena, wanting to perform in the gladiatorial arena and receive the laurels of winners.
The Roman satirist Decem Juvenal in Satire IV (55 AD - 127 AD), denouncing the vices of Roman society, caustically ridiculed female gladiators: and described the gladiatorial performance in detail:
“Have you heard that women need war capes and oil to fight?
Have you seen the pieces of wood that they pound and crumble,
Using skillful techniques to pierce them through with a sword or spear?
This is about girls who trumpet the glory of Flora.
Or maybe they are preparing to enter the arena themselves for a real fight?
But is it proper for decent women to squeeze their head into a helmet,
By despising the gender you were born with?
They love manly things, but they don't want to be men
After all, little things (as they believe) make their lives more enjoyable!
What “pride” does the husband feel when he sees the market where
His wife looks like she’s for sale - in belts, shields and skins!
Listen to her grunts and moans as she works hard to parry and attack;
Look at her neck, bent by the heavy helmet.
Look how her legs are bandaged, like tree trunks,
Laugh as she drops her armor and weapons and reaches for the goblet.
How the daughters of our praetors and consuls are deteriorating!
Have you seen bare-breasted Amazons against wild boars at the games?
Isn’t this more disgusting than gladiator girls and naked whores?”
It is quite obvious that Women's gladiator fights are not a fiction at all, but a fact captured in ancient literature and history! Archaeological finds confirm the existence of female gladiators in Ancient Rome, inscriptions from a local magistrate from Ostia were discovered about the organization of female gladiator fights, burials female gladiators, bas-relief from Helicarnassus , which shows two women wearing secutors. They wear belts, greaves and arm plates. Each woman is armed with a sword and shield, but both fight bareheaded and bare-chested. Their names are indicated below the images and confirm that these are women - one is called Amazonia, the other Achilleia. The inscription at the top in Latin means “missae sunt”, that is, both of them, or one of them, received an honorable release from the fight or the so-called “mercy” (missio) from the public watching the battle.
Legend and Achilles.
Achilleia, from Pergamum, a Roman province in Asia Minor, was the daughter of the 'castor' of Pergamum. The years of her life were during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius 'The Wise'. In 162 AD, when her life changed dramatically, she was about 20 years old.
Unlike her noble peers, Achilleia was an extraordinary girl, she had a large, strong physique and a cocky character. Since her father's duties included organizing gladiatorial games for the people of Pergamon, his daughter was intimately familiar with the gladiatorial business. When she was 17 years old, she began attending the city's ludum (gladiator school), where she observed gladiators training and brutal fights. Achilleia was no different from other noble women who were partial to gladiators; they openly admired their courage and did not miss the gladiatorial fights. Achille began to take lessons in gladiatorial combat from the school manager and former gladiator Partakos. In the Ludum, she met the famous scientist healer Claudius Galen, who studied human anatomy on wounded and dead gladiators, and later became the personal physician of Emperor Aurelius. Galen was about thirty years old and fell in love with an attractive young girl. Galen did not dissuade Achilleia from practicing gladiatorial art, but rather taught her the basics of human anatomy, showing her the most vulnerable and painful points of the body for blows. Since Achille was born left-handed, Partakos taught her to use this advantage in battle against right-handers.
This knowledge helped her Achillia improve in the art of armed martial arts, she was preparing to truly fight in the arena. By training with a wooden sword, Achilleia mastered the basics of gladiatorial art, as well as some wrestling techniques. At the age of 19, she competed in a women's gladiator match for the first time. Her skill exceeded all expectations, she was a strong and beautiful girl.
A rival for Achilleia was quickly found; it was Anahita, a captive captured in the Parthian army. She was a real warrior and fought in the gladiatorial arena of Smyrna. Anahita was so warlike and fearless that she was nicknamed “Amazonia.” Soon Ahilia and Amazonia had to meet in the gladiatorial arena. Well acquainted with the basics of gladiatorial art, After intensive training Achillia fought with the wild and ferocious Sarmatian warrior Amazonia, who fought like a tigress, but was wounded and lost the battle to a more experienced and stronger opponent. Achille's gladiator career ended as suddenly as it began,
The emperor's wife, Faustina, famous for her waywardness and cruelty, loved gladiator fights and tried not to miss a single one. After the Roman victory over the Parthians in Armenia, Faustina toured the province and attended gladiatorial games in the cities of Asia Minor. In Halicarnassus, south of Pergamon, she saw the duel between Achille and Anahita. The formidable and invincible Anahita struck Achille with a deft blow, and she asked for ‘missio’ (mercy). The audience was in good spirits, and the defeated girl was given life. Faustina was amazed at how fiercely and skillfully the warlike female gladiators fought and ordered a sculpture to be carved in stone in memory of the brave warriors. A talented local sculptor completed the order, and the bas-relief depicting Achille and Amazonia has survived to this day, reminiscent of these two warrior women.
