These terms relate to the language of the arena. In everyday Latin, some words (such as eques and magister) have different meanings.
aedile a kind of magistrate in Rome responsible for staging games
andabata (plural andabatae) a special type of gladiator who fights blindfolded
auctoratus (plural auctorati) a free man who signs on as a gladiator
balteus metal belt worn by gladiators
cardiophylax breastplate
cena libera a last supper for the condemned
damnati the condemned
dimachaerus a gladiator who fights with two swords and no shield
doctor (plural doctores) a gladiator instructor
editor (plural editores) organizer of the games
eques (plural equites) a gladiator who fights on horseback with lance and short sword
essedarius (plural essedari) a chariot fighter
familia a ‘family’ of gladiators who live and train together
fasces bundle of rods and an axe carried by the lictores, which symbolize the state’s authority to punish
fornices arches (like those outside the Flavian Amphitheatre, where the prostitutes ply their trade)
galerus armour protecting the shoulder and neck
gladius sword
greave a rigidly armoured knee-high sock
gregarius (plural gregarii) a gladiator who takes part in group combats
‘habet!’ he’s been hit (as if he needed to be told)
harenarii arena slaves
hoplomachus a type of lightly-armed gladiator based on the Greek hoplite
infamis (plural infames) someone officially defined as a low-life
‘iugula!’ kill! (what a losing gladiator does not want to hear from the crowd)
lanista (plural lanistae) the manager of a gladiator school
laquearius a type of retiarius who fights with a lasso (never very popular)
libellus (plural libelli) a poster
libertus a gladiator who has served his term and is a free man
lictores imperial officials and enforcers
ludus (plural ludi) where gladiators live and train
magister head coach (in the context of the ludus)
manica protective sleeve
medicus medical doctor
missio discharge from the arena
‘mitte!’ let him go, let him live
munera assiforana gladiator games costing less than 30,000 sestertii
munus (plural munera) originally a duty, such as that to one’s ancestors, discharged by holding funeral games. Later, a pretext to stage gladiatorial bouts
munerarius he who presents a munus
murmillo ‘the fish man’, a type of heavy gladiator with a distinctive crested helmet
noxi those condemned to death in the arena
paegniarii clowns, mock-gladiators
palus wooden post; target for ancient hackers wanting to improve their swordmanship
parmularii the ‘small-shield fighters’, i.e. the more lightly armed gladiators
pollice verso the emperor’s signal to save or kill a defeated gladiator
pompa the march of the gladiators
‘practum est!’ that’s done it (i.e. a killing blow has been struck)
primus palus leading gladiator in his speciality in the ludus
probatio armorum the inspection of weapons by the giver of the games
procurator a government official
provocator ‘the challenger’, a type of heavy gladiator who fights with a short sword and large shield
quaestus causa for the money (a despicable reason for doing anything – compare virtus causa)
retiarius (plural retiarii) net-fighter
rudis the wooden sword presented to a gladiator on his retirement
sacramentum gladiatorum the gladiators’ oath
Samnite the oldest type of Roman gladiator, named for the Samnite people of Campania who were (eventually) conquered by Rome
saniarum gladiator hospital
scissor a rare type of gladiator, usually seen in the east, equipped with a armoured sleeve that terminates in a hook or multiple blade
scutarii ‘shield-carriers’, the heavily armoured types of gladiator
secundus palus the second highest- ranked gladiator in the ludus, after the primus palus
secutor a heavily-armed gladiator, usually the opponent of the retiarius
sestertius (plural sestertii) a coin; four sestertii = one denarius, or about a day’s wages for a workman
spoliarum where a dead gladiator is stripped of his armour and prepared for burial
sportulae tokens for gifts, thrown into the crowd at the arena
summum choragium storage place for scenery and equipment used in the arena
Thracian a type of lightly-armed gladiator whose main weapon is the Thracian dagger
tirones tiros or beginners who have not fought in the arena
vestarius the man responsible for the gladiators’ costumes
veteres gladiators who have been there, done that, got the mail shirt
virtus bravery combined with integrity
virtus causa by reason of courage/virtue (compare quaestus causa)
venator (plural venatores) an animal-fighter; somewhat unfairly regarded as a warm-up act to the gladiators
vomitoria the wide entrances and corridors through which the crowd spills in and out of the amphitheatre