Roman history: arena vocabulary

bestarius

A man - usually a convicted criminal - who fought against wild animals in the arena.

editor

The man who paid for and produced the games.

eques

A specialised gladiator that fought on horseback.

hoplomachus

A gladiator who dressed as a Greek soldier (hoplite).

lanista

The owner-trainer of a troop of gladiators.

lorarius

An attendant who whipped animals / combatants who did not want to fight (lorum = whip).

murmillo

A heavily-armed gladiator who wore a large helmet. His sword and shield were similar to those used by Roman soldiers.

retiarius

A gladiator who fought with a trident and a net. His equipment was styled on that of a fisherman.

rudis

A referee, named after the wooden staff (rudis) used to separate combatants.

venator

A trained performer who specialised in hunting and performing tricks alongside wild animals.