The bas-relief of fighting female gladiators preserved this fight for centuries “as an example for posterity.”
Gladiatorial combat was banned in 400 AD when Christianity was adopted in the Roman Empire.
2017-11-12Gladiators (Latin gladiator, from gladius - sword) - in Ancient Rome - prisoners of war, convicted criminals and slaves, specially trained for armed struggle among themselves in the arenas of amphitheaters. Gladiators in Ancient Rome routinely fought in public to the death. Roman gladiator fights were held first on the most significant religious holidays, and then turned into the most popular entertainment for ordinary citizens. The tradition of gladiator fights continued for more than 700 years.
The life of a gladiator for the most part was short and full of constant fear for his life and risk, without which life itself probably would not have been possible. The fate of each gladiator was determined by the battle; after several battles it was clear whether the fighter had a future and reward, or an inglorious death in the prime of life. For a modern person, it is completely incomprehensible how, with such a lifestyle (see the lifestyle of a gladiator) and working hard, some fighters won fight after fight and could win yati, ten fights in a row.
Gladiatorial fights were adopted by the Romans from the Greeks, Etruscans and Egyptians and took on the religious character of a sacrifice to the god of war Mars. In the beginning, gladiators were prisoners of war and those sentenced to death. The laws of ancient Rome allowed them to participate in gladiatorial fights. In case of victory (with the money received) one could buy back one’s life. There were cases when citizens, giving up the freedom they had, joined the gladiators in pursuit of fame and money.
In order to become gladiators, it was necessary to take an oath and declare themselves “legally dead.” From that moment on, the fighters entered another world, where cruel laws of honor reigned. The first of them was silence. The gladiators explained themselves in the arena with gestures. The second law is full compliance with the rules of honor. So, for example, a gladiator who fell to the ground and realized his complete defeat was obliged to remove his protective helmet and expose his throat to the enemy’s sword or plunge his knife into his own throat. Of course, the audience could always grant mercy to those gladiators who fought bravely and were liked by the public, but such mercy was extremely rare.
“We sacrifice the living to feed the dead” - this is how Emperor Caracalla in the 3rd century AD formulated the ideological basis of gladiatorial fights, which, together with animal persecution, became the bloodiest and most cruel spectacle in the history of mankind. According to Roman beliefs, which they, in turn, borrowed from the Etruscans, atrocities were supposed to pacify the souls of the dead. In ancient times, this was the highest honor that grateful heirs could bestow on a noble ancestor.
However, at first this Etruscan custom took root rather slowly in the life of the Romans during the early Republic, perhaps because they had to work a lot and fight a lot, and as entertainment they preferred athletic competitions, horse racing, as well as theatrical performances played out directly in the crowd vacationers. Then the Romans could not be called lovers of contemplating the dying convulsions and groans of the wounded, since this was more than enough in their everyday paramilitary life.
But there are enthusiasts in any business, and in 264 BC. In the Cow Market of Rome, during the funeral for Brutus Pere, organized by his sons Marcus and Decimus, a duel between three pairs of gladiators took place (from the Latin word “gladius” - sword). But only almost 50 years later this spectacle gained a certain scope: already 22 pairs of gladiators for 3 days delighted the eyes of the inhabitants at the funeral games organized in memory of the twice consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus by his three sons. And only in 105 BC. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the tribunes of the people to entertain the Roman mob, which had already begun to form as a social class, gladiatorial fights were introduced into the number of official public spectacles. So the genie was released from the bottle...
By the end of the 2nd century BC. the battles, which lasted for several days in a row with the participation of hundreds of gladiators, no longer surprised anyone. There were also people for whom keeping and training gladiators became a profession. They were called lanistas. The essence of their activity was that they found physically strong slaves at slave markets, preferably prisoners of war and even criminals, bought them, taught them all the wisdom necessary to perform in the arena, and then rented them out to everyone who wanted to organize gladiatorial fights.
And yet, the bulk of professional arena fighters came from gladiatorial schools. During the reign of Octavian Augustus (about 10 BC), there were 4 imperial schools in Rome: the Great, the Morning, where they trained bestiaries - gladiators who fought with wild animals, the school of the Gauls and the school of the Dacians. While studying at the school, all gladiators were fed well and treated professionally. An example of this is the fact that the famous ancient Roman physician Galen worked for a long time at the Great Imperial School.
The gladiators slept in pairs in small closets with an area of 4-6 sq.m. The training, which lasted from morning until evening, was very intense. Under the guidance of a teacher, a former gladiator, the newcomers learned fencing. Each of them was given a wooden sword and a shield woven from willow. The blows were practiced on a wooden stake about 180 cm high, dug into the ground. At the initial stage of training, the “cadet” had to master the ability to deliver strong and accurate blows to the enemy’s imaginary chest and head, and also not to open up when defending. To strengthen the muscles, the next iron training weapon after the wooden one was specially made 2 times heavier than a combat weapon.
