What were the names of the gladiators responsible for training the animals? Types of gladiators. Gladiators often became famous and were popular with women

The picture below shows: Hoplomachus, III century. AD.

The first gladiators, strictly speaking, were not such, but were only ordinary slaves and convicted criminals. Later, schools were established to train gladiators, and in the hope of fame and fortune, their ranks were filled with people from all classes. Huge amphitheaters were built especially for gladiator fights.

Gladiators used various types of weapons. They fought most often one on one. If one of the opponents was wounded, then, according to the rules, his fate was in the hands of the spectators. If they wanted to save his life, they waved handkerchiefs in the air or held thumb raised up. If they thumbs looked down, the victim was destined to die.

There were cases when citizens, in pursuit of fame and money, abandoned their own freedom and became gladiators. Among them there were even female gladiators, when in 63 AD. er. Emperor Nero issued a decree allowing free women to participate in gladiatorial tournaments. After him, Pozzuoli allows Ethiopian women to fight. And Emperor Domiziano in 89 brings dwarf gladiators into the arena.

In order to become a gladiator, it was necessary to take an oath and declare oneself “legally dead.” From that moment on, the fighters entered another world, where cruel laws of honor reigned. The first of them was silence. The gladiators explained themselves in the arena with gestures. The second law is full compliance with the rules of honor. So, for example, a gladiator who fell to the ground and realized his complete defeat was obliged to remove his protective helmet and expose his throat to the enemy’s sword or plunge his knife into his own throat.

Over time, the Romans began to get tired of such fights and they began to invent new spectacles. Gladiators had to fight lions, tigers and other wild animals.

Many efforts were made to put an end to these terrible performances, but this was only achieved in 500 AD. Emperor Theodoric.

Types of gladiators

1. Andabat. They were dressed in chain mail, like the eastern cavalry (cataphracts), and helmets with visors without slits for the eyes. The Andabats fought each other in much the same way as knights did in medieval jousting tournaments, but without being able to see each other.
2. Bestiary. Armed with a javelin or dagger, these fighters were originally not gladiators, but criminals (noxii), sentenced to fight with predatory animals, with a high probability of death for the condemned. Bestiaries later became highly trained gladiators, specializing in combat with a variety of exotic predators using javelins. The battles were organized in such a way that the animals had little chance of defeating the bestiary.
3. Bustuary. These gladiators fought in honor of the deceased in ritual games during the funeral rite.
4. Dimacher( from Greek di - "two" and machaer - "sword") . Two swords were used, one in each hand. They fought without a helmet and shield, with two daggers. They were dressed in a short soft tunic, their arms and legs were bandaged with tight bandages, and sometimes they wore greaves.
5. Equit( pl. equites, from Lat. equus - “horse”) . In early descriptions, these lightly armed gladiators were dressed in scale armor, carried a medium-sized round cavalry shield (parma equestris), a brimmed helmet, without a crest, but with two decorative tassels. During the Empire, they wore forearm armor (manika) on right hand, a sleeveless tunic (which distinguished them from other gladiators who fought bare-chested), and a belt. The Equites began the battle on horseback, but after they threw their spear (hasta), they dismounted and continued the fight with a short sword (gladius). Typically, equites only fought other equites.
6. Gaul. They were equipped with a spear, a helmet and a small Gallic shield.
7. Essedarius ("chariot fighter", from the Latin name for the Celtic chariot - "esseda"). They may have been first brought to Rome by Julius Caesar from Britain. Essedarii are mentioned in many descriptions starting from the 1st century AD. e. Since there are no depictions of the Essedarii, nothing is known about their weapons or fighting style.
8. Hoplomachus (from the Greek “οπλομ?χος” - “armed fighter”). They wore a quilted, trouser-like leg garment, possibly made of canvas, a loincloth, a belt, greaves, forearm armor (maniku) on the right arm, and a brimmed helmet with a stylized griffin on the crest, which may have been decorated with a tassel of feathers at the top and single feathers on each side. They were armed with a gladius and a very small round shield made from a single sheet of thick bronze (examples from Popmpaea have survived). They were fielded in battles against the Mirmillons or Thracians. It is possible that the Hoplomachus descended from the earlier Samnites after it became "politically incorrect" to use the name of a people who had become friendly to the Romans.
9. Laquearius (“lasso fighter”). Laquearii may have been a type of retiarii that tried to catch their opponents using a lasso (laqueus) instead of a net.
10. Murmillo( from Greek mormylos - "sea fish") . They wore a helmet with a stylized fish on the crest (from the Latin "mormylos" - "sea fish"), as well as forearm armor (manica), a loincloth and belt, a greave on the right leg, thick windings covering the top of the foot, and very short armor with a recess for padding on the top of the foot. The Murmillons were armed with a gladius (40-50 cm in length) and a large rectangular shield, like legionnaires. They were fielded in battles against the Thracians, Retiarii, and sometimes also against the Hoplomachus.
11. Pegnary. They used a whip, a club and a shield, which was attached to the left hand with straps.
12. Provocateur (“applicant”). Their uniforms could be different, depending on the nature of the games. They were depicted wearing a loincloth, a belt, a long greave on the left leg, a manika on the right hand, and a helmet with a visor, without brim or crest, but with feathers on each side. They were the only gladiators protected by a cuirass (cardiophylax), which was at first rectangular, then often rounded. The provocateurs were armed with a gladius and a large rectangular shield. They were exhibited in battles with the Samnites or other provocateurs.
13. Retiarius (“fighter with a net”). Appeared at the dawn of the Empire. They were armed with a trident, a dagger and a net. In addition to the loincloth supported wide belt(balteus) and large armor on the left shoulder joint, the retiarius did not have any clothing, including a helmet. Sometimes a metal shield (galerus) was used to protect the neck and lower part of the face. There were retiarii who played female roles in the arena (“retiarius tunicatus”), who differed from ordinary retiarii in that they were dressed in a tunic. The Retiarius usually fought the Secutors, but sometimes also the Myrmillons.
14. Rudiary. Gladiators who have earned their release (rewarded with a wooden sword called a rudis) but choose to remain gladiators. Not all rudiarii continued to fight in the arena; there was a special hierarchy among them: they could be trainers, assistants, judges, fighters, etc. Rudiarii fighters were very popular among the public, since they had vast experience and could be expected from them real show.
15. Sagittarium( from lat. sagitta - "arrow") . Horse archers armed with a flexible bow that can fire an arrow over a long distance.
16. Samnite. Samnites, ancient type heavily armed fighters, which disappeared in the early imperial period, its name indicated the origin of gladiatorial combat. The historical Samnites were a powerful alliance of Italic tribes living in the Campania region south of Rome, against whom the Romans waged war from 326 to 291 BC. e. The Samnites' equipment included a large rectangular shield (scutum), a feathered helmet, a short sword, and possibly a greave on the left leg.
17. Secutor( O t lat. sequi - "to pursue") . This type of fighter was specifically designed for fights with retiarii. The secutors were a type of myrmillon and were equipped with similar armor and weapons, including a large rectangular shield and gladius. Their helmet, however, covered the entire face except for two eye holes, in order to protect the face from the sharp trident of their opponent. The helmet was almost round and smooth so that the retiarius' net could not catch on it.
18. Scissor (“one who cuts”). Nothing is known about this type of gladiator other than its name.
19. Tertiary (also called "Suppositicius" - "substituting"). Some competitions involved three gladiators. First, the first two fought with each other, then the winner of this fight fought with the third, who was called the tertiary. Tertiaries also came in as replacements if the gladiator announced for the fight for one reason or another could not enter the arena.
20. Thracian( lat. thraex - representative of the people of Thrace) . The Thracians were equipped with the same armor as the hoplomachus. They had grand slam, covering the entire head and decorated with a stylized griffin on the forehead or on the front of the crest (the griffin was a symbol of the goddess of vengeance Nemesis), a small round or flattened shield (parmula), and two large greaves. Their weapon was a Thracian curved sword (sicca, about 34 cm long). They usually fought the Myrmillons or Hoplomachus.
21. Velit( pl. velites, from Lat. velum - “canvas”, because dressed in a linen tunic) . Foot gladiators armed with a javelin with a cord attached to it for throwing. Named after units of the early Republican army.
22. Venator. They specialized in demonstration hunts for animals, without fighting them in close combat, like bestiaries. The Venators also performed tricks with animals: they put their hand in the mouth of a lion; rode a camel, holding lions on a leash nearby; forced an elephant to walk on a tightrope). Strictly speaking, the Venators were not gladiators, but their performances were part of gladiator battles.
23. Pregenarius. They performed at the beginning of the competition to “warm up” the crowd. They used wooden swords (rudis) and wrapped cloth around the body. Their fights took place to the accompaniment of cymbals, trumpets and water organs (hydraulis).

