Classes of Gladiator

We often see pictures of Gladiators called Retiarii – net wielders – armed with a trident called a “Fuscina” and a net. They wore little by way of armour which was little more than a short coat of leather and a hat tied under the chin.

This page of “Classes of Gladiator” continues from “Types of Gladiator“.

We often see pictures of Gladiators called Retiarii – net wielders – armed with a trident called a “Fuscina” and a net. They wore little by way of armour which was little more than a short coat of leather and a hat tied under the chin. These characters were often pitched against the “Secutor” – the pursuer otherwise known as Myrmillon – “the fisherman” because of the fish on his helmet. The name Secutor derived from the fact that if the Retiarii didn’t manage to immobilise the Secutor with a cast of their net they had little option but to run for their lives until they could gather the net for a fresh throw. The Secutor was armed with a scimitar called “Falx Supina” and wore a helmet with a symbolic image of a fish on it.

The concept of fish and nets was not new given that similar symbolism was used in the early days of Rome for funerary ceremonies with the fish symbolising the souls of the living.

The Gauls had a wide bladed sword, the Britons a small horse-drawn chariot called Essedum which might have caused them to be called “Essedari” Gladiators. The Andabatae rode on horses.

The Thracians had a curved sword called the “Sica” and small round shield called a “Parma“. In fact the Thracians were amongst the most “loved” given their nation’s fame for fierceness.