How many types of gladiators were there

There were over two dozen different types of gladiators , distinguished from each other by the weapons they used, the armor they wore, the fighting styles they employed, and the events at which they fought. Below you will find a list of the most recognizable ones:.

There were female gladiators, although they were a very small minority and according to writings from the times, they were apparently viewed as an oddity and a peculiar entertainment, more than as simply a regular type of gladiator. Gladiators belonged to the infame class, infamous , and as such their lives were forfeit and belonged to their masters.

Gladiatorial schools were incredibly strict, and the training they provided was harsh, with some archaeological evidence suggesting that gladiators could be killed as punishment for misbehavior.

In school, gladiators would likely train under a master who was an expert in their particular style of combat, and all the different groups were kept separate from each other, possibly so as to avoid conflicts between combatants who would meet in the arena.

Upon entering gladiator school those who had not been condemned to it as punishment for a crime , gladiators would sign a contract stipulating the type of combatant they would become, how many times a year they would fight, and signing themselves over into the property of their master.

Most gladiators lived and died anonymously, but a few became popular celebrities and their names have reached the present day. Spartacus is without a doubt the most famous gladiator of the Roman Empire, and he was in fact a real person. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Table of Contents Expand. Schools and Standing of the Gladiators.

Weapons and Armor of the Roman Gladiators. Gladiators of Lesser Fame. Ancient History and Latin Expert. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Updated October 30, Gladiators and Their Weapons Gladiators were often criminals and enslaved people, hired to provide entertainment in the Roman Circus or another arena. There were many different types of gladiators, based on their clothing and weapons.

Weapons used by some gladiators included knives and swords, shields, and helmets. The use of the weapons was taught at a professional school called a ludus. Both the men and the weapons were owned and rented out by the head of the school. Featured Video.

Cite this Article Format. Gill, N. Roman Gladiators vs. Armor and Weapons of the Spanish Conquistadors. Biography of James 'Jim' Bowie. Hundred Years' War: English Longbow. Planning your perfect Roman holiday? We offer a ton of awesome Rome tours , including the best Colosseum tours around. Skip the lines at the Colosseum and access the coolest restricted areas. Trace the footsteps of gladiators! Whether or not a gladiator chose the life, they all trained to fight in a specific class.

For example, short and muscular men trained to fight as a heavily-armored hoplomachus. On the other hand, a retiarius gladiator required a more lithe and agile build. Combatants faced off against opponents with different, but equivalent weaponry. Generally speaking, the most typical pairing was a heavily-armored gladiator against an agile, lightly-armored one. Forcefully conscripted into gladiator schools, the first Roman gladiators were criminals, prisoners of war and slaves.

Faced with the choice of fighting to death or execution, performing in the amphitheaters was not a choice. However, as the gladiatorial games increased in popularity, even free men and some women! Brilliantly athletic, coordinated and theatrical, the team is always pitted against the Washington Generals. While the Globetrotters perform spectacular tricks and score endless slam dunks, the Generals are paid to look like fools and lose night after night.

A noxii gladiator in ancient Rome is the equivalent of a Washington Generals player, except they die. Instead, these prisoners of war, convicted criminals or religious outcasts Christians and Jews were condemned to die in one of two ways. Either torn apart by wild animals, or murdered by more skillful and trained gladiators, both methods of execution were brutal. As barbaric as they were, these public displays of cruelty reminded Roman citizens about the perils of breaking the law.

Did you know that women were Roman gladiators? The Bestiarii Beast Fighters were lightly armored types of gladiators and fought wild animals. The Venatores were Wild Animal Hunters who entertained the spectators with their hunting skills. The Praegenarii were the 'opening act gladiators'. This type of gladiator only used wooden swords, accompanied to festive music. The Bustuarii was a type of slave gladiator who fought in combats to the death at the funerals of prominent Romans.

The Naumachiarii were combatants in sea-fights - the arena of the Roman Colosseum was originally able to produce such sea battles for more information see Water Battles at the Colosseum.

Facts and information about all of these different, unusual types of gladiators can be accessed via the following links:. Unusual Types of Gladiators. Auctorati gladiators were not deprived of their Roman citizenship. Types of Gladiators The content of this Types of Gladiators category provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework. Refer to the Colosseum Sitemap for a comprehensive search on interesting different categories containing the history, facts and information about Ancient Rome.

Just like the subject of Types of Gladiators there is hardly a page of Roman history and the Romans that is not, on some way, connected to the Roman Colosseum which became a symbol of Rome, its society, culture and life.

Types of Gladiators History, Facts and Information about Types of Gladiators The content of this article provides interesting history, facts and information about different types of Gladiators. Rudiarius Free Gladiator. Tertiarius Substitute Gladiator. Sagittarius Mounted Bowman.