Gladiators: murmillo versus retiarius

Two well known types of gladiators, who often fought each other, were the murmillo armored swordsman and the retiarius netman.

The murmillo wore southern Italian style of armor and probably evolved from the early Samnite type gladiators. The murmillo’s armatura included a large, rectangular or oval, long shield, his scutum. With the shield being large enough to protect the right leg, a small greave was usually only worn on the left leg. The head was protected by a helmet with a visor and an impressive high angled crest. The murmillo is named after a type of fish, a possible reference to the shape of the helmet crest. The murmillo’s weapon was a short sword, the gladius.

Fighting without helmet and wielding net, trident and pugio (dagger), the retiarius, “netman” type, gladiator, appeared in the mid 1st century AD. His sole piece of protection was the galerus shoulder guard. The net was weighed with small lead pieces along its sides, causing it to open when properly thrown.

The murmillo and retiarius were matched against each other. However, the net got too easily entangled in the murmillo’s helmet crest. Hence, a new smooth helmet was developed for a specialized murmillo known as a secutor “chaser.” Nevertheless, the weapons and tactics continued to favored the retiarius. Trapping the heavily armed gladiator secutor within the net severely restricted his movements and pulling at it would cause him loose balance; opening him up for attack with the retiarius’ trident. Bets were usually taken at five to three on the netman.

– L. Dyck

Illustration by Gary Rees.

A heavily armored murmillo type gladiator engaged by a retiarius, who seems to have some limited protection on his left arm. The murmillo wears his distinct crested visored helmet as well as manica (arm armor). He also wears greaves on both legs and a breastplate, although typically only the provocator type gladiator sported armor protecting the chest and torso.

Sources: Brenda Ralph Lewis and Gary Rees, Das Alte Rome, Was Ist Was, Band 55 Hamburg: Neuer Tessloff Verlag, 1974, Daniel P. Mannix, The Way of the Gladiator, New York: Ibook, 2001, Jona Lendering, Gladiator, Livius.org, Mike Toth, Arms and Armor of the Gladiators, thecollector.com.