Beloved by the public and sometimes despised by the elite, Roman gladiators were the heroes of antiquity. For almost seven centuries, they attracted crowds of people to arenas and amphitheaters, demonstrating their skill, strength and dexterity. Bloody gladiator fights were equal parts sport, theatrical performance and cold-blooded murder.

Here are a few facts about the mysterious warriors who became the pillars of the most massive, cruel and popular entertainment that history has recorded. Ancient Rome.

Not all gladiators were slaves

Most of the first warriors were brought to gladiatorial schools in chains, but by the first century AD. e. ratio of slaves to free people has changed a lot. The screams and recognition of the crowd, awe and excitement attracted many free people to gladiator schools who hoped to gain fame and money. These free birds were most often desperate people who had nothing to lose, or former soldiers who had the necessary training and knowledge for fighting in the arena. Sometimes some patricians and even senators temporarily joined the ranks of gladiators, wanting to show off their military training.

Gladiator fights were originally part of a funeral ceremony

Most modern historians insist that gladiator performances in the arena are rooted in the bloody tradition of staging fights between slaves or criminals at the funerals of prominent aristocrats. This kind of bloody obituary follows from the belief of the ancient Romans that human blood cleanses the soul of the deceased. Thus, these cruel rituals replaced human sacrifice. On the occasion of the death of his father and daughter, Julius Caesar organized fights between hundreds of gladiators. The performances enjoyed mass popularity in the first century BC. e. Ancient Rome began to organize Gladiator fights whenever the government needed to calm, distract, or gain support from the crowd.

They didn't always fight to the death

Despite the popular portrayal of gladiator fights in literature and cinema as spontaneous and uncontrolled bloodshed, most of them were carried out according to strict rules. Most often, fights were one-on-one between gladiators of similar build and equal combat experience. The judges oversaw the battle and stopped it if one of the opponents was seriously injured. Sometimes battles ended in a draw if they were too long. If the gladiators managed to put on an interesting performance and delight the crowd, both opponents were allowed to leave the arena with honor.

The famous "thumbs down" gesture did not mean death

When a gladiator was seriously wounded or chose to admit defeat by throwing his weapon aside, it was left to the spectators to decide his fate. Various works of fiction often depict a crowd with their index fingers raised in the air if the spectators wanted to save the loser. But this opinion is probably not entirely true. Historians believe that the gesture of mercy was different - the thumb hidden in the fist. The fact is that the finger symbolized a sword, and the crowd showed them exactly how to kill the loser: a finger up could mean a cut throat, a finger to the side could mean a blow with a sword between the shoulder blades, and a finger down could mean a deep blow with a sword in the neck, towards heart. The gestures were often accompanied by loud screams demanding release or death.

Gladiators were divided into types and classes, according to types of battles and experience

For the opening of the Colosseum in 80 AD. e., gladiator fights became a highly organized, bloody sport with its own directions and types of weapons. Fighters were divided into classes according to their level of training, experience in the arena and weight category. The division into types depended on the choice of weapons and type of fighting, the most popular types were the Murmillons, Hoplomachus and Thracians, whose weapons were a sword and shield. There were also equites - horsemen, essedarii - chariot fighters, dimacheres - armed with two swords or daggers, and many others.

They very rarely fought with wild animals

Among the military types were bestiaries, who were originally criminals sentenced to fight with wild animals, with little chance of survival. Later, bestiaries began to train specifically for fights with animals; they were armed with darts and daggers. Other gladiators very rarely participated in fights with animals, even though the fights were organized in such a way that the beast did not have a chance to survive. Often, performances involving wild animals opened battles and were simultaneously used for the public execution of criminals.

Women were gladiators too

These were mostly slaves, too headstrong for housework, but occasionally they were joined by free women of Rome. Historians cannot say exactly when women first tried on gladiator armor, but it is certain that by the first century AD. e. they were constant participants in battles. They were often the subject of ridicule by the patriarchal Roman elite, but were comparatively popular with the crowd. Despite this, Emperor Septimius Severus banned women from participating in any games at the beginning of the 3rd century.

Gladiators had their own unions

Despite the fact that gladiators were forced to fight each other, sometimes even to the death, they viewed themselves as a brotherhood and sometimes met in colleges. The gladiatorial unions had their own elected leaders, patron deities, and levies. When one of them died in battle, the colleges paid compensation to his family and gave the fallen a decent funeral.

Emperors sometimes participated in gladiator fights

Among the arena's regulars were Caligula, Commodus, Hadrian and Titus. Most often, they took part in staged battles or had a clear advantage over their opponents. Emperor Commodus once defeated several frightened and poorly armed spectators.

Gladiators often became famous and were popular with women

Gladiators were often described by Roman historians as uneducated brutes and looked down upon by the elite, but successful fighters were resoundingly popular among the lower classes. Their portraits decorated taverns and houses, children played with clay figurines of their favorite gladiators, and girls wore hair clips covered in gladiator blood.

Gladiator of Ancient Rome was a professional fighter who specialized in a particular weapon and fought in front of audiences in large, specially built arenas. Such arenas were built throughout the Roman Empire.

