Sometimes these graffiti even form a sequence. One instance records the spectacular start to the career of a certain Marcus Attilius evidently, from his name, a free-born volunteer. As a mere rookie tiro he defeated an old hand, Hilarus, from the troupe owned by the emperor Nero, even though Hilarus had won the special distinction of a wreath no fewer than 13 times. Attilius then capped this stunning initial engagement for which he himself won a wreath by going on to defeat a fellow-volunteer, Lucius Raecius Felix, who had 12 wreaths to his name.
Both Hilarus and Raecius must have fought admirably against Attilius, since each of them was granted a reprieve missio. It was the prerogative of the sponsor, acting upon the wishes of the spectators, to decide whether to reprieve the defeated gladiator or consign him to the victor to be polished off.
Mosaics from around the Roman empire depict the critical moment when the victor is standing over his floored opponent, poised to inflict the fatal blow, his hand stayed at least temporarily by the umpire. The figure of the umpire is frequently depicted in the background of an engagement, sometimes accompanied by an assistant.
The minutiae of the rules governing gladiatorial combat are lost to modern historians, but the presence of these arbiters suggests that the regulations were complex, and their enforcement potentially contentious. Gladiators were individually armed in various combinations, each combination imposing its own fighting-style. Gladiators who were paired against an opponent in the same style were relatively uncommon.
One such type was that of the equites , literally 'horsemen', so called because they entered the arena on horseback, although for the crucial stage of the combat they dismounted to fight on foot. Some of the most popular pairings pitted contrasting advantages and disadvantages against one another. Combat between the murmillo 'fish-fighter', so called from the logo on his helmet and the thraex or hoplomachus was a standard favourite. The murmillo had a large, oblong shield that covered his body from shoulder to calf; it afforded stout protection, but was very unwieldy.
The thraex , on the other hand, carried a small square shield that covered only his torso, and the hoplomachus carried an even smaller round one. Instead of calf-length greaves, both these types wore leg-protectors that came well above the knee. So the murmillo and his opponent were comparably protected, but the size and weight of their shields would have called for different fighting techniques, contributing to the interest and suspense of the engagement.
The most vulnerable of all gladiators was the net-fighter retiarius , who had only a shoulder-guard galerus on his left arm to protect him. Being relatively unencumbered, however, he could move nimbly to inflict a blow from his trident at relatively long range, cast his net over his opponent, and then close in with his short dagger for the face-off. He customarily fought the heavily-armed secutor who, although virtually impregnable, lumbered under the weight of his armour. As the retiarius advanced, leading with his left shoulder and wielding the trident in his right hand, his shoulder-guard prevented his opponent from striking the vulnerable area of his neck and face.
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Search Box in Top Menu. Show me tours nearby. Rome Tours by Gray Line. Gladiators were fighters that date back to the 4 th century BC.
Some Gladiators were slaves. Being a Gladiator was a tough existence. The Colosseum Rome home of viscous Gladiator battles. Gladiators were highly trained warriors. They may have been slaves or criminals but Gladiators were expensive! They were usually men, but some Gladiators were women. Together with the sound of flutes and horns and a water organ, there were shouts of encouragement from the lanista , often enforced by whips or hot iron rods.
When a man went down, cries of Habet, Hoc habet! He's had it! Let him go! Kill him! If able, the wounded gladiator would lay down his shield and raise his index finger, usually of the left hand, to plea for mercy, either from his opponent or from the judge, who, wielding a long staff, then had to ensure there were no further blows. The crowd signified their approval by turning their thumbs pollice verso.
As patron of the games and the most conspicuous member there, it was the emperor who made the final decision, although it often was politic to heed the crowd.
Indeed, he was expected to attend the amphitheater, where, in collective anonymity, the crowd could demonstrate its wishes.
Martial writes in De Spectaculis XXIX , that, when spectators pleaded for the lives of both men who had fought well, "Caesar himself obeyed his own law: that law was, when the prize was set up, to fight until the finger was raised ad digitum ," i. It was this enactment of power and munificence before the citizens of Rome that served to legitimate and dramatize his imperial position.
