Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

GLADIATOIIES.

GLAD1ATOKF.S.

in which they fought with wooden swords, or
the like, and afterwards at the sound of the
trumpet the real Battle began. AYhen a gla-
diator was wounded, the people called out
hahet or hoc habet; and the one who was
vanquished lowered his arms in token of sub-
mission. His fate, however, depended upon
the people, who pressed down their thumbs if
they wished him to be saved, but turned them
up if they wished him to be killed, and or-
dered him to receive the sword (ferrum rc-
ciperc), which gladiators usually did with
the greatest firmness. If the life of a van-
quished gladiator was spared, he obtained his
discharge for that day, which was called
missio ; and hence in an exhibition of gladia-
tors sine missione, the lives of the conquered
were never spared. This kind of exhibition,
however, was forbidden by Augustus. Palms
were usually given to the victorious gladia-
tors. Old gladiators, and sometimes those
who had only fought for a short time, were
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. — Gladiators were divided
into different classes, according to their arms
and different mode of fighting, or other cir-
cumstances. The names of the most impor-
tant of these classes are given in alphabetical
order ;—Andabatae wore helmets without any
aperture for the eyes, so that they were
obliged to fight blindfold, and thus excited
the mirth of the spectators.—Catervarii was

the name given to gladiators when they did
not fight in pairs, but when several fought
together.—Essedarii fought from chariots,
like the Gauls and Britons. [Esseda.]—Hop-
lomachi appear to have been those who fought
in a complete suit of armour.—Laqueatores
were those who used a noose to catch their
adversaries. — Meridiani were those who
fought in the middle of the day, after com-
bats with wild beasts had taken place in the
morning. These gladiators were very slightly
armed.—Mirmilluncs are said to have been so
called from their having the image of a fish
(mormyr, jiop/xvpos) on their helmets. Their
arms were like those of the Gauls, whence we
find that they were also called Galli. They
were usually matched with the ltctiarii or
Thracians.—Provocatores fought with the
Samnites, but we do not know any thing
respecting them except their name.—BetiarU
carried only a three-pointed lance, called
tridens or fuscina [Fuscixa], and a net [rete),
which they endeavoured to throw over their
adversaries, and they then attacked them
with the fuseina while they were entangled.
The retiarius was dressed in a short tunic,
and wore nothing on his head. If he missed
his aim in throwing the net, he betook him-
self to flight, and endeavoured to prepare his
net for a second east, while his adversary
followed him round the arena in order to kill
him before he could make a second attempt.
His adversary was usually a secutor or a
mirmillo. In the following woodcut a com-
bat is represented between a retiarius and a

A Mirmillo and a RL-tianus. (Winckelmann, ' MoDum. [ned.,1 pi. 1!)7-)

mirmillo ; the former has thrown his net over
the head of the latter, and is proceeding to
attack him with the fuse:na. The lanista
stands behind the retiarius —Sanuiites were
so called, because they were armed in the
same way as that people, and were particu-
larly distinguished by the oblong scutum.—
Secutores are supposed by some writers to be

so called because the secutor in his combat
with the retiarius pursued the latter when
he failed in securing him by his net. Other
writers think that they were the same as the
: supposititii, who were gladiators substituted
[ in the place of those who were wearied or
I were killed.—Thraccs or Threees were armed,
] like the Thracians, with a round shield 01

o 2