02-11-2007, 03:11 PM
Hello, this is my first post in this forum. I've been here reading your posts for a long time but only now did I registered.
I'm part of a portuguese group that does mainly medieval re-enactment, but we are starting to get into roman/gladiators.
What we do is mainly the fighting, we have a school where we train twice a week about 2 to 3 hours a day.
I have a few questions about gladiators that I hope you can help me with.
I am familiar with most types of gladiators and the equipment they wear.
So here it goes:
1-Did gladiators only used swords, daggers and spears(and trident) as weapons? Did they ever used axes or any other more uncommon weapon?
2-To my knowledge most gladiator types are from an ethnic background, except the retiarius, did he have a similiar background.
3-I'm a bit confused with the equipment of the Samnite, most sources(read internet sites) state that de samnite was later replaced by the hoplomahus or even the murmillo. Also they say his equipment was the same as the murmillo, but there is also references that the samnite people(not the gladiator) used an oblong shield. What equipment did he use? Pictures would be apreciated.
4-I'm Also trying to find a kind of a gladiatorial timeline. When did gladiator "X" started to appear? Is there any thing of the sort?.
This question is a bit related with the above, if the samnite was replaced with the murmillo would it be correct to pair him(the samnite) with a retiarius or a thracian?
5-This is a tough question to explain so bear with me. Can we say there are 4 different stages of "evolution"/states in the gladiator helmet?
I'm saying this because what i have read is that at first their equipment was mainly the equipment captured from war prisioners, so that would be stage 1. Stage 2 would be inclusion of cheek pieces on those helmets that hadnt any and the "romanizing" of the helmet. Stage 3 would be the inclusion of the face mask and finally stage 4 the helmets get bigger and more complex.
6-Since I'm from Portugal is there any evidence of gladiatorial games in the Iberian peninsula.
7-Since conquered enemies were sometimes portrayed in a gladiator type is there any type for iberians/lusitanii. And if there wasnt or at least no evidence of them, what do you think they would be like.
Those are my questions for now, but if I may leave a sugestion you should have in this section a post about each gladiator with a complete description of arms and armour, combat stance, pictures, opponents, etc. It would be very interesting.
Thank you in advance for your help.
I'm part of a portuguese group that does mainly medieval re-enactment, but we are starting to get into roman/gladiators.
What we do is mainly the fighting, we have a school where we train twice a week about 2 to 3 hours a day.
I have a few questions about gladiators that I hope you can help me with.
I am familiar with most types of gladiators and the equipment they wear.
So here it goes:
1-Did gladiators only used swords, daggers and spears(and trident) as weapons? Did they ever used axes or any other more uncommon weapon?
2-To my knowledge most gladiator types are from an ethnic background, except the retiarius, did he have a similiar background.
3-I'm a bit confused with the equipment of the Samnite, most sources(read internet sites) state that de samnite was later replaced by the hoplomahus or even the murmillo. Also they say his equipment was the same as the murmillo, but there is also references that the samnite people(not the gladiator) used an oblong shield. What equipment did he use? Pictures would be apreciated.
4-I'm Also trying to find a kind of a gladiatorial timeline. When did gladiator "X" started to appear? Is there any thing of the sort?.
This question is a bit related with the above, if the samnite was replaced with the murmillo would it be correct to pair him(the samnite) with a retiarius or a thracian?
5-This is a tough question to explain so bear with me. Can we say there are 4 different stages of "evolution"/states in the gladiator helmet?
I'm saying this because what i have read is that at first their equipment was mainly the equipment captured from war prisioners, so that would be stage 1. Stage 2 would be inclusion of cheek pieces on those helmets that hadnt any and the "romanizing" of the helmet. Stage 3 would be the inclusion of the face mask and finally stage 4 the helmets get bigger and more complex.
6-Since I'm from Portugal is there any evidence of gladiatorial games in the Iberian peninsula.
7-Since conquered enemies were sometimes portrayed in a gladiator type is there any type for iberians/lusitanii. And if there wasnt or at least no evidence of them, what do you think they would be like.
Those are my questions for now, but if I may leave a sugestion you should have in this section a post about each gladiator with a complete description of arms and armour, combat stance, pictures, opponents, etc. It would be very interesting.
Thank you in advance for your help.