If the emperor was not in attendance, the producer editor of the games decided the fate of the victim. Even if defeated, a gladiator might be granted a reprieve missus if he fought well or, if neither fighter prevailed, both could be reprieved stans missus. But a gladiator also could be forced to fight again the same day, although that was considered bad form, and there were contests in which no reprieve was granted the loser sine missione.
Victors were awarded crowns or a palm branch and the prize money stipulated in their contracts, as well as any money awarded by the crowd, which was collected on a silver tray.
The fallen were taken away through the Porta Libitinensis to the spoliarium , where they were stripped of their armor and weapons, which were returned to the gladiatorial troupe. Victors exited through another gate, the Porta Triumphalis, and those who had been defeated but spared departed through the Porta Sanavivaria. If a gladiator repeatedly survived the arena and lived long enough to retire, a symbolic wooden sword rudis was awarded as a token of discharge from service.
The gladiator held a morbid fascination for the ancient Romans. Their blood was considered a remedy against impotence, and the bride whose hair had been parted by the spear of a defeated gladiator was thought to enjoy a fertile married life.
Although their lives were brutal and short, gladiators often were admired for their bravery, endurance, and willingness to die. In forfeiting their lives in the arena, the gladiator was thought to honor the audience, and glory was what it could offer in return.
They remained outcasts of society and were regarded no differently than criminals or members of other shameful professions cf. Tacitus, Annals , I. And yet, as Tertullian exclaims, "Next taunts or mutual abuse without any warrant of hate, and applause, unsupported by affection The perversity of it!
They love whom they lower; they despise whom they approve; the art they glorify, the artist they disgrace" De Spectaculus , XXII. The blood lust of the spectators, populus and emperors alike, the brutality of the combat, and the callous deaths of men and animals still disturb modern sensibilities.
Certainly, Rome was cruel. Defeated enemies and criminals forfeited any right to a place within society, although they still might be saved servare from the death they deserved and be made slaves servi. Because the life of the slave was forfeit, there was no question but that it could be claimed at any time. The paterfamilias of the family had absolute control over the lives of his slaves and little less over those of his wife and children. In the army, decimation was the consequence of cowardice.
Beyond the city walls and the pomerium a religious demarcation of the city's boundary , nature threatened. The gladiatorial shows were part of this culture of war, discipline, and death. The public execution of those who did not submit to Rome, betrayed their country, or were convicted of heinous crimes vividly demonstrated the consequences of those actions. In a society that was deeply stratified including seating in the Colosseum , the usurpation of undeserved rights could be rectified only by public degradation and death.
Having rejected civilized society, the criminal no longer could claim its protection from the forces of nature and so is given up to them: to the wild beast ad bestias or to consuming fire ad flammas. Referees oversaw the action, and probably stopped the fight as soon as one of the participants was seriously wounded. A match could even end in a stalemate if the crowd became bored by a long and drawn out battle, and in rare cases, both warriors were allowed to leave the arena with honor if they had put on an exciting show for the crowd.
Since gladiators were expensive to house, feed and train, their promoters were loath to see them needlessly killed. Trainers may have taught their fighters to wound, not kill, and the combatants may have taken it upon themselves to avoid seriously hurting their brothers-in-arms.
Nevertheless, the life of a gladiator was usually brutal and short. Most only lived to their mids, and historians have estimated that somewhere between one in five or one in 10 bouts left one of its participants dead.
If a gladiator was seriously wounded or threw down his weapon in defeat, his fate was left in the hands of the spectators. In contests held at the Colosseum, the emperor had the final say in whether the felled warrior lived or died, but rulers and fight organizers often let the people make the decision. Some historians think the sign for death may have actually been the thumbs up, while a closed fist with two fingers extended, a thumbs down, or even a waved handkerchief might have signaled mercy.
By the time the Colosseum opened in 80 A. Fighters were placed in classes based on their record, skill level and experience, and most specialized in a particular fighting style and set of weaponry. These warriors tried to ensnare their opponents with their net before moving in for the kill, but if they failed, they were left almost entirely defenseless.
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