Od Studios -- Gladiators: Hoplomachus
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Gladiators: Hoplomachus -- by sector24, 2007-10-03 |
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Introduction |
Bestiarius |
Dimachaerius |
Equite |
Murmillo
Provocator |
Retiarius |
Samnite |
Secutor |
Thracian |
Other Gladiators
Hoplomachus
Hoplomachi were heavily armored gladiators based on historical Greek hoplites. They wore a helmet with a stylized griffin on the crest, a typical manica, and ocrea. They also wore woolen or heavy linen leg wrappings that covered the thigh. In addition to a dagger and gladius, the hoplomachus carried a spear and a parma. As a parmalarii, (small shield fighter) they were typically paired against murmillos or thracians.
It is generally accepted that the hoplomachus developed from the earlier samnite gladiator and eventually replaced them. However, there is often a great deal of confusion as to which gladiator types were matched up against the both the samnite and the hoplomachus. It seems quite obvious, since the hoplomachus uses a spear and a parma, while the samnite uses a gladius and a scutum that they are a different class of gladiator. However, it is suggested that there is confusion because the hoplomachus did not always use a spear or a parma. There must have been some evolutionary period between the samnite and the hoplomachus in which it is difficult to classify them as parmalarii or scutarii and hence which opponents they faced is also muddled.
Strictly speaking though, the archetypal hoplomachus is defined as a well armored parmalarii that fought the murmillo, and in the later Roman eras the Thracian.
vs the Murmillo
This was a very common matchup in which the murmillo's larger shield was pitted against the longer range of the hoplomachus' spear. The goal of the hoplomachus was to keep the murmillo at bay with the spear and more importantly stay out of range of the gladius. If the hoplomachus were to break or lose his spear, he still had a gladius but the smaller shield would mean that the murmillo had a significant advantage.
vs the Thracian
Again, the hoplomachus' spear was used to keep the thracian at bay, although this time the thracian also had a small shield, so it seems that the hoplomachus had the initial advantage. However, the thracian's sica is designed to get around shields, so if the thracian could close the distance then he would have the advantage against the hoplomachus' parma.
Introduction |
Bestiarius |
Dimachaerius |
Equite |
Murmillo
Provocator |
Retiarius |
Samnite |
Secutor |
Thracian |
Other Gladiators
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