Gladiatorial fights began in 105 BC. e. and had the status of official competitions until 404 AD. e. The battles continued, as a rule, until the death of one of the gladiators. This is why the life expectancy of such fighters was short. And although it was considered prestigious to be a gladiator, most fighters were slaves, freed slaves, or convicts. Without a doubt, gladiatorial combat was one of the most popular forms of entertainment in ancient Rome.

The Romans in many respects believed in the signs and traditions of their Italian ancestors, the Etruscans. For example, animal sacrifices were used to predict the future, symbolic fasces were used, and gladiator fights were organized. The Etruscans associated competitions of this kind with the performance of death rites, so gladiatorial fights had a certain religious significance for them. Although, the first private gladiatorial competitions took place in 264 BC. e. and were organized in memory of the death of their father; later, for the organization of official battles, this reason was not taken into account. However, traces of religious origin were left by the tradition of finishing off defeated gladiators. In this case, the assistant had to strike the injured gladiator in the forehead. The assistant on duty was required to wear a costume representing the costume of the god Hermes, who escorted souls to the afterlife or "Charun". The presence of God's messenger and the emperor, accompanied by priests and vestals, showed a certain pseudo-religious spirit at the battles.

Roman gladiatorial fights provided an opportunity for emperors and wealthy aristocrats to demonstrate their wealth to the population. Fights were organized in honor of military victories, visits of important officials, in honor of birthday celebrations, or simply to distract people from economic and political problems. In the eyes of the public, it was something of an entertainment that literally became a matter of life and death. These extremely popular events took place in all the public arenas of the Roman Empire. The Colosseum (Flavian amphitheater) was the largest of them. From 30 to 50 thousand spectators from all levels of Roman society flocked here to be entertained by bloody spectacles, where wild and exotic animals were hunted, prisoners were executed, religious martyrs were thrown into cages with lions, star shows were staged, which were symbols of Roman virtue, honor and courage.

They used all their fighting skills, fighting under the motto “kill or be killed.” A popular misconception is that gladiators greeted their emperor at the beginning of each battle with the lines: “Long live the emperor!” We, who are going to death, greet you!” However, in reality these words were spoken in honor of prisoners and those killed in initiated naval battles (Naumachia), which also took place in closed arenas on special occasions.

Most often gladiators were slaves or criminals, also many prisoners of war were forced to perform in arenas. There were cases when, due to bankruptcy, aristocrats had to make a living with the sword, for example, Sempronius, a descendant of the powerful Gracchi clan. It should be noted that before the adoption of the law Septimius Severus (Septimius North) in 200 AD. BC, women were allowed to fight as gladiators.

Throughout the empire, special gladiator schools. There were three such barracks in Rome itself. Capua is one of the barracks that was especially famous for its gladiators. Throughout the Risque Empire, agents searched for potential gladiators to meet the ever-increasing demand and fill the schools that were expected to have a huge turnover of fighters. The conditions in the schools were similar to a prison - small cages and shackles, however, the food was better (for example, sprouted barley), and the students also received better medical care, since they were an expensive investment for the school.

The winners of gladiatorial battles became crowd favorites and were especially popular among women.

The term " Gladiator" comes from Latin gladiators, after the name of their main weapon gladius or short sword. However, there was a wide range of other weapons used in gladiatorial combat. Also, gladiators wore armor and helmets, which, in particular, were examples of great craftsmanship, were richly decorated with decorative patterns, and their crests were decorated with ostrich and peacock feathers. The type of weapon and armor depended on what species the gladiator belonged to.

Types of gladiators

In ancient Rome there were four main types of gladiators:

• Samnite species, was named after the great Samnite warriors who fought for Rome in the early years of the empire. Interestingly, the Romans used the words “gladiator” and “samnite” interchangeably. One of the Samnite's best weapons was a sword or spear, a large square shield and protective armor on the right hand and left leg;
• Thracian gladiator(Thracian) had a short curved sword (sika) and a very small square or round shield (parma), which was used to deflect enemy blows;
• gladiator Murmillo, also known as "Fishman", was equipped in the image of a fish - a crest was installed on the helmet. Like the Samnite, he had a short sword and shield, but only armor on the arm and leg;
• at gladiator Retiarius there was no helmet or armor, except for soft shoulder pads. He had a net and a trident as weapons. He tried to entangle his opponent with a net, and then struck with his trident.

Gladiators fought in certain combinations. As a rule, pairings were chosen for contrast that consisted of a slow and heavily armored gladiator (Murmillo) against a fast and less protected gladiator (Retiarius).

There were also other less common types of gladiators with different combinations of weapons and armor, the names of which changed over time. For example, "Samnite" and "Gal" became politically incorrect when these countries became allies. Other types of gladiators included archers, boxers, and bestiaries (armed with a javelin or dagger), who fought wild animals.

Those who lacked the courage to fight were forced to fight using leather whips and hot metal rods. However, under the indignant roar of the crowd (from 40 thousand spectators) and the ruthless attack of their opponent, many fought to the end. There were cases of refusal to fight. One of the most famous cases was a gladiatorial match organized by Quintus Aurelius Symmachus in 401 AD. BC, when German prisoners who were supposed to fight at the games instead hanged themselves in their cells, thereby leaving the Roman population without a spectacle.

If the losing gladiator was not killed on the spot, he would apply for mercy by lowering his weapon and shield and raising his finger. The enemy could show leniency, although there was then a risk of meeting again in the arena, but this was considered good professional practice. If the emperor was present at the battles, then he made the decision, although the crowd tried to influence his judgment by waving rags and hand gestures - raising a finger up and shouting “mitte!”, which meant “let him go”; thumbs down and shouted “iugula!”, which meant “execute him.”

The winners of fights, especially multiple winners, became crowd favorites and images were created in their honor on Roman buildings, and they were also popular among the female half of the population of Ancient Rome.

The Pompeii graffiti provides a unique insight into the extent to which gladiators were accepted by the public. They depict gladiators and the number of their victories, for example Severus is 55. However, the average number of victories was significantly lower. Sometimes there were fights where the winners of one fight fought the winners of others until only one remained alive. The winners were awarded material prizes that included the prestigious palm of victory and a silver platter containing money. After many years of victories, the gladiator was granted freedom.

Perhaps one of the most famous gladiators was Spartacus, who led a revolt of gladiators and slaves in 73 BC. e.

Velit ( veles, a bunch of - velites) - a gladiator armed with darts (hastae velitares). Velite gladiators followed the weapons and tactics of the ancient Roman light infantry velites, after whom they were named.

Hoplomachus

Hoplomachus (hoplomachus from the Greek “οπλομάχος” - “armed fighter”) is a fairly common type of gladiator. With his equipment he imitated Greek hoplites. The word hoplomachus itself comes from the Greek ὁπλομάχος (“armed fighter” or “warrior with hoplon”). The armor of the hoplomachus consisted of a helmet, a small round parma shield or a large legionary shield made from a single sheet of thick bronze (examples from Pompeii have survived), quilted windings ( fasciae) on both legs or high greaves (ocreae), armor for the forearm-manica (manica) on the right hand. The hoplomakh's helmet had a wide brim, a visor with a grille, and a plume at the top. Feathers were inserted into the sides of the helmet. Hoplomachus was armed with a spear-hasta (hasta) and a dagger-pugio ( pugio).

