Roman Gladiators Classification

[matmohair1]

just a simple & helpful guide to identifying basic gladiator classes
Note that early gladiators (republic to early imperial periods) wore similar armor to
ordinary soldiers. As gladiator classes later became more specialized, so did their equipment
while the vanators stopped wearing armor altogether. Most of the information below is up to date
& a lot of the confusion between samnite, gallus and myrmillo classes has been resolved.
Hope this is helpful...enjoy!

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Eques

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Essedarius

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Venator

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Samnis

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Retiarius

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Laquearius

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Andabatae

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Crupellarius ?

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Myrmillo / Gallus

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Thraex

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Hoplomachus

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Provocator

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Secutor

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Arbelas / Scissor

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Dimachaerus

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Gladiatrix

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Sagittarius

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Velite

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Paegniarius

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[NikeBG]

Awesome, very interesting!

 

[Gambino]

that's enough research for a gladiator mod 
thanks , nice thread 

 

[FrisianDude]

Nice collection. I rather like how the myrmillo, thraex, provocator and secutor are practically the same in terms of equipment.

 

[Orchid]

Thanks for yet another great post, Mat. I'd never seen anything like the arbelas before, though.

 

[NikeBG]

Nice collection. I rather like how the myrmillo, thraex, provocator and secutor are practically the same in terms of equipment.

Well, the Thraex is using a sica and a small shield. Though, indeed, the other three seem to be very similar, with some minor differences.

 

[FrisianDude]

Aye, Thraex is slightly farther apart in term of knifey, but their helmet looks more like the myrmillo one.

 

[Austupaio]

I've always thought that the Andabatae fights sounded neat.

 

[FrisianDude]

I just noticed, wtf with the manicae? Half the time they're represented as metal, half the time as rounds of padded cloth. Especially the Osprey images seem to depict them as cloth, but Wikipedia says they were  iron or bronze.

 

[Austupaio]

They can be made out of any of the above plus boiled leather. To say that they should be or were made out of one material would be incorrect.

 

[FrisianDude]

Yeah, but it seemed that one source-style consistently draws them metallic, and another only draws them padded. I hope that is sort of understandable.

 

[matmohair1]

I just noticed, wtf with the manicae? Half the time they're represented as metal, half the time as rounds of padded cloth. Especially the Osprey images seem to depict them as cloth, but Wikipedia says they were  iron or bronze.

Osprey illustrations actually do depict metal examples

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[FrisianDude]

Hah, damn. Oops.  I even have that Osprey here at home.

 

[Antonis]

I study Greek and Latin History at University and that topic is very,very interesting! Very educational and accurate presentation you've done there. Well done.

 

[matmohair1]

 

[Antonis]

Morituri te salutant!

 

[theelder]

This is what we should post more in the future 
very educating 

 

[Serak]

A part of these gladiator types represent Roman's enemies. Samnis from Samnites ( a tribe in İtaly. They were victim of early Roman Expansion), Thraeix from Trachians ( like Spartacus), Hoplomachus from Greece Hoplite warriors.

 

[MMontage]

Samnis from Samnites ( a tribe in İtaly. They were first victim of Roman Expansion)

Volsci, Aequi, Umbri, Etruscans and others would like to disagree.

 

[Serak]

Samnis from Samnites ( a tribe in İtaly. They were first victim of Roman Expansion)

Volsci, Aequi, Umbri, Etruscans and others would like to disagree.

Probably , I've changed my message.