A-dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-antiquities-william-smith

GI.ADIATORF.S. GLADIATOHES. 575
(Dion Cass. Ixviii. 3 ; Suet. 7Y/. 9 ; Lipsius, cause they fought with two swords. (Artemiod. ii.
Excurs. ad Tac. Ann. iii. 37.) At first there mi 32 ; Orelli, Inscr. 2584.)
a kind of sham battle, called praelusio, in which Equites were those who fought on horseback.
they fought with wooden swords, or the like (Cic (Orelli, 2569. 2577.)
rfe Orat. ii. 78, 80 ; Ovid, Ars Amat. iii. 515 ; Esstdarii fought from chariots like the Gauls
Senec. Episl. 117), and afterwards at the sound of and Britons. [Esshda.] They are frequently men
the trumpet the real battle began. When a gladi tioned in inscriptions. (Orelli, 2566. 2584, &c.)
ator was wounded, the people called out habet or Fixates were those under the empire, who were
hoc haliet ; and the one who was vanquished low trained and supported from the fiscus. (Capitol.
ered his arms in token of submission. His fate, Gord. 33.)
however, depended upon the people, who pressed Hoplomachi appear to have been those who
down their thumbs if they wished him to be fought in a complete suit of armour. (Suet Col,
saved, but turned them up if they wished him to
be killed (Hor. Ep. i. 18. 66 ; Juv. iii. 36), and
ordered him to receive the sword (ferrum recipere),
which gladiators usually did with the
greatest firmness. (Cic. Tiuc. ii. 17, pro Sext.
37, pro Mil. 34.) If the life of a vanquished
gladiator was spared, he obtained his discharge for
that day, which was called missio (Mart. xii. 29.
7 ) ; and hence in an exhibition of gladiators sine
missione (Liv. xli. 20), the lives of the conquered
were never spared. This kind of exhibition,
however, was forbidden by Augustus. (Suet
Am,. 45.)
l'alnis were usually given to the victorious
gladiators (Suet. Col. 32) ; and hence, a gladiator,
who had frequently conquered, is called u pluriniarum
palmarum gladiator" (Cic. pro Hose. Atner.
6) ; money also was sometimes given. (Juv. viL
243 ; Suet (laud. 21.) Old gladiators, and some
times those who had only fought for a short time,
wi re discharged from the service by the editor at
the request of the people, who presented each of
them with a rudis or wooden sword ; whence
those who were discharged were called Rudiarii.
(Cic. Philip, ii. 29 ; Hor. Ep. i. 1, 2 ; Suet Tib.
7 ; Quint Lc) If a person was free before he
entered the ludus, he became on his discharge free
again ; and if he had been a slave, he returned to
the same condition again. A man, however, who
had been a gladiator was always considered to
have disgraced himself and consequently it ap
pears that he could not obtain the equestrian rank
if he afterwards acquired sufficient property to
entitle him to it (Quint /. c.) ; and a slave who
had been sent into a ludus and there manumitted
either by his then owner or another owner, merely
acquired the status of a peregrinus dediticius.
(Uaius, i. 13.) [Dediticii.]
Shows of gladiators were abolished by Constantine
(Cod. 11. tit 43), but appear notwithstanding
to have been generally exhibited till the time of
Honorius, by whom they were finally suppressed.
(Theodoret Hist. Eodes. v. 20.)
Gladiators were divided into different classes,
according to their arms and different mode of
fighting, or other circumstances. The names of
the most important of these classes is given in
alphabetical order :—
Andabatae (Cic. ad Fam. vii. 10), wore helmets
without any aperture for the eyes, so that they
were obliged to fight blindfold, and thus excited
the mirth of the spectators. Some modern writers
say that they fought on horseback, but this is
denied by Orelli. (Inscr. 2577.)
CatervarU was the name given to gladiators
when they did not fight in pairs, but when several
fought together. (Suet Aug. 45 ; gregatim dimicantet,
Col. 30.)
Dimaclicri appear to have been so called, be
3£ ; Martial, viii. 74 ; Orelli, 2566.) Lipsius con
siders them to have been the same with the Samnites,
and that this name was disused under the
emperors, and hoplomachi substituted for it
Ijaqueatores were those who used a noose to
catch their adversaries. (Isiod. xviii. 56.)
Meridiani were those who fought in the middle
of the day, after combats with wild beasts had
taken place in the morning. These gladiators were
very slightly armed. (Senec Epist. 7; Suet Claud.
34 j Orelli, 2587.)
Afirmillones are said to have been so called from
their having the image of a fish (iwormyr, poppvpos)
on their helmets. (Festus, s. v. Retiario.)
Their arms were like those of the Gauls, whence we
find that they were also called Galli. They were
usually matched with the retiarii or Thracians.
(Cic Phil. iii. 12, vii. 6 ; Juv. viii. 200 j Suet.
Col. 32 ; Orelli, 2566, 2580.)
Ordinarii was the name applied to all the regular
gladiators, who fought in pairs, in the ordinary
way. (Senec. Epist. 7 ; Suet Aug. 45, Cat. 26.)
Postulatidi were such as were demanded by
the people from the editor, in addition to those who
were exhibited. (Senec /. c.)
Provoeatores fought with the Samnitcs (Cic pro
Sext. 64), but we do not know any thing respect
ing them except their name. They are mentioned
in inscriptions. (Orelli, 2566.) The TpotoKOTup
mentioned by Artemiodoms (it 32) appears to be
the same as the provocator.
Retiarii carried only a three-pointed lance, called
tridens orfuscina [FusciN4],anda net (refe), which
they endeavoured to throw over their adversaries,
and then to attack them with the fuscina while they
were entangled. The rctiarius was dressed in a short
tunic, and wore nothing on his head. If he missed
his aim in throwing the net, he betook himself to
flight, and endeavoured to .prepare his net for a
second cast, while his adversary followed him round
the arena in order to kill him before he could make
a second attempt. His adversary was usunlly a
secutor or a mirraillo. (Juv. it 143, viii 203 ; Suet
CaL 30 ; Claud. 34 j Orelli, 2578.) In the follow
ing woodcut, taken from Winckelmann (Monum.