The spear allowed the hoplomachus to fight at long range. In case of loss of the spear, the hoplomakh went into close combat and fought with a dagger. The traditional opponents of the hoplomachus were the Myrmilon or, less commonly, the Thracian.

Gaul

Gall ( Gallus) - a type of gladiator during the Republic period. They were equipped with a spear, a helmet and a small Gallic shield. The armor and weapons of the Gaul gladiators were supposed to resemble Gallic warriors. It is certain that in the 1st century BC. e. Gaul gladiators “transformed” into myrmilons.

Dimacher

Dimacher ( dimachaerus) is a rather rare type of gladiator. The word dimachaerus literally means “with two sabers”, “double saber” (from the Greek Διμάχαιρος). Dimacher's armor consisted of a helmet, short leggings and chain mail (Lorika hamata). The helmet had a closed visor with bars and wide brims. He was armed with two curved mahair swords ( machaera), or sicam daggers.

It is not known exactly what type of gladiator was Dimacherus's opponent in the arena. But the Romans considered Dimacherus one of the most dangerous fighters.

Equities

Equity (eques, set - equites) - a type of gladiator who fought on horseback. Literally - “horseman”. This was also the name of the ancient Roman cavalrymen. Unlike most gladiators, who fought naked to the waist, the Aequites wore sleeveless tunics, belted with a belt. The armor of the equitus consisted of a helmet, a cavalry round shield-parma (parma equestris) with a diameter of 60 cm and armor for the forearm (manica) on the right hand. The helmet had a wide brim, a visor with a grille, and no upper part. Feathers were inserted on the sides. Sometimes the Equites wore scale armor (Lorica squamata). Equitus was armed with a spear-hasta ( hasta) and gladius. The Equites opened the gladiator fights: they fought in the morning, immediately after the ceremonial pomp, preceding the baiting of animals, the execution of criminals and the fights of foot gladiators. The battle tactics of the Equita inherited the usual tactics of the Roman cavalry: having thrown a spear, they dismounted and fought with a sword - mounted combat at a time when stirrups were not yet known was very inconvenient. In the arena, the equites fought exclusively among themselves.

Mirmilon

Mirmilon, murmilon ( myrmillo, murmillo, plural - myrmillones, murmillones) - one of the most common types of gladiators. According to one version, these gladiators got their name because on their helmet they wore an image of the fish “mormir” (Greek: Μόρμυλος, μορμύρος). It should be borne in mind that now “mormirs” are called African freshwater fish, however, in ancient times the word μόρμυλος, μορμύρος could also be used to refer to a certain type of fish common in the Mediterranean Sea. The Myrmilons themselves were presumably descended from Gaulish gladiators. Myrmilon's armor consisted of a helmet, a bracer on his right arm, a short (below the knee) greave on his left leg, and a shield - scutum. He did not have a shell, he fought naked to the waist, which made it possible to demonstrate to the public his powerful torso and muscles. The myrmilon helmet had a wide brim, a visor with a lattice, and a characteristic crest in the shape of a fish, which could be plated with silver. Myrmilon fought with the usual sword of the Roman infantry - the gladius. When from the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. e. instead of the gladius, the myrmilons received a long sword - spatu, they began to be called “myrmilons-spatarii” ( myrmillones-spatharii).

Myrmilon's traditional opponent was the Thracian. The “Myrmilon-Thracian” pair was one of the most common during gladiator fights. Less often, the Myrmilons fought with Hoplomachus or Retiarii, but never with each other.

Thracian

The Thracian (Thraex, plural - Thraeces) is one of the most common types of gladiators. It is certain that this type of gladiator appeared as a result of the appearance in the 1st century BC. e. a large number of Thracian prisoners of war. Equipment of this type repeated the national Thracian one: he was armed with a curved dagger-siko, the armor consisted of a helmet, quilted windings on both legs, high greaves, a small rectangular strongly curved shield and a bracer on the right hand. The Thracian helmet had wide brims, a visor with a lattice and a characteristic head in the form of a griffin - one of the symbols of the goddess of revenge Nemesis.

Thracian gladiators were considered a distinct attacking type of fighter. The curved dagger gave them certain advantages in close combat. The main rivals of the Thracians in the arena were the Myrmilons. Sometimes the Thracians also fought the Hoplomachus.

Secutor

Esedarius

Esedarius(essedarius) - a gladiator who fought in chariots. Its name comes from the word essedum, which the Romans called the chariots of the Celts. On one chariot there were one or two esedarii at the same time; in the second case, one drove the horses, the second was directly the fighter. The word essedarius was used not only in relation to gladiators, but also to Celtic charioteers (in Gaius Julius Caesar's Notes on the Gallic War). Perhaps they appeared after Caesar's campaign in Britain. They are known only from descriptions (starting from the 1st century AD), their images have not survived, and nothing is known about their fighting style. It can be assumed that the esedarius rode a chariot along the edges of the arena and fired at the enemy on foot with a bow and threw darts at them. The Esedarii were usually armed with spears, javelins, a bow and a sword, and sometimes had a small shield. Sharp blades could be attached to the wheels.

Cast

Cast or cestus (cestus) - fist fighter, boxer in the circus arena. The name comes from the ancient Roman boxing glove - Cest (cestus or caestus).

Krupelarius

Krupelarius, crupelarius (crupellarius) - a type of gladiator, whose armor consisted of the lamellar armor of the Lorica segmentatum, manic bracers on both hands and high greaves. The helmet was closed, with slits for the eyes and mouth, it resembled a medieval tophelm. In full armor, similar to the armor of a medieval knight, the gladiator-crupelarian was almost invulnerable to his opponent. The armament consisted of a scutum and a gladius. Heavy armor placed increased demands on candidates for the crupelarium: staying in it required extraordinary physical strength and endurance.

Tacitus describes the Crupelarii as gladiators recruited from the slaves of the Gauls, and equipped according to the traditions of the warriors of Lugdunian Gaul. They took part in the Treverian uprising under the leadership of Flor and Sacrovir in 21:

Some slaves underwent gladiatorial training. Shrouded in iron according to the custom of their people, these Krupelarii, as they were called, were too clumsy for offensive action, however, they were adamant in defense... The infantry carried out a frontal attack. The Gallic ranks retreated. The armored warriors delayed the advance: they were invulnerable to swords and javelins. However, the Romans, using axes and claws, destroyed the armor along with its owners, just as they break down a wall. Other gladiators were knocked to the ground with spears and tridents, and taking advantage of their helplessness, they were put to death.

Perhaps the historian had in mind the heavily armed Gaul gladiators, who were later transferred to myrmilons.

Lakvearium

Lakvearium, lakvearium, lakveator(laquearius, laquerarius, laqueator) - a type of retiarius, literally - “armed lasso”, “arcannik”. The equipment consisted of a lasso (laqueus), a short spear and a dagger. Laquearia appeared quite late. Their tactics repeated the tactics of the retiarius: they tried to catch the enemy with a lasso and then hit them with a dagger. The protective armor was identical - the Manika sleeve and the galley pauldron.

