WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT OF THE GLADIATORS

         If we try to imagine the weapons and equipment of the gladiators, only our film experiences pop into mind. Which has of course little to do with reality. Films handle this issue quite generously. Only the classic pair can be seen: a man with net fights with another who has a small shield. Well, fact is that gladiators with net or shield did exist, but they did not exactly look like as the directors had imagined them. The picture we see is a bit conventional but expresses the atmosphere of the combat well. However, film producers could have let their imagination fly because the reality is far more variegated, vivid and exciting.

         Because of limited sources we cannot paint an exact picture of the types of fighters who appeared in the amphitheater, sometimes the description even of the known branches of weapons is meager and scanty. In some cases only the name of the branch and nothing more survived or only the picture remained without the name belonging to it. However, the most important branches of weapons can be reconstructed from the mosaics, relieves and statues. In the case of the other branches imagination can fill in the gaps on the strength of some general regularities (well, not all of the gaps…).

         Before we could get acquainted with the 16 known branches of weapons I would like to tell a few words about the equipment and clothing. The clothes of the gladiators were the simplest possible. Usually they wore a loin cloth or a tunic. In some cases clothes could not be mentioned even with the greatest benevolence. Almost every weapon of the ancient times had appeared in the arena (swords and shields of various shapes and sizes). Armors protected the fighters only from light injuries that could result in giving up the fight nonetheless. Armor and helmet protected the arms, legs and head. Thus there was no fear that the fight will end untimely and spectators could enjoy the exciting and spectacular fights.

 According to one of the basic rules of the arena the chances of the branches of weapons fighting against each other had to be made equal. So if a warrior barely had any armor, then his weapons were surely more dangerous than those of his opponent who was protected more by his mail. The bigger the armor and heavier the shield is the slower is their wielder, and less armor made the gladiator quicker (which in terms of protection has the same effects as if he would wear more mail). The chance of victory was thus the same in every combat.
 According to another rule gladiators belonging to the same branches of weapons were not allowed to fight against each other, although there were some exceptions. This rule was to ensure vivid fights spectators would enjoy.

 The armor generally consisted of brassard (manica), greaves (ocrea), a thick leather belt (balteus) and a helmet. The brassard protected the right or the left arm of the fighter depending on the branch of weapons but a two-arm variety also existed. The greaves reached to the middle of the thigh or did not cover even the knees. This latter was worn only by gladiators belonging to the branch with large shield, but only on their left leg. Most of the helmets were ornamented (tufts made of horsehair, possibly feathers), closed and had a brim. Rounded helmets without any ornaments were worn only by the branch of weapons fighting against gladiators with net, because the net could have been caught on the ornaments easily. We can say about the helmets and armors the same we said about the branches: almost every type of them appeared in the arena, although less often than the types mentioned above.

(Text: ULTOR the secutor – 1997, translation: Bestiola – 1999)