Eques
A gladiator who fought on horseback, like a Roman knight, against other mounted fighters. An eques carried a spear, but also used a sword, so he could dismount to duel with an opponent. His helmet often displayed two feathers on either side of the dome (with no crest).
Essedarius
A chariot-fighter who probably dismounted to fight hand to hand.
Familia gladiatorium
A troupe of gladiators who lived and trained under one lanista.
Gallus
A Gaul, a type of heavily armed fighter named after the Romans’ tribal enemy. The original Galli were probably war captives. This type of fighter died out in the Empire.
Hoplomachus
This gladiator was distinguished by his short, curved sword. Like a Thrax, he wore high leg guards.
Lanista
An owner, recruiter, trainer, and speculator in gladiators who sold or rented men to munerarii. In the Empire this job came under the jurisdiction of the Emperor.
Liberatio
The freeing of a gladiator who had served his time (a period of years varying according to when and how he was inducted).
Manica
Arm padding of wrapped cloth and leather.
Murmillo
A fighter apparently named after a Greek word for fish. He wore a crested helmet and carried a tall shield.
Retiarius
This was the most distinctive-looking gladiator, a bare-headed, unshielded fighter whose main protection was padding and a shoulder guard on his left arm. He used a net to ensnare his opponent and a long trident to impale him.
Rudiarius
A gladiator who had received a rudis – the wooden sword that marked him as retired and no longer a slave – was an experienced volunteer, especially worth watching. There was a hierarchy of experienced rudiarii within a familia of gladiators, and rudiarii could become trainers, helpers, and arbiters of fights, the referees. The most elite of the retired gladiators were dubbed summa rudis. The summa rudis officials wore white tunics with purple borders and served as technical experts to ensure that the gladiators fought bravely, skilfully, and according to the rules. They carried batons and whips with which they pointed out illegal movements. Ultimately the summa rudis officials could stop a game if a gladiator was going to be too seriously wounded, compel gladiators to fight on, or defer the decision to the Exhibitor. Retired gladiators who became summa rudis achieved fame and wealth in their second careers as officials of the combats.
Samnis
Like the Gallus, the Samnis (Samnite) was originally an enemy of the Romans, from Campania in the south. Captives taken in battle in the Republic undoubtedly provided the model for this type of heavily armed fighter.
Secutor
The ‘follower’ was paired with a retiarius. His armour was distinguished by a helmet with small eyeholes that would presumably impede the trident’s prongs.
Thrax
The Thracian was another type of fighter equipped like a former enemy soldier (from Thrace in northern Greece). He fought with a small rectangular shield and his helmet bore a griffin crest.
Tiro
A gladiator fighting in his very first public combat.
Venator
Venatores were skilled spearmen, usually pitted against carnivorous beasts.
Veteranus
A veteran of one or more combats.