Most gladiators were based on warriors and hunters. Since the lasso was an unusual weapon for the Romans, it can be assumed that the equipment of this type of gladiator comes from the equipment of some barbarian tribe, perhaps the Sagartian warriors from Ancient Persia.

In addition, it is suggested that the lacquearium could be a type of pegnarius, that is, a circus jester, who amused the audience with comic fights during breaks.

Pegnary

Pegnary(paegniarius) - a gladiator designed to entertain the public during breaks between fights, when the fighters rested. The name comes from the Greek word παίγνιον ("toy", "toy", "comic performance"). The Pegnarii were armed only with wooden rudis swords and whips. Protective equipment consisted of a wooden shield and wooden guards on the arms and legs instead of handguards and leggings, and instead of a helmet they wrapped a cloth around the head. Pegniarii performed comic duels. Unlike real gladiators, they could live long life: the famous epitaph of the pegniarius Secundus, which reports that he lived 99 years, 8 months and 18 days.

Sagitarius

Sagitarius(sagittarius) - gladiator archer. He wore a conical helmet and the scaly shell of a Lorik squamat, and was armed with a bow (arcus) and arrows (sagittae).

Samnite

Samnite(Samnis, plural - Samnites) - a type of gladiator from the Republic period. At one time he was the most popular of all. Represented warriors of the Italian region of Samnia, conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BC. e. The equipment of this type of gladiator inherited the national Samnite one. The Samnite armor consisted of a helmet with a visor, dressed with a crest or feathers (galea), a shield (oval or rectangular), a leather greave on the left leg (ocrea), a manic bracer and the tridisc armor typical of the Samnites. The Samnite was armed with a spear and a sword - a gladius.

Skisor

Scisor, scisor(scissor, set - scissores) or arbelas (arbelas, set - arbelai) - a gladiator whose name comes from the word scindo (“cut”, “shred”). Another name - “arbelas” (q.v.) is known only through one source (that is, hapax), so it is not possible to accurately identify them. Arbelas is remembered by the ancient Greek writer Artemidorus of Daldian in his treatise “Oneirocritique” (“Snotlumach”) as one of the gladiators that a person can dream of to show the prospects of marriage (arbelas in a dream, like Dimacher, portends a bad wife). Perhaps the second name of this type of gladiator comes from the ancient Greek ἄρβηλος, which meant a cobbler's knife in the shape of a crescent, similar to the Eskimo ulu - this was associated with the characteristic, rather exotic weapon of this type of gladiator, which the skisor-arbelas held in his left hand instead of a shield. It consisted of a hollow upper part, worn on the hand, with a crescent-shaped blade (reliably sharpened on all sides). With this weapon he inflicted minor, but very bleeding wounds on the enemy. In addition to this weapon, this gladiator was armed with a short gladius sword, which he held in his right hand. Scisor's armor consisted of a closed helmet, chain mail (Lorica gamata) or plate armor Lorica segmentata, a bracer on the right hand (manica) and short greaves (ocreae). The skisor's helmet was without rats and bars, with a crest in the form of a fish fin. The skisor, like the dimacher, was not armed with a shield.

Scisor was one of the most heavily armed types of gladiators. In the arena, the scysors fought either among themselves or against the retiarius. That is why, apparently, the skisor’s helmet was similar to the secutor’s helmet - a streamlined shape with a solid folding visor and small holes for the eyes.

Arbelas

Arbelas was one of the most heavily armed types of gladiators. The weight of the weapons reached 22-26 kg. The name arbelas comes from the Greek name for a semicircular knife, reminiscent of the weapon of this type of gladiator. Arbelas has short-sleeved chain mail, a closed helmet, a short sword, a manic leather bracer on his right arm, a tubular bracer containing his weapon (arbelos) on his left arm, and short greaves on both legs.

Tertiary

Tertiary, tertiary(tertiarius) - a gladiator who fought the winner of a duel. The name comes from the word tertius - “third”. Tertiariev could be “understudies” for declared but absent participants in the battle. They were also called “suppositiki”, “suppositions” (suppositicii) - “substitutes”

Other terms

• Venator(venator, literally - “hunter”) - an ancient Roman circus performer, similar to a bestiary, specialized in baiting animals. However, the Venator was not actually a gladiator, because he did not fight with animals, but only performed risky tricks with them, similar to a modern tamer.
• Gregary(gregarius) - beginner gladiator (from one year of training). Literally - “herd”. The name comes from the fact that before the fights of experienced gladiators, group battles of beginners were often held.
• Editor(editor) - a person who organized gladiatorial fights at his own expense. An analogue of a modern sponsor or producer. Also called "munerarius".
• Lanista(lanista) - owner of a gladiator school. He bought slaves for his school, taught them, and rented them out to an editor who organized games. The profession of a lanista was considered very lucrative, but on the social gradation he was listed on a par with leno (brothel owner, “pimp”) as a “dealer in human flesh.”
• Lorary(lorarius) - a circus servant who urged inexperienced gladiators or animals in the arena. The word lorarius itself comes from lorum (“leather belt”, “whip”). In addition, the lorarii were responsible for cleaning the arena: they carried the dead and wounded gladiators, eliminated traces of blood, covering them with sand.
• Rudiary(rudiarius) - gladiator, released. to freedom. Liberation could be a reward for unusual valor shown in the arena (for example, according to some sources, Spartacus was a rudiary). The name comes from the "rudis" - a wooden sword that was given to dismissed gladiators. Often the rudiarii remained gladiators, in which case they were popular with the public. Those rudiarii who left fights could become trainers or judges in the arena.
• Tiro(tiro) is a gladiator who enters the arena for the first time.
• Triton(triton) - student of the gladiator school (up to 1-2 years of study).
• Veteran(veteranus) - a gladiator who fought several fights in the arena.

Gladiators (Latin gladiator, from gladius - sword) - in Ancient Rome - prisoners of war, convicted criminals and slaves, specially trained for armed struggle among themselves in the arenas of amphitheaters. Gladiators in Ancient Rome routinely fought in public to the death. Roman gladiator fights were held first on the most significant religious holidays, and then turned into the most popular entertainment for ordinary citizens. The tradition of gladiator fights continued for more than 700 years.

The life of a gladiator for the most part was short and full of constant fear for his life and risk, without which life itself probably would not have been possible. The fate of each gladiator was determined by the battle; after several battles it was clear whether the fighter had a future and reward, or an inglorious death in the prime of life. For a modern person, it is completely incomprehensible how, with such a lifestyle (see the lifestyle of a gladiator) and working hard, some fighters won fight after fight and could win yati, ten fights in a row.

