Gladiators Flashcards
How well were Gladiators cared for and trained?
Gladiators were very expensive and were well looked after by their owners. They had access to the finest medicine care available.
What did archaeological discovery show about medical care and traits of gladiators?
Broken bones had been carefully reset, opium-based anaesthetics were used for operations and gladiators were normally only trained in one fighting style and usually fought someone who had similar experience.
What was the ‘Murmillo’ gladiator like?
The murmillo looked similar to the legionary and was originally called the Samnite (italian tribe which the Romans defeated). He was armed with a short sword, greave, large rectangular shield, padded arm protector and a helmet that may have a fish design on top because it literally translates to ‘man-fish’ or ‘fish-fighter’.
What was the ‘Thraex’ gladiator like?
Translates as the ‘thracian’ (modern Bulgaria). The thraex used a curved sword, greaves to the knees, a medium shield, and a helmet. The thraex was feared because his curved sword could inflict serious wounds despite his opponent being well-armed.
What was the ‘Retiarius’ gladiator like?
Literally translates as the fisherman. The retiarius was the most lightly defended fighter, and was armed with a trident, a net, a shoulder shield and a small dagger. He appealed to the crowds as the perfect underdog and was the most mobile of the gladiators as he wasn’t weighed down by armour.
What was the ‘Secutor’ gladiator like?
Looked similar to the Murmillo and was armed with a short sword, short greaves, a semi-circular shield, and an egg-shaped helmet that was very smooth so that the retiarius had nothing to catch his net upon.
What was the ‘Hoplomachus’ gladiator like?
Translates as heavily armed in Greek. He was armed with a long lance, a small shield, greaves to the knees, a short sword, and a large crested helmet.
Were there rules to the gladiator fighting?
Only two gladiators fought at once- not a whole crowd of them. There were strict rules to follow and the advantages of one gladiator is pitted against the disadvantages of another.
Who fought whom in the arena, what were the pairings?
Thraex and Retiarius, Murmillo and Retiarius and Secutor and Hoplomachus.
What is the ‘lanista’?
The man responsible for training the gladiators.
In the afternoon, when it was the gladiators turn, how did they provide entertainment?
Gladiators were universal heart throbs and many women were obsessed with them. The games were paid for by the sponsor- usually an aristocratic politician seeking popularity.
How often were gladiators killed?
Each fight would last about 10 minutes - perhaps once a day the audience would see a gladiator put to death. A defeated gladiator could raise his left hand up with an outstretched finger and his fate would be decided by the crowd.
Why weren’t more gladiators killed?
If a fighter was killed the sponsor had to pay for a replacement so a gladiator had a 90% chance of surviving a fight. The lanista might charge the sponsor up to a hundred times the cost of a gladiator who survived.
How could you save or end a gladiator’s life?
Those who urged mercy for the defeated gladiator called out “mitte”(‘release him’’) or “iugula” if the gladiator had fought badly. The final decision lay with the sponsor, who most often under the empire was the emperor himself.
