{"id":129,"date":"2019-10-07T14:03:30","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T18:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/spectaclesintheromanworldsourcebook\/?post_type=chapter&p=129"},"modified":"2020-06-26T14:08:25","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T18:08:25","slug":"types-of-gladiators","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/spectaclesintheromanworldsourcebook\/chapter\/types-of-gladiators\/","title":{"raw":"Types of Gladiators","rendered":"Types of Gladiators"},"content":{"raw":"\"\"<\/a>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThere were a range of different gladiators, who were matched carefully in traditional pairings. Some were rarer than others, like the [pb_glossary id=\"81\"]essedarius[\/pb_glossary]<\/em>, a type of gladiator who fought from a war chariot. Others, like the [pb_glossary id=\"98\"]Thracians[\/pb_glossary], were far more common. Unfortunately we\u2019re not always that sure how some of the gladiators fought, because some like the [pb_glossary id=\"137\"]scissor[\/pb_glossary] were so rare. And the types of gladiators changed over the years; some early forms, like the [pb_glossary id=\"109\"]Samnites[\/pb_glossary], were dropped once the Roman people and the Samnites became allies.\r\n\r\nThe following inscription from near Rome and dating to 117 CE gives a record of different types of gladiators, organised into decuria, groups of ten men.\r\n
\r\n\r\nIn the consulship of the Emperor Caesar Lucius Aurelius [pb_glossary id=\"753\"]Commodus[\/pb_glossary] and Marcus Plautius Quintillus. The leaders of the collegium <\/em>of Silvanus Aurelianus, overseers Marcus Hilarus, freedman of Augustus and Coelius Magnus the cryptarius.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nDecuria I<\/strong>\r\n\r\nBorysthenes,[footnote]The single name indicates that the gladiator was a slave.[\/footnote] veteran Thracian\r\n\r\nClonius, veteran [pb_glossary id=\"102\"]hoplomachus[\/pb_glossary]<\/em>\r\n\r\nCallisthenes, veteran Thracian\r\n\r\nZosimus, veteran essedarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nPlution, veteran essedarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nPertinax, veteran contraretiarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nCarpophorus, veteran [pb_glossary id=\"94\"]murmillo[\/pb_glossary]<\/em>\r\n\r\nCrispinus, veteran murmillo<\/em>\r\n\r\nPardus, veteran provocator <\/em>\r\n\r\nMiletus, veteran murmillo<\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nDecuria II<\/strong>\r\n\r\nVitulus, veteran murmillo<\/em>\r\n\r\nDemosthenes, manicarius[footnote]A type of gladiator who tried to manacle his opponent.[\/footnote]<\/em>\r\n\r\nFelicianus, novice [pb_glossary id=\"139\"]retiarius[\/pb_glossary]<\/em>\r\n\r\nServandus, novice retiarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nIuvenes,\u00a0 murmillio <\/em>with one fight\r\n\r\nRipanus, novice contraretiarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nSilvanus, novice contraretiarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nEleuther, novice Thracian\r\n\r\nPirata, uncto<\/em>r[footnote]An unctor <\/em>was someone who oiled up or provided oil for the gladiators.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nDecuria III<\/strong>\r\n\r\nBarosus, novice contraretiarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nAemilianus, contraretiarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nUlpius Europoras\r\n\r\nProshodus, novice contraretiarius<\/em>\r\n\r\nAurelius Felicianus\r\n\r\nAurelius Felix\r\n\r\nZoilus, paganus<\/em>\r\n\r\nFlavius Mariscus\r\n\r\nFlavius Sanctus\r\n\r\nDiodrus paganus <\/em>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nDecuria IV<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAprilis, paganus\r\n\r\nZosimus Thracian with one fight\u2026\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCIL 6.331, 6.332\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nThis following inscription lists the members of a gladiatorial familia and was found in Venusia, a town in Southern Italy. Some of these gladiators, like the scissor, were incredibly rare.\r\n
\r\n\r\nOceanus, slave of Avilius, novice.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"138\"]Sagittarius[\/pb_glossary]<\/em>:<\/strong> Dorus, \u00a0slave of Pisius, 6 wins, 4 crowns\r\n\r\nVeles<\/em>:<\/strong> Mycter, slave of Ofilius, 2 wins\r\n\r\nHoplomachus<\/em>: Phaeder, slave of Avilius, novice.\r\n\r\nThracians: Donatus, slave of Nerius, 12 wins, 8 crowns; Hilario, Arrius\u2019 slave, 7 wins, 5 crowns; Aquilia, slave of Pisius, 12 wins, 6 crowns; Quartio, slave of Munilius, 1 win; Gaius Perpenius, novice\r\n\r\nMurmillones<\/em>: Amicus, slave of Munilius, 1 win; Quintus Fabius, 5 wins, 3 crowns; Eleuther, slave of Munilius, 1 win; Gaius Memmius, 3 wins, 2 crowns; Anteros, slave of Munilius, 2 wins; Atlans, slave of\u00a0 Donius, 4 wins, 1 crown;\r\n\r\nEssedarius<\/em>: Inclutus, Arrius\u2019 slave, 5 wins, 2 crowns\r\n\r\nSamnite<\/em>: Strabo, slave of Donius, 3 wins, 2 crowns\r\n\r\nRetiarius<\/em>: Gaius Clodius, 2 wins\r\n\r\nScissor<\/em>: Marius Caecilius, novice\r\n\r\nGallus<\/em>:[footnote]A type of gladiator based on Gallic soldiers. It did not survive the early imperial period, being replaced by the murmillo<\/em>.[\/footnote] Quintus Granius, novice\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCIL 9.466 = ILS 5083a\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_758\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"798\"]\"gladiator A Thracian (left) fights a murmillo (right) in a mosaic of the 3rd century CE from R\u00f6merhalle, Bad Kreuznach, Germany.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn his Dream Book, an ancient guide on how to interpret dreams, Artemidorus gives a little information of the fighting style of the Thracian.\r\n
I have often observed that this dream [of fighting gladiators] indicates that a man will marry a woman whose character matches the weapons that he dreams he is using or the type of opponent he is fighting\u2026For example, if a man fights a Thracian he will marry a rich, cunning wife, fond of being first. She will be rich because the Thracian\u2019s body is covered all over by his armour; cunning because his sword is curved, and fond of being first because the Thracian advances when he fights.\r\n\r\nArtemidorus, Dream Book <\/em>2.32<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nOther types of gladiators: [pb_glossary id=\"140\"]andabata<\/em>[\/pb_glossary] and [pb_glossary id=\"142\"]laquearius<\/em>[\/pb_glossary].\r\n
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Exercise<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n\r\nHow many different types of gladiators did an average gladiatorial school have?. What does that mean about how many an audience would have expected to see at a show?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
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Bibliography and Further Reading<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

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