Gladiatorial fights were adopted by the Romans from the Greeks, Etruscans and Egyptians and took on the religious character of a sacrifice to the god of war Mars. In the beginning, gladiators were prisoners of war and those sentenced to death. The laws of ancient Rome allowed them to participate in gladiatorial fights. In case of victory (with the money received) one could buy back one’s life. There were cases when citizens, giving up the freedom they had, joined the gladiators in pursuit of fame and money.

In order to become gladiators, it was necessary to take an oath and declare themselves “legally dead.” From that moment on, the fighters entered another world, where cruel laws of honor reigned. The first of them was silence. The gladiators explained themselves in the arena with gestures. The second law is full compliance with the rules of honor. So, for example, a gladiator who fell to the ground and realized his complete defeat was obliged to remove his protective helmet and expose his throat to the enemy’s sword or plunge his knife into his own throat. Of course, the audience could always grant mercy to those gladiators who fought bravely and were liked by the public, but such mercy was extremely rare.

“We sacrifice the living to feed the dead” - this is how Emperor Caracalla in the 3rd century AD formulated the ideological basis of gladiatorial fights, which, together with animal persecution, became the bloodiest and most cruel spectacle in the history of mankind. According to Roman beliefs, which they, in turn, borrowed from the Etruscans, atrocities were supposed to pacify the souls of the dead. In ancient times, this was the highest honor that grateful heirs could bestow on a noble ancestor.

However, at first this Etruscan custom took root rather slowly in the life of the Romans during the early Republic, perhaps because they had to work a lot and fight a lot, and as entertainment they preferred athletic competitions, horse racing, as well as theatrical performances played out directly in the crowd vacationers. Then the Romans could not be called lovers of contemplating the dying convulsions and groans of the wounded, since this was more than enough in their everyday paramilitary life.

But there are enthusiasts in any business, and in 264 BC. In the Cow Market of Rome, during the funeral of Brutus Pere, organized by his sons Marcus and Decimus, a duel between three pairs of gladiators took place (from the Latin word “gladius” - sword). But only almost 50 years later this spectacle gained a certain scope: already 22 pairs of gladiators for 3 days delighted the eyes of the inhabitants at the funeral games organized in memory of the twice consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus by his three sons. And only in 105 BC. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the tribunes of the people to entertain the Roman mob, which had already begun to form as a social class, gladiatorial fights were introduced into the number of official public spectacles. So the genie was released from the bottle...

By the end of the 2nd century BC. the battles, which lasted for several days in a row with the participation of hundreds of gladiators, no longer surprised anyone. There were also people for whom keeping and training gladiators became a profession. They were called lanistas. The essence of their activity was that they found physically strong slaves at slave markets, preferably prisoners of war and even criminals, bought them, taught them all the wisdom necessary to perform in the arena, and then rented them out to everyone who wanted to organize gladiator fights.

And yet, the bulk of professional arena fighters came from gladiatorial schools. During the reign of Octavian Augustus (about 10 BC), there were 4 imperial schools in Rome: the Great, the Morning, where they trained bestiaries - gladiators who fought with wild animals, the school of the Gauls and the school of the Dacians. While studying at the school, all gladiators were fed well and treated professionally. An example of this is the fact that the famous ancient Roman physician Galen worked for a long time at the Great Imperial School.

The gladiators slept in pairs in small closets with an area of ​​4-6 sq.m. The training, which lasted from morning until evening, was very intense. Under the guidance of the teacher, former gladiator, beginners learned fencing. Each of them was given a wooden sword and a shield woven from willow. The blows were practiced on a wooden stake about 180 cm high dug into the ground. initial stage training, the “cadet” had to master the ability to deliver strong and accurate blows to the enemy’s imaginary chest and head, and also not to open up when defending. To strengthen muscles, the next thing after wood is iron. training weapon it was specially made 2 times heavier than a combat one.

When a beginner has adequately grasped the basics martial art, it, depending on abilities and physical training, were distributed into specialized groups of one type or another of gladiators. The oldest, classical type that existed until the end of the Republic were the Samnites, named after the people, although conquered by the Romans, they inflicted several military defeats on the latter, for which they were practically exterminated in the 1st century BC. And, nevertheless, it was precisely their weapons that the Romans supplied their first gladiators with. It consisted of a large rectangular shield, a helmet with a high crest and plume of feathers, a short straight sword and greaves on the left leg. At the beginning of our era, the name "Samnite" was replaced by secutor (pursuer), although the weapons remained the same. Hoplomachus were very similar to them, with the difference that their shields were large and round.

The rivals of hoplomachus and secutors were, as a rule, retiarii - representatives of one of the most technically complex types of this “sport”. Retiarii received this name from their main weapon - a net (from the Latin - “rete”) with heavy weights along the edges. The task of the retiarius was to throw a net so as to entangle the enemy from head to toe, and then finish him off with a trident or dagger. The retiarius had neither a helmet nor a shield - he had to rely only on his own dexterity. The fastest and most coordinated newcomers were taken into this group.
The Frankians were armed with a small round shield, a small curved sword, greaves on both legs, an iron armlet on the right arm, and a helmet with a visor with many holes that covered the entire face.

The helmets of the Gauls, or murmillos (from the Latin “murma” - fish), depicted fish, and their weapons corresponded to the Gallic ones. Often the opponents of the Murmillons were the retiarii, who during the fight sang a song invented in ancient times: “I’m not catching you, I’m catching fish. Why are you running away from me, Gaul? The essedarii stood somewhat apart - gladiators who fought on war chariots. They were armed with lassos, slings, bows and clubs. The first essedarii were captive Britons whom Julius Caesar brought from his not very successful British campaign.

The least capable students ended up in andabats. They were armed with only two daggers, without any additional protection; this equipment was completed by a helmet with two holes that did not coincide with the eyes at all. Therefore, the Andabats were forced to fight each other almost blindly, waving their weapons at random. The circus attendants “helped” them by pushing them from behind with hot iron rods. The public always had a lot of fun looking at the unfortunate people, and this part of the gladiatorial fights was considered the most fun by the Romans.

Gladiators, like Roman soldiers, had their own charter; some historians call it a code of honor, but in fact this is a conventional name. because Initially, a gladiator, by definition, was not a free person, and Roman slaves had no concept of honor as such. when a person entered a gladiator school, especially if he had been free before, in order to be legally considered a gladiator, he needed to perform a number of actions, many of them, of course, purely formal. gladiators swore and took an oath similar to a military oath, according to which they were to be considered “formally dead” and transferred their lives to the property of the gladiator school in which they lived, studied, trained and died.

There were a number of unspoken rules and conventions that every gladiator had to adhere to and not violate them under any circumstances. The gladiator always had to remain silent during the fight - the only way he could contact the audience was through gestures. when the gladiator raised his index finger up, this symbolized a plea for mercy, but if the thumb was turned down, this symbolized that the fighter was so seriously wounded, could not continue the fight and asked to finish him off, because he knew that he would die even after the battle. the second unspoken point was the observance of certain “rules” of dignity, which can be compared with the rules of the samurai. A gladiator fighter had no right to cowardice and fear of death. if the fighter felt that he was dying.

