Recognising Gladiators: Ⅵ the Hoplomachus

 

Fig. ❶ Hoplomachus in full attire on the Zliten mosaic. around AD 200. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gladiators_from_the_Zliten_mosaic_3.JPG

Hoplomachus

The word “hoplomachus” derived from “hoplites” ὁπλίτης, -often called “hoplite” in English- which is the name of the Greek type of warrior that fought with a round shield and a spear [i] in the renowned phalanx formation. Just like the thraex and the Republican gallus, the hoplomachus is an example of how a defeated enemy of Rome was transformed into a gladiator type [ii].
 

Fig. ❷ Greek vase produced in Athens showing a hoplite, ca 535, Oudheidkundig Museum Leiden (the Netherlands).

☑　Clothes

Like most types of gladiators, murmillones wear a “subligaculum”, which is a loincloth held in place by a wide belt called “balteus”. Also like most other types, they often have some kind of cloth or leather covering the top of their feet, but they are almost never shown wearing shoes with soles. The term “gladiator sandals” therefore seems to be an invention of the sword-and-sandal movies of the 1950s and ‘60s. It was later further popularised by the fashion industry.

☑　Manica (armguard)

Only on the right arm, there is a “manica” (arm guard) because this is the arm that will need to leave the protection of the shield to lash out at the opponent. The left arm is usually behind the shield so there is no need for a manica. In fact, wearing one on the left arm would only add extra weight and hinder the arm’s movement.

☑　Ocreae (greaves)

The hoplomachus, like the thraex, is a parmularius (“one who carries a small shield”) [iii]. This means he needs two long ocreae (greaves) and not just one short ocrea on the left leg like the scutarii (“those who carry large shields” like the murmillo etc.). The upper legs are protected by padded wrappings (fasciae).

☑　Cassis / galea

The cassis (helmet) of the hoplomachus is very similar to that of the thraex, though it has a plain crest without the griffon’s head (Fig. ❸)

Fig. ❸Funerary relief depicting a hoplomachus.30-50 CE, Chieti (Italy), Gladiator exhibition ("Gladiatoren: Helden van het Colosseum"), Gallo-Romeins Museum, Tongeren (Belgium).

☑　Clipeus / parmula

The bronze shield used by the hoplomachus was convex and did not have a shield boss (Fig. ❶&❸). It was based on the aspis ἀσπίς that was used by Greek hoplites. As you can see in these Greek reliefs [iv][v], the aspis had what is called an Argive shield grip [vi]: a metal loop in the centre through which the arm was passed to grip a second loop near the rim of the shield. Traditionally, a hoplite’s aspis would have measured ± 90 cm (± 3 ft.) in diameter [vii].

The shields used by the Roman hoplomachi however, look significantly smaller on most depictions. One example found in the gladiator barracks of Pompeii measured a mere ±40cm (15-16 inch) [viii] in diameter. This is far too small to have the first loop in the centre of the shield so the loops are both near the rim: one to the left and one to the right. Furthermore, the hoplomachus’s shield also appears to be more deeply domed than the original Greek aspis.

☑　Hasta

The fact that the shield is quite inadequate to keep the adversary at a distance is somewhat compensated by the large hasta (spear) the hoplomachus has in his right hand (Fig. ❶&). It is possible that the hasta was hurled at the opponent at some point early in the duel, or perhaps he had to drop it sometimes, because many depictions show the hoplomachus without the hasta [PIIIIC]. This seems only natural as a spear is quite heavy and impractical to use with one arm for a longer period of time.

☑　Pugio

 In his shield hand, the hoplomachus carried a pugio (Fig. ❶&❸).

Luckily for him, the hoplomachus could fall back on this pugio when he no longer had his hasta. If the adversary somehow managed to get past his spear point for example, the hasta would have lost its use and all the hoplomachus could have done was drop it and quickly grab his dagger with his right hand.

Opponents

Like the thraex, the hoplomachus was most often pitted against the heavily armed murmillo (Fig. ❹).

When he still had his spear, the most obvious target for the hoplomachus seems to have been  the murmillo’s throat and chest area, right between the cassis and the scutum. When he had lost his spear, he would have needed to get quite close to the murmillo in order to stab him with his pugio, but this held a risk because at that point, he exposed himself more than the murmillo, with his larger shield, did. For that reason, the hoplomachus would have needed to remain both aggressive and quick enough to stay in control of the distance between him and his opponent so that the murmillo did not have a chance to strike first.

Another possible adversary would be the thraex (Fig. ❺). These two types both have a small shield which makes them quick, but vulnerable. It is easy to imagine how this could easily result in a