When a beginner has adequately grasped the basics martial art, depending on his abilities and physical training, he was distributed into specialized groups of one type or another of gladiators. The oldest, classical type that existed until the end of the Republic were the Samnites, named after the people, although conquered by the Romans, they inflicted several military defeats on the latter, for which they were practically exterminated in the 1st century BC. And, nevertheless, it was precisely their weapons that the Romans supplied their first gladiators with. It consisted of a large rectangular shield, a helmet with a high crest and plume of feathers, a short straight sword and greaves on the left leg. At the beginning of our era, the name "Samnite" was replaced by secutor (pursuer), although the weapons remained the same. Hoplomachus were very similar to them, with the difference that their shields were large and round.
The rivals of hoplomachus and secutors were, as a rule, retiarii - representatives of one of the most technically complex types of this “sport”. Retiarii received this name from their main weapon - a net (from the Latin - “rete”) with heavy weights along the edges. 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 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.
The helmets of the Gauls, or murmillos (from the Latin “murma” - fish), depicted fish, 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? The essedarii stood somewhat apart - 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.
The least capable students ended up in andabats. They were armed with only two daggers, without any additional protection; they completed this equipment with a helmet with two holes that did not coincide with the eyes at all. Therefore, the Andabats were forced to fight each other almost blindly, waving their weapons at random. The circus attendants “helped” them by pushing them from behind with hot iron rods. The public always had a lot of fun looking at the unfortunate people, and this part of the gladiatorial fights was considered the most fun by the Romans.
Gladiators, like Roman soldiers, had their own charter; some historians call it a code of honor, but in fact this is a conventional name. because Initially, a gladiator, by definition, was not a free person, and Roman slaves had no concept of honor as such. when a person entered a gladiator school, especially if he had been free before, in order to be legally considered a gladiator, he needed to perform a number of actions, many of them, of course, purely formal. gladiators swore and took an oath similar to a military oath, according to which they were to be considered “formally dead” and transferred their lives to the property of the gladiator school in which they lived, studied, trained and died.
There were a number of unspoken rules and conventions that every gladiator had to adhere to and not violate them under any circumstances. The gladiator always had to remain silent during the fight - the only way he could contact the audience was through gestures. when the gladiator lifted up index finger- this symbolized a plea for mercy, but if the thumb was turned down, it symbolized that the fighter was so seriously wounded, could not continue the fight and asked to finish him off, because he knew that he would die after the battle. the second unspoken point was the observance of certain “rules” of dignity, which can be compared with the rules of the samurai. A gladiator fighter had no right to cowardice and fear of death. if the fighter felt that he was dying.
He had to open his face to the enemy so that he could finish him off, looking into his eyes, or cut his own throat, taking off his helmet and revealing his face and eyes to the audience, and they had to see that there was not a drop of fear in them. the third law was that the gladiator could not choose his own opponent; obviously, this was done so that the fighters in the arena would not settle their personal scores and grievances. When he entered the field, the gladiator did not know until the very end who he would have to fight.
It became fashionable among Roman aristocrats to have their own personal gladiators, who not only earned the owner money by performing, but also served as personal guards, which was extremely relevant during the civil unrest of the late Republic. In this regard, Julius Caesar outdid everyone, who at one time maintained up to 2 thousand gladiator-bodyguards, who made up a real army. It must be said that gladiators became not only under the compulsion of a slave owner or by a court sentence to the arena, but also absolutely voluntarily, in the pursuit of fame and wealth.
Despite all the dangers of this profession, a simple but strong guy from the Roman social bottom really had a chance to get rich. And although the chances of dying on the blood-soaked sand of the arena were much greater, many took the risk. The most successful of them, in addition to the love of the Roman mob, and sometimes even Roman matrons, received substantial cash prizes from fans and fight organizers, as well as interest on bets in bookmakers. In addition, Roman spectators often threw money, jewelry and other expensive trinkets into the arena for their favorite winner, which also made up a significant share of the circus star’s income. Emperor Nero, for example, once gave the gladiator Spiculus a whole palace. And many more famous fighters They gave fencing lessons to everyone who wanted them, receiving a very decent fee for it.
However, luck smiled on very few in the arena - the public wanted to see blood and death, so the gladiators had to fight seriously, driving the crowd into a frenzy.
All these animals in circuses were victims of bestiary gradators. Their training was much longer than that of classical gladiators. Students of the famous Morning School, which received its name because animal persecution took place in the morning, were taught not only how to use weapons, but also training, and were also introduced to the characteristics and habits of different animals.