He had to open his face to the enemy so that he could finish him off, looking into his eyes, or cut his own throat, taking off his helmet and revealing his face and eyes to the audience, and they had to see that there was not a drop of fear in them. the third law was that the gladiator could not choose his own opponent; obviously, this was done so that the fighters in the arena would not settle their personal scores and grievances. When he entered the field, the gladiator did not know until the very end who he would have to fight.

It became fashionable among Roman aristocrats to have their own personal gladiators, who not only earned the owner money by performing, but also served as personal guards, which was extremely important during the civil unrest of the late Republic. In this regard, Julius Caesar outdid everyone, who at one time maintained up to 2 thousand gladiator-bodyguards, who made up a real army. It must be said that gladiators became not only under the compulsion of a slave owner or by a court sentence to the arena, but also absolutely voluntarily, in the pursuit of fame and wealth.

Despite all the dangers of this profession, a simple but strong guy from the Roman social bottom really had a chance to get rich. And although the chances of dying on the blood-soaked sand of the arena were much greater, many took the risk. The most successful of them, in addition to the love of the Roman mob, and sometimes even Roman matrons, received substantial cash prizes from fans and fight organizers, as well as interest on bets in bookmakers. In addition, Roman spectators often threw money, jewelry and other expensive trinkets into the arena for their favorite winner, which also made up a significant share of the circus star’s income. Emperor Nero, for example, once gave the gladiator Spiculus a whole palace. And many of the famous fighters gave fencing lessons to everyone, receiving a very decent fee for this.

However, luck smiled on very few in the arena - the public wanted to see blood and death, so the gladiators had to fight seriously, driving the crowd into a frenzy.

All these animals in circuses were victims of bestiary gradators. Their training was much longer than that of classical gladiators. Pupils of the famous Morning school, which received this name due to the fact that animal baiting took place in the mornings, they taught not only how to use weapons, but also training, and also introduced them to the characteristics and habits of different animals.

Ancient Roman trainers reached unprecedented heights in their art: bears walked on a tightrope, and lions placed a bestiary under the feet of a hunted but still living hare, monkeys rode the fierce Hyrcanian hounds, and harnessed deer to chariots. These amazing tricks were countless. But when the satiated crowd demanded blood, fearless venators appeared in the arena (from the Latin wenator - hunter), who knew how to kill animals not only various types weapons, but also with bare hands. They considered it the highest chic to throw a cloak over the head of a lion or leopard, wrap it up, and then kill the animal with one blow of a sword or spear.

Pitting animals against each other was also extremely popular. The Romans long remembered the fight between an elephant and a rhinoceros, during which the elephant grabbed a broom that was used to sweep the arena, blinded it with the sharp rods of the rhinoceros, and then trampled the enemy.

Gladiator fights took place in different ways. There were fights between single pairs, and sometimes several dozen, or even hundreds of pairs fought simultaneously. Sometimes entire performances, introduced into the practice of mass entertainment by Julius Caesar, were played out in the arena. So, in a matter of minutes, grandiose decorations were erected, depicting the walls of Carthage, and gladiators, dressed and armed like legionnaires and Carthaginians, represented the assault on the city. Or a whole forest of freshly cut trees grew in the arena, and the gladiators depicted an ambush of the Germans attacking the same legionnaires. The imagination of the directors of ancient Roman shows knew no bounds. And although it was extremely difficult to surprise the Romans with anything, Emperor Claudius, who ruled in the middle of the 1st century, completely succeeded. The naumachia (staged naval battle) carried out on his orders was of such a scale that it turned out to be capable of capturing the imagination of all residents of the Eternal City, young and old. Although naumachia were arranged quite rarely, since they were very expensive even for emperors and required careful development.

He held his first naumachia in 46 BC. Julius Caesar. Then, on the Campus Martius of Rome, a huge artificial lake was dug for a naval battle. This performance involved 16 galleys with 4 thousand oarsmen and 2 thousand gladiator soldiers. It seemed that it was no longer possible to organize a larger-scale spectacle, but in 2 BC. The first Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, after a year of preparation, presented the Romans with a naumachia with the participation of 24 ships and 3 thousand soldiers, not counting the oarsmen who played out the battle between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis. Only Emperor Claudius managed to break this record. Lake Fucinus, located 80 kilometers from Rome, was chosen to carry out the naumachia he had planned. No other nearby body of water simply could accommodate 50 real combat triremes and biremes, the crews of which included 20 thousand criminals sentenced to the arena. To do this, Claudius emptied all the city prisons, putting everyone who could bear arms on ships.

And in order to discourage so many criminals gathered in one place from organizing a rebellion, the lake was surrounded by troops. The naval battle took place in that part of the lake where the hills formed a natural amphitheater. There was no shortage of spectators: about 500 thousand people - almost the entire adult population of Rome - were located on the slopes.
The ships, divided into two fleets, depicted the confrontation between the Rhodians and the Sicilians. The battle, which began around 10 am, ended only at four o’clock in the afternoon, when the last “Sicilian” ship surrendered. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote: “The fighting spirit of the fighting criminals was not inferior to the fighting spirit of real warriors.” The waters of the lake were red with blood, not to mention the wounded, only more than 3 thousand people were killed. After the battle, Claudius pardoned all survivors, with the exception of several crews who, in his opinion, avoided the battle. The audience was absolutely delighted with what they saw. None of the subsequent emperors managed to “outplay” Claudius. It is no coincidence that his death was mourned by literally the entire city, because he, like no one else, perhaps with the exception of Nero, knew how to entertain the public. And even though during his reign Claudius showed himself to be far from brilliant statesman, this did not prevent him from being perhaps the most revered emperor among the people.

It was gladiatorial fights held in circus arenas that were a daily and favorite spectacle of the Romans, who were well versed in the nuances of hand-to-hand combat.

The public closely followed the progress of the fight, noting the slightest changes in the actions of the fighting gladiators.

If one of them was seriously wounded during a fight, he could throw down his weapon and raise his hand up - with this gesture he asked the audience for mercy. If the audience liked the way he fought, people would give him a thumbs up or simply wave their handkerchiefs while shouting “Let go!” If you didn’t like it, the audience would throw their thumbs down, yelling “Finish it!” The verdict of the crowd was not disputed even by the emperor.

It happened that the fight dragged on, and both wounded gladiators could not defeat each other for a long time. Then the spectators could stop the fight themselves and demand that the editor - the organizer of the games - release both fighters from the arena. And the editor obeyed the “voice of the people.” The same thing happened if the gladiator pleased the public so much with his skill and courage that they demanded the immediate presentation of a wooden training sword as a symbol of complete liberation not only from fights in the arena, but also from slavery. Of course, this only concerned prisoners of war and slaves, but not volunteers.

The name of the gladiator Flamma has survived to this day, during whose career admiring spectators four times demanded that he be given a wooden sword, and he refused all four times! It is possible that Flamma showed such unprecedented stubbornness in the pursuit of fame and money. One way or another, he succeeded; he left the arena voluntarily, more or less unharmed, and at a fairly mature age and being the owner of a decent fortune.

