Ancient Rome and Gladiators Essay

Submitted By bnndrsn73
Words: 512
Pages: 3

Gladiators
Gladiators were war slaves during the Ancient Roman times. They were captured by the Romans and then put into the Coliseum to fight to the death in barbaric ways for entertainment. If they won they were considered heroes.

Gladiatrix
Gladiatrix were women gladiators who fought in the coliseum. Many were slaves of war like all the other gladiators. Women were put into the Coliseum because their fights were often more aggressive and emotional than men’s.

Crupellarius
These gladiators were the heaviest armored gladiators. They were robotic looking gladiators covered in head to toe with plate armor. They fought on their own against Roman legionaries inside the Coliseum.

Murmillo
Murmillo is the Greek word for fish. They are called Murmillo because their armor resembles fish. He wore a manica, an arm guard, and a sword. He carried a large rectangular wooden shield with a fish on it. The helmet had a broad brim with grillwork eye pieces.

Thraex
The Thraex are the oldest type of gladiator, most common, and they did not evolve into other types of gladiators. They carried a small, wooden shield covered in leather. The most recognizable feature is a brimmed, crested helmet with a very distinctive griffin’s head. Thraex’s primary weapon is a curved blade called a sica.

Provocator
The Provocator was often a soldier fighting the slaves in the Coliseum. He wore a small, crescent shaped breastplate. He wore an open visored helmet. He carries a sword and a rectangular shield covered with leather. He also had distinct feathers on his helmet.

Hoplomachus
The Hoplomachus is often confused with the Thraex. The term “Hoplomachus” is Greek for “armed fighter.” He had the same helmet as the Thraex with the griffin head and feathers. He had padded leg wrappings, a small, circular, bronze shield, and a small sword in the same hand as