Ancient Roman trainers reached unprecedented heights in their art: bears walked on a tightrope, and lions placed a bestiary under the feet of a hunted but still living hare, monkeys rode fierce Hyrcanian hounds, and harnessed deer to chariots. These amazing tricks were countless. But when the satiated crowd demanded blood, fearless venators appeared in the arena (from the Latin wenator - hunter), who knew how to kill animals not only with various types of weapons, but also with their bare hands. They considered it the highest chic to throw a cloak over the head of a lion or leopard, wrap it up, and then kill the animal with one blow of a sword or spear.
Pitting animals against each other was also extremely popular. The Romans long remembered the fight between an elephant and a rhinoceros, during which the elephant grabbed the broom that was used to sweep the arena, blinded it with the sharp rods of the rhinoceros, and then trampled the enemy.
Gladiator fights took place in different ways. There were fights between single pairs, and sometimes several dozen, or even hundreds of pairs fought at the same time. Sometimes entire performances, introduced into the practice of mass entertainment by Julius Caesar, were played out in the arena. So, in a matter of minutes, grandiose decorations were erected, depicting the walls of Carthage, and gladiators, dressed and armed like legionnaires and Carthaginians, represented the assault on the city. Or a whole forest of freshly cut trees grew in the arena, and the gladiators depicted an ambush of the Germans attacking the same legionnaires. The imagination of the directors of ancient Roman shows knew no bounds. And although it was extremely difficult to surprise the Romans with anything, Emperor Claudius, who ruled in the middle of the 1st century, completely succeeded. The naumachia (staged naval battle) carried out on his orders was of such a scale that it turned out to be capable of capturing the imagination of all residents of the Eternal City, young and old. Although naumachia were arranged quite rarely, since they were very expensive even for emperors and required careful development.
He held his first naumachia in 46 BC. Julius Caesar. Then, on the Campus Martius of Rome, a huge artificial lake was dug for a naval battle. 16 galleys with 4 thousand oarsmen and 2 thousand gladiator soldiers took part in this performance. It seemed that it was no longer possible to organize a larger-scale spectacle, but in 2 BC. The first Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, after a year of preparation, presented the Romans with a naumachia with the participation of 24 ships and 3 thousand soldiers, not counting the oarsmen who played out the battle between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis. Only Emperor Claudius managed to break this record. Lake Fucinskoe, located 80 kilometers from Rome, was chosen to carry out the naumachia he had planned. No other nearby body of water simply could accommodate 50 real combat triremes and biremes, the crews of which included 20 thousand criminals sentenced to the arena. To do this, Claudius emptied all the city prisons, putting everyone who could bear arms on ships.
And in order to discourage so many criminals gathered in one place from organizing a rebellion, the lake was surrounded by troops. The naval battle took place in that part of the lake where the hills formed a natural amphitheater. There was no shortage of spectators: about 500 thousand people - almost the entire adult population of Rome - were located on the slopes.
The ships, divided into two fleets, depicted the confrontation between the Rhodians and the Sicilians. The battle, which began around 10 am, ended only at four o’clock in the afternoon, when the last “Sicilian” ship surrendered. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote: “The fighting spirit of the fighting criminals was not inferior to the fighting spirit of real warriors.” The waters of the lake were red with blood, not to mention the wounded, only more than 3 thousand people were killed. After the battle, Claudius pardoned all survivors, with the exception of several crews who, in his opinion, avoided the battle. The audience was absolutely delighted with what they saw. None of the subsequent emperors managed to “outplay” Claudius. It is no coincidence that his death was mourned by literally the entire city, because he, like no one else, perhaps with the exception of Nero, knew how to entertain the public. And even though during his reign Claudius showed himself to be far from a brilliant statesman, this did not prevent him from being perhaps the most revered emperor among the people.
It was gladiator fights held in circus arenas that were a daily and favorite spectacle of the Romans, who were well versed in the nuances of hand-to-hand combat.
The public closely followed the progress of the fight, noting the slightest changes in the actions of the fighting gladiators.
If one of them was seriously wounded during a fight, he could throw down his weapon and raise his hand up - with this gesture he asked the audience for mercy. If the audience liked the way he fought, people would give him a thumbs up or simply wave their handkerchiefs while shouting “Let go!” If you didn’t like it, the audience would throw their thumbs down, yelling “Finish it!” The verdict of the crowd was not disputed even by the emperor.
It happened that the fight dragged on, and both wounded gladiators could not defeat each other for a long time. Then the spectators could stop the fight themselves and demand that the editor - the organizer of the games - release both fighters from the arena. And the editor obeyed the “voice of the people.” The same thing happened if the gladiator pleased the public so much with his skill and courage that they demanded the immediate presentation of a wooden training sword as a symbol of complete liberation not only from fights in the arena, but also from slavery. Of course, this only concerned prisoners of war and slaves, but not volunteers.
The name of the gladiator Flamma has survived to this day, during whose career admiring spectators four times demanded that he be given a wooden sword, and he refused all four times! It is possible that Flamma showed such unprecedented stubbornness in the pursuit of fame and money. One way or another, he succeeded, he left the arena voluntarily, more or less unharmed, and in fairly mature age and being the owner of a decent fortune.
Gladiatorial fights were not alien to the most educated people of that time. Cicero, for example, assessed these games this way: “It is useful for people to see that slaves can fight courageously. If even a simple slave can show courage, then what should the Romans be like? In addition, games accustom warlike people to the form of killing and prepare them for war.” Pliny, Tacitus and many other prominent Roman writers and thinkers were ardent fans of circus shows. The only exception was, perhaps, the philosopher Seneca, who strongly advocated for their prohibition, which not least led to his forced suicide on the orders of his crowned pupil Nero.
Almost all Roman emperors sought to outdo each other in the grandeur of their games in order to win the love of the crowd. Emperor Titus, at the opening of the Colosseum, which accommodated up to 80 thousand spectators and immediately became the main arena of Ancient Rome, ordered to kill in different ways 17 thousand Jews who worked on its construction for ten years. And Emperor Commodus, who underwent training at a gladiator school, himself fought in the arena. All his fights, naturally, ended in victories. However, the Romans, who did not like “hackwork” in such an important matter, quickly forced him to end his career as a gladiator. Although Commodus still managed to enter the chronicle of games - he once killed five very expensive hippopotamuses with well-aimed shots from a bow. Emperor Domitian, being a virtuoso in archery, loved to amuse spectators by hitting the head of a lion or bear with arrows so that the arrows seemed to become horns for them. And he killed naturally horned animals - deer, bulls, bison, and so on - with a shot in the eye. It must be said that the Roman people loved this ruler very much.
There were also merry fellows among the Roman emperors. For example, there is a very funny story connected with the name Gallienus. One jeweler, who sold false precious stones and was sentenced to the arena for this, was driven out by the bestiaries into the middle of the circus and placed in front of a closed lion cage. The unfortunate man waited with bated breath for an inevitable and, moreover, terrible death, and then the cage door swung open and out came... a chicken. The jeweler, unable to withstand the stress, fainted. When the audience had laughed enough, Gallienus ordered the announcement: “This man deceived, therefore he was deceived.” Then the jeweler was brought to his senses and released on all four sides.
By the beginning of the 4th century, gladiatorial fights and animal persecution began to gradually decline. This was the time when the once Great Roman Empire began to literally languish under the blows of numerous “barbarian” tribes. The situation was aggravated by the ongoing economic crisis - the Romans themselves practically did not work, and imported goods were constantly becoming more expensive. Therefore, the Roman emperors of that period had enough worries besides arranging expensive games. And, nevertheless, they continued, although without the same scope. Gladiator fights were finally banned 72 years before the fall of the Roman Empire.
The end to the bloody orgies in the arena was put by the Christian Church, which became a serious spiritual and political force in the late Roman Empire. Having endured terrible persecution in the first 300 years and having lost tens of thousands of the first followers of Christ, all tortured in the same arena, the church in 365 achieved a universal ban on animal baiting in circuses. In 404, the monk Telemachus, intervening in a gladiator battle, managed to stop it at the cost of his own life. This event was the last straw that broke the patience of the Christian Emperor Honorius, who imposed an official ban on the fighting.
For historians to this day, the fate of female gladiators remains an unread book. There is no doubt that the cruel morals of that time could have allowed such a thing. in 2000, all the newspapers in the world proclaimed a sensation: “the remains of a female gladiator have been found!” This truly shocking discovery was made by British scientists conducting excavations during the Roman period. if earlier, the only thing that proved the fact that women not only could participate in battles, but participated in them, were only the hypotheses of scientists. Having studied the pelvic bones and spine, scientists were able to establish with great certainty that the found remains belonged to a woman. After conducting a complex analysis to determine the age, scientists stated the fact that the rates date back to the Roman period.
The woman died from numerous injuries, and it is possible to assume that she participated in a fight with an animal. the Romans professed paganism, and therefore the nature of the Roman religion did not forbid women to “act” i.e. transform through theatrical play. For the first time, a woman was seen as an actor on stage with Neuron. the neuron admired the beauty of the female body and attracted women not only to perform songs and theatrical acts on stage, but also to real fights. Gradually, the woman migrated from the theater to the amphitheater. The first gladiator fights in history to honor the death of a woman were held after the death of Caesar's beloved daughter Julia. there is also information that these games were accompanied by women's ritual dances, during which women imitated combat. Of course, no one will definitely name the names of female gladiators yet, there are several reasons for this. firstly, upon entering school they probably received male names, under which they were buried, and secondly, even reading Roman historians, it becomes clear that women’s fights were more mysterious and sacred... and as we know, secrets are not usually disclosed.
The performance of female gladiators, mentioned by Suetonius in the biography of Emperor Domitian (81-96), was already considered something new at that time. The circus hosted bloody battles of female gladiators, in which even women from respectable families participated, which was considered especially shameful. In the 9th year of Nero's reign, these battles took on incredible proportions. It would be completely wrong to think that representatives of the gentle sex only in the advanced and emancipated twentieth century so persistently sought to appropriate everything that was primordially masculine - behavior, participation in public life, clothes, professions, hobbies. Such is the nature of a woman that she always wants what, in theory, should not belong to her. so the ancient Greek women already made a lot of efforts (even to the point of risking losing their lives) to get into places forbidden for women olympic games, and the ancient Romans adored men's baths and men's wild lifestyle. Moreover, female gladiators sometimes won victories over representatives of the stronger sex.
The world was changing, and people's value orientations were changing along with it. When Constantine was the Roman emperor, Christianity grew stronger and stronger. gradually the church became a strong feudal lord, it owned the land and, as a result, seriously influenced state policy.
Constantine himself, the great, adopted Christianity first among the Roman emperors, although he did so a few minutes before his death. Soon Christianity was accepted as a religion equal to Roman paganism, and then completely supplanted the Romans’ pagan ideas about gods and imposed monotheism. At the meeting of the first church council, it was decided to fight the bloody pagan games. Those condemned by the highest court were no longer condemned to death and thrown into the arena with ravenous bloodthirsty beasts, but instead were charged with forced hard labor.
However, even after the adoption of this edict on the Apennine peninsula, the priests, with the consent of the emperor, still continued to organize gladiator fights. The priests, whose bread was the service of the bloody cult, did not want to part with their familiar and understandable rituals, and with their light hand, gladiatorial battles were almost revived. However, in 357, Emperor Constantine II prohibited young men liable for military service from joining gladiator schools, and in 399 the last of them closed. but it was not so easy to give up the habit of seeing death, which has been living in society for a long time. Five years later, a new imperial decree was needed to decisively and irrevocably prohibit the organization of both schools and gladiatorial battles. the reason for this was tragic death Christian novice in 404, a certain Telemachus. the monk ran into the arena and tried to calm the fighters, but instead he was torn apart by the angry crowd. After this, Emperor Ganorius banned gladiatorial practice. forever.
"Telemachus stops the gladiators." Painting by J. Stallert, 1890 And next time I’ll tell you about the uprising of Spartacus.
sources
http://www.mystic-chel.ru/
http://www.istorya.ru/
http://www.gramotey.com/
And I’ll remind you of this controversial topic: And let’s also remember The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -
Stories of gladiatorial combat have captivated people for thousands of years. These warriors with swords and shields were forced to fight for their lives; their images tirelessly inspire the creators of books, paintings, films and television shows. However, as fights became more popular, the crowds craved more spectacle. From now on, the sword and shield were not enough. Below are ten types of gladiators who used a wide variety of weapons in battle.
1. Bestiaries
Unlike other gladiators, bestiaries fought for their lives against animals, and not against their own kind. Especially for these battles, Roman emperors and senators brought exotic and strong animals (for example, lions, tigers, elephants and bears) from Africa and Asia. They served as a symbol of wealth, and also took part in the spectacles that were staged for the crowds in the Colosseum and amphitheaters. Some animal species (elephants, for example) were intended to shock and entertain audiences who had never seen them before. Other animals had to hunt people, and also acted as prey themselves.
There were two types of bestiaries: “damnatio ad bestias” (literally from Latin “devotion to the beasts”; given over to be torn to pieces by wild animals) and “venatio” (“hunters”). The first type included those who were sentenced to death. They were not considered gladiators and were generally members of the lower class in Ancient Rome. Their deaths were entertainment for the crowd. Sometimes one wild animal could kill several hundred people at a time.
The "hunters" trained and hunted animals. It was an integral part of their performances. We know very little about the "venatio", since historians and chroniclers did not like to describe them. Unlike other gladiators, "hunters" were despised in ancient Rome. The most famous "venatio" was Karpophorus, who, according to history, killed over twenty animals in the arena of the Circus Maximus with his bare hands. Karpophorus also trained animals to kill, hunt, and even rape humans.
Some emperors also demonstrated their skill in killing animals, but instead of recognition, they received only the contempt of the crowd. Nero fought the animals in the arena, while Commodus "heroically" killed injured and inactive animals from the safety of an elevated platform. The latter caused extreme disapproval of the Senate.
2. Noxia
The Noxii were members of the lowest class in Roman society. They weren't even considered people. These included Christians, Jews, deserters, murderers and traitors. Noxii were not accepted into the gladiator school, and their appearance in the arenas, where they died in the most terrible ways, was, in a way, a punishment for the crimes they had committed. Noxia could be killed in several ways: first, they were torn apart by wild animals; second, they were tortured to death by gladiators who were blindfolded and received instructions from the crowd; third, they acted as targets for real gladiators to hunt. Noxii typically wore a loincloth and had no armor. Their weapons were a simple gladius (short sword) or a stick. The Romans took pleasure in killing the Noxii. This served as a reminder that everyone should know their place in the social hierarchy.
3. Retiarii
Which is better: speed or strength? Death by a thousand cuts or one blow? In ancient Roman times, the answer was clear: the more strength and armor, the better. That is why retiarii were initially treated as a lower type of gladiator. They had very little armor, so they had to fight using agility, speed and cunning, as well as a net, a trident and - in extreme cases - a small blade. Retiarii trained separately from gladiators, who carried swords and shields. They were considered effeminate and were often ridiculed. The satirist and poet Decimus Junius Juvenal told the story of a minor aristocrat, Gracchus, who not only incurred widespread disfavor by becoming a gladiator, but also disgraced society by fighting as a retiarius. However, after a few centuries, the retiarii gained favor and became one of the main ones in the arena.
4. Secutors
The gladiators, who belonged to the type of secutors, had to pursue and defeat the retiarii. Secutor had powerful armor: a huge shield, a sword and a round helmet that covered his entire face and had two tiny holes for his eyes. A typical fight between a secutor and a retiarius began with the latter retreating to a safe distance or - in some cases - climbing onto an elevated platform above the water, where a previously prepared supply of stones lay. The secutor (lat. secutor - pursuer) pursued the retiarius and tried not to fall into his net or under a hail of stones. He was also afraid of the retiarius' trident, which was used to keep the secutor from getting too close. Secutor was well armed, but he quickly tired under the weight of his armor.
Emperor Commodus fought as a secutor during the games; he had excellent armor and weapons, which guaranteed him victory. Another famous secutor was called Flammus, he was from Syria and fought in the arena in clothes typical of the inhabitants of the territory of Gaul. He took part in 34 fights and won 21 of them. Surprisingly, he was offered freedom four times, but he refused each time.
5. Equities
The Aequites were similar to Roman cavalry, but should not be confused with them. The Roman cavalry was mainly represented by minor aristocrats who held good positions in the Senate and could even become emperors. In turn, the equites were renowned organizers of public spectacles. Performances at the Colosseum typically began with battles of equites to enliven the crowd with the agility and speed displayed by these gladiators. Sitting on horseback, they attacked each other with spears, and then jumped to the ground and fought with swords. They wore light armor, which contributed to greater agility and athleticism.
6. Provocateurs
As we now know, in ancient Rome different types of gladiators could fight each other in the arena. Provocateurs, however, only engaged in battle with provocateurs. The reason was that they did not choose an opponent - they themselves challenged him to a fight. They fought to settle feuds between rival gladiatorial schools, or to improve their status by defeating a prominent rival. Each provocateur was armed like a Roman legionary: he had a rectangular shield, breastplate and helmet.
7. Female gladiators
Female gladiators typically wore very little armor and were almost always bare-chested. Most of the time, they didn't even wear a helmet to let everyone know it was a woman fighting in the arena. Fights between female gladiators, who, by the way, were armed with a short sword and shield, were rare and were perceived as an innovation. Women could fight not only among themselves, but also with dwarfs to cause indignation and shock among the crowd. In some cases, women who had a high status in society could take part in gladiatorial fights. Their appearance in the arena was accompanied by loud scandals. Ultimately, female gladiator matches were banned in 200 AD.
8. Gall/Murmillo
The Gauls were among the first gladiators who descended from the Gallic tribe that lived in Central and Western Europe. Most of them were prisoners who were forced into the arena to fight. The Gauls were well armed and looked like typical gladiators: they had a long sword, shield and helmet, but wore traditional Gallic clothing. The Gauls were less agile than other gladiators, so they relied on their strength to attack their opponents. They often fought with prisoners from enemy tribes.
After the Gauls made peace and became part of the Roman Empire, they began to be classified as another type of gladiator, who were called murmillos. Murmillons still used a heavy sword and shield, but dressed like Roman soldiers and fought with other Murmillons, gladiators from enemy regions, and retiarii.
One of the most famous Murmillons was named Marcus Attilius, who, during his first fight, defeated the gladiator from Nero's personal army, Hilarus, and Lucius Felix. Both had more than a dozen victories to their credit.
9. Samnites
The Samnites are also among the first gladiators, and they have much in common with the Gauls. They were also prisoners of war, but their homeland was considered the region of Samnium (southern Italy). After the Romans defeated the Samnites, they forced them to participate in mocking ceremonial battles, which later turned into gladiatorial competitions. The Samnites wore traditional military clothing and fought with a sword and a rectangular shield. Their opponents, as a rule, were captured soldiers from tribes hostile to Rome.
When Samnium became a province of the Roman Empire, the Samnites ceased to be classified as a separate category. They joined the Hoplomachus or Murmillons, who wore similar clothing and had similar weapons.
10. Thracians
The most popular and well-known gladiator is Spartacus. He was a prisoner of war from a Thracian tribe living in South-Eastern Europe. He rebelled against his enslavers, who forced him to fight in the gladiatorial arena. Ultimately, Spartacus was defeated, but his legend lives on to this day.
The Thracians, who had a round shield, a curved blade and a wide helmet with a griffin emblem, were perhaps the most popular of the early gladiators. They often fought with the Gauls and Samnites.
Just like today we root for different sports teams, emperors and senators had their favorites among the gladiators. Caligula in particular supported the Thracians and even killed the gladiator who defeated his favorite Thracian warrior. Another emperor, Domitian, had such contempt for the Thracians that he once threw one of the spectators to be torn to pieces by dogs. What did this poor guy do? He suggested that a Thracian would most likely win a gladiatorial fight.
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. A large helmet decorated with horns or feathers was worn on the head.
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 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 legniarius easily broke the spine of a huge beast or his opponent.
They armed themselves 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 sagittarians 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 had taken 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.
A popular theory about the origins of gladiatorial combat is that it came from Etruria. But historical documents, for example, frescoes, prove the opposite. Gladiator fight originally had a sacred ritual meaning, and originated in Campania. The custom is interpreted in different ways. Some historians believe that a ritual of killing an enemy was carried out over the coffin of a noble warrior in order to appease the gods. As a result of the dying out of the tradition, the ritual turned into fights between two captured rivals. The sword was called gladius, which is where the name of the participants in the battle subsequently came from.
A type of gladiator
Gladiators were divided into several types, each of which originally corresponded to one people that was hostile to Rome. The largest amount of information about retiarii. The retiarius was armed with a net tied to his wrist and a massive trident called a fuscina. In addition, the retiarius usually carried a dagger.
Another type of gladiator - the myrmillo - is almost the exact opposite of the retiarius. Armed with a heavy scutum shield and a gladius, the myrmillon was a formidable opponent. The Mirmillon's weapon, the gladius sword, was usually tied to the hand so as not to be dropped during battle. A warrior with a medium shield of monstrous weight, hoplomachus was armed with a short dagger. The shield acted not only as protection, but could also be used for attack, so the need for large quantities weapons were no longer needed.
The next type of gladiator is the provocateur. His weapon was a sword with a straight blade, like a legionnaire's. Most often, gladiators of this type fought against each other, and in exceptional cases their opponent was a fighter of a different type.
The armament of the equites is interesting. Equitus is a lightly armed horseman. From the beginning of the battle, their weapons were spears with a tip in the form of a leaf. If an equitus was knocked out of the saddle or his spear broke, the battle continued with the help of a short sword.
Less known are such types of gladiators as the andabat (a warrior in a blank helmet without slits for the eyes), velite, sagittarius and samnite. A few historical sources report that the sagittarius fought with a powerful bow consisting of several parts. Lakverariy was similar to retiariy, with the difference that instead of a net he had a lasso and a short spear.
Type of weapon
Despite the fairly diverse weapons of gladiators, the gladius sword remained the most famous. Its blade reached a length of 70 cm and a width of about 5 cm. The cutting and piercing effect of the blade was due to a longitudinal stiffening rib and a pronounced tip. After the beginning of the reign of Augustus, this type of sword was forgotten. It was replaced by the Mainz gladius, which was actively used until the middle of the 1st century AD. The massive sword weighed approximately 1.5 kg, and its length reached 70-75 cm. A later weapon was the Pompeian-style gladius. Lightweight with a length of 45 cm and edges located at 45 degrees.
Gladiator daggers had the form of a blade with a wide diamond-shaped blade. The handle was made of bone. The length of the dagger often reached 30 cm. Less information is available about thin daggers with a curved blade. Long and thin, they had a uniform bend along their entire length.
Just as common as the gladius was the gladiator's spear. The length of the weapon reached 2.3 m. Most often, the equites and venators (warriors who fought wild animals) used spears. Despite many finds of three-bladed spears, historians suggest that the top of the gladiator spear had a rounded leaf or lancet shape. The three-bladed tip was most likely part of a broken retiarius trident.
Speaking about the weapons of gladiators, one cannot ignore training swords, which are of great importance and symbols of victory - rudis. Rudis was a symbol of victory and the only chance to save life. The bravest and strongest gladiators who earned the recognition of the crowd could be released by receiving a wooden sword. The liberated warriors were called rudiarii.
Despite numerous excavations, only the most common types of gladiator weapons have reached us.
