Gladiator Types
MadocSources:
Gladiators - Micheal Grant - Barnes and Noble
Gladiatoren in Ephesos - Museum Ephesos
Gladiators and Caesars - ed. Kohne and Wewigleben - British Museum Press
Junkelmann, Dr Marcus, Das Spiel mit dem Todt – Roms Gladitoren im Experiment, Philip Von Zabern, 2000
We consider the gladiators as presented by Marcus Junkelmann to be the most accurate representations available and they are shown in the "Gladiators and Caesars" book above or in his own work on the subject. Some images are here http://www.clemens-fritz.de/gladiator.htm.
This article is not exhaustive, it is purely meant as a rough guide to what type of gladiator you can be.
Either obtain the "Gladiators and Caesars" book, probably about the most useful when it comes to making kit up, listed above or talk to the Group officers for more information.
Gladiators become standardised in the imperial period with recognisable "classes". The above diagram, outlines them. See images of the Junkelmann examples here:
http://www.clemens-fritz.de/gladiator.htm
Equite (left) are the least well known of the gladiators, they also appear to wear tunics. They should start on horseback but are generally shown fighting on foot.
(right) Hoplomachus and Thraex. Note the long greaves and smaller shields.
Two lamps featuring the Thraex. One with his shield restng on his thigh and the other in the atypical "guard position"
Thraex are often shown with a curved sword.
Threax vs Murmillo (right)
Murmillo have a shorter greave only on the shield leg, where as the Thraex wears greaves that are similar to modern cricket pads.
Note discarded thraex shield on the floor.
As to why they are fighting without shields ?? We have little idea about the conventions involved in gladatorial combat, and it's likely that an equal and lengthy fight would result in both combatants being made to dispense with their shields as many images show this.
As any combatant will tell you, fighting without a shield is a serious disadvantage and no fighter would willingly discard it . The same is true of helmets, in that they protect the most vital organs and as the head is exposed then a helmet is an essential piece of protective equipment. In any case, the anonymity of gladiators needs to be maintained and helmets are never removed. Unfortunately, many reenactments feature both of these inaccuracies.
Another Murmillo.
The retiarius and the secutor are a unique match (the other classes seem to be able to fight each other), probably because the net of the retiarius requires both special equipment and training to fight against.
You can see (above) that the shield of the secutor would appear to have been removed for some reason. Again, we simply do not understand much of what went on in the arena.