Gladiatorial fights were not alien to the most educated people of that time. Cicero, for example, assessed these games this way: “It is useful for people to see that slaves can fight courageously. If even a simple slave can show courage, then what should the Romans be like? In addition, games accustom warlike people to the form of killing and prepare them for war.” Pliny, Tacitus and many other prominent Roman writers and thinkers were ardent fans of circus shows. The only exception was, perhaps, the philosopher Seneca, who strongly advocated for their prohibition, which not least led to his forced suicide on the orders of his crowned pupil Nero.
Almost all Roman emperors sought to outdo each other in the grandeur of their games in order to win the love of the crowd. Emperor Titus, at the opening of the Colosseum, which accommodated up to 80 thousand spectators and immediately became the main arena of Ancient Rome, ordered to kill different ways 17 thousand Jews who worked on its construction for ten years. And Emperor Commodus, who underwent training at a gladiator school, himself fought in the arena. All his fights, naturally, ended in victories. However, the Romans, who did not like “hackwork” in such an important matter, quickly forced him to end his career as a gladiator. Although Commodus still managed to enter the chronicle of games - he once killed five very expensive hippopotamuses with well-aimed shots from a bow. Emperor Domitian, being a virtuoso in archery, loved to amuse spectators by hitting the head of a lion or bear with arrows so that the arrows seemed to become horns for them. And he killed naturally horned animals - deer, bulls, bison, and so on - with a shot in the eye. It must be said that the Roman people loved this ruler very much.

There were also merry fellows among the Roman emperors. The name Gallienus, for example, is very connected funny story. One jeweler, who sold false precious stones and was sentenced to the arena for this, was driven out by the bestiaries into the middle of the circus and placed in front of a closed lion cage. The unfortunate man waited with bated breath for an inevitable and, moreover, terrible death, and then the cage door swung open and out came... a chicken. The jeweler, unable to withstand the stress, fainted. When the audience had laughed enough, Gallienus ordered the announcement: “This man deceived, therefore he was deceived.” Then the jeweler was brought to his senses and released on all four sides.

By the beginning of the 4th century, gladiatorial fights and animal persecution began to gradually decline. This was the time when the once Great Roman Empire began to literally languish under the blows of numerous “barbarian” tribes. The situation was aggravated by the ongoing economic crisis - the Romans themselves practically did not work, and imported goods were constantly becoming more expensive. Therefore, the Roman emperors of that period had enough worries besides arranging expensive games. And, nevertheless, they continued, although without the same scope. Gladiator fights were finally banned 72 years before the fall of the Roman Empire.

The end to the bloody orgies in the arena was put by the Christian Church, which became a serious spiritual and political force in the late Roman Empire. Having endured terrible persecution in the first 300 years and having lost tens of thousands of the first followers of Christ, all tortured in the same arena, the church in 365 achieved a universal ban on animal baiting in circuses. In 404, the monk Telemachus, intervening in a gladiator battle, managed to stop it at the cost of his own life. This event was the last straw that broke the patience of the Christian Emperor Honorius, who imposed an official ban on the fighting.

For historians to this day, the fate of female gladiators remains an unread book. There is no doubt that the cruel morals of that time could have allowed such a thing. in 2000, all the newspapers in the world proclaimed a sensation: “the remains of a female gladiator have been found!” This truly shocking discovery was made by British scientists conducting excavations during the Roman period. if earlier, the only thing that proved the fact that women not only could participate in battles, but participated in them, were only the hypotheses of scientists. Having studied the pelvic bones and spine, scientists were able to establish with great certainty that the remains found belong to a woman. After conducting a complex analysis to determine the age, scientists stated the fact that the rates date back to the Roman period.

The woman died from numerous injuries, and it is possible to assume that she participated in a fight with an animal. the Romans professed paganism, and therefore the nature of the Roman religion did not forbid women to “act” i.e. transform through theatrical play. For the first time, a woman was seen as an actor on stage with Neuron. the neuron admired the beauty female body and attracted women not only to perform songs and theatrical acts on stage, but also to real fights. Gradually, the woman migrated from the theater to the amphitheater. The first gladiator fights in history to honor the death of a woman were held after the death of Caesar's beloved daughter Julia. there is also information that these games were accompanied by women's ritual dances, during which women imitated combat. Of course, no one will definitely name the names of female gladiators yet, there are several reasons for this. firstly, upon entering school they probably received male names, under which they were buried, and secondly, even reading Roman historians, it becomes clear that women’s fights were more mysterious and sacred... and as we know, secrets are not usually disclosed.

The performance of female gladiators, mentioned by Suetonius in the biography of Emperor Domitian (81-96), was already considered something new at that time. The circus hosted bloody battles of female gladiators, in which even women from respectable families participated, which was considered especially shameful. In the 9th year of Nero's reign, these battles took on incredible proportions. It would be completely wrong to think that representatives of the gentler sex only in the advanced and emancipated twentieth century so persistently sought to appropriate everything that was originally masculine - behavior, participation in public life, clothing, professions, hobbies. Such is the nature of a woman that she always wants what, in theory, should not belong to her. so the ancient Greek women already made a lot of efforts (even to the point of risking losing their lives) to get into places forbidden for women Olympic Games, and the ancient Romans adored men's baths and men's wild lifestyle. Moreover, female gladiators sometimes won victories over representatives of the stronger sex.

The world was changing, and people's value orientations were changing along with it. When Constantine was the Roman emperor, Christianity grew stronger and stronger. gradually the church became a strong feudal lord, it owned the land and, as a result, seriously influenced state policy.

Constantine himself, the great, adopted Christianity first among the Roman emperors, although he did so a few minutes before his death. Soon Christianity was accepted as a religion equal to Roman paganism, and then completely supplanted the Romans’ pagan ideas about gods and imposed monotheism. At the meeting of the first church council, it was decided to fight the bloody pagan games. Those condemned by the highest court were no longer condemned to death and thrown into the arena with ravenous bloodthirsty beasts, but instead were charged with forced hard labor.

However, even after the adoption of this edict on the Apennine peninsula, the priests, with the consent of the emperor, still continued to organize gladiator fights. the priests, whose bread was serving the bloody cult, did not want to part with their familiar and understandable rituals, and with their light hand gladiator fights were almost revived. However, in 357, Emperor Constantine II prohibited young men liable for military service from joining gladiator schools, and in 399 the last of them closed. but it was not so easy to give up the habit of seeing death, which has been living in society for a long time. Five years later, a new imperial decree was needed to decisively and irrevocably prohibit the organization of both schools and gladiatorial battles. the reason for this was the tragic death of a Christian novice in 404, a certain Telemachus. the monk ran into the arena and tried to calm the fighters, but instead he was torn apart by the angry crowd. After this, Emperor Ganorius banned gladiatorial practice. forever.

And next time I’ll tell you about the uprising of Spartacus.

sources
http://www.mystic-chel.ru/
http://www.istorya.ru/
http://www.gramotey.com/

And I’ll remind you of this controversial topic: And let’s also remember The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -