How Roman gladiators got ready to rumble

Wearing an armguard and carrying just a shield and sword resembling those Roman legionary soldiers used, the secutor, meaning pursuer, was mobile enough to chase his usual opponent, the net-wielding retiarius, around the ring. The secutor’s helmet was smooth and egg-shaped to prevent it from getting caught on a retiarius’s net. With just two eyeholes, the helmet must have been hard to see or breathe through, a handicap that balanced out bouts with this gladiator’s bareheaded foe.

One of the most popular gladiator types, the thraex was named after the Thracian people who lived around modern-day Bulgaria. (Featuring gladiators dressed like them in the arena was a way to celebrate Roman conquests.) The thraex was easily recognised by his J-shaped sword and small, curved shield. His armour was limited to leg and arm protectors, forcing him to rely on speed and agility to triumph in combat.

Named for the Roman word for net (rete), the “net man” was an arena staple and the secutor’s usual foil. He carried a trident, short knife, and weighted net, but no helmet or shield. Using the net to trip his opponent, he would then close in for the kill. Because he relied on attacks from a distance and fast footwork, the retiarius was often described in ancient accounts as unmanly—Romans respected fighters who stood their ground. They may have been crowd favourites nonetheless, in much the same way the crowd loves to cheer the “bad guy” in a professional wrestling match.

With a spear and small shield, the hoplomachus—from the Greek for “armoured fighter”—was intended to recall typical Greek warriors. They wore leg armour that extended high up their thighs and helmets decorated with tall feather plumes. The hoplomachus usually paired off with the murmillo or thraex.

The tank of the arena, this gladiator carried a shin-to-shoulder shield, wore a heavy, full-coverage helmet topped with a tall crest, and donned arm and leg guards into the arena. He was armed with a short sword, called a gladius, based on the standard weapon of Roman legionaries. Slow-moving and well protected behind his heavy shield, the murmillo was typically paired against faster-moving opponents. The name comes from a type of fish, perhaps because of the upswept, finlike crest on his helmet.