Gladiators

JCL Certamen

myrmillones

fought with helmet, oblong shield, sword, fish crest on helmet

usually fought the retiarius or Thracians

retiarii

lightly clad, armed with a net and trident

usually fought Myrmillones or Secutores

samnites

oblong shield, visored helmet, sword

thracians

small round shield, curved scimitar

bestiarii

hunters -- fought wild beasts

essedarii

rode chariots with 2 horses (bigas)

andabatae

heavily armed, but couldn’t see out of visored helmet

laquearii

armed with lasso and a curved piece of wood

secutores

“pursuers” - like Samnite but without neck protector

hoplomachi

full-armed with a breast-plate and visored helmet

rudis

wooden sword given to gladiators on their retirement

lanista

gladiator trainer

editor munerum

giver of games

arena/harena

sand put down to absorb the blood from a gladiator match

venationes

hunts where bestiarii fought wild beasts

premere pollicem

to press the thumb against the forefinger - crowd wants to spare gladiator’s life

vertere pollicem

turning the thumb upwards or towards the chest - to signify the death stroke

gladiator fights were brought to Rome in…

264 BC

gladiator fights were originally only at…

funerals

naumachiae

mock naval battles - arenas were flooded