The feeling of hot, blood soaked sand beneath the feet.  The roar of the bloodthirsty crowd and the  clash of sword against shield.  The presence of death or freedom equally close at hand.  This was the world of the gladiator.

This class will examine the gladiators of ancient Rome.  Who were these men?  How did they fight and why did they fight?  What kind of training did they engage in and what hardships were they forced to endure in the name of entertainment for the people of Rome?  These questions and more will be explored as will many of the modern, Hollywood inspired myths and misconceptions about this ancient form of combat.

The image of Russell Crowe and Kirk Douglas may come to mind when one thinks “gladiator”, however they are far from being accurate.  Gladiators were trained in specific forms of fighting and pairings generally followed a specific formant.  We will look at the differences between these types of gladiators and look at basic training practices, fighting theory, and techniques of different weapon combinations, specifically that of the Thraex and Murmillo class of gladiators.  Each of these two types fought with specific weapon and armor combinations – the Thraex used a curved form of the gladius, called a sica, and carried a medium sized square shield.  Body protection was limited to greaves, padded leg and arm protection, and helmet whereas the Murmillo fought with the large, rectangular scutum, the gladius, and wore greaves, arm protection and helmet.  These two forms were most often paired together, although each fought a few different types of opponent.  If time permits we may explore the Retiarius, known for using a net and trident and often paired against the Murmillo.

Participants are required to bring protective head/eye wear and are strongly encouraged to bring hand and forearm protection.  Some training weapons will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own, especially a rudis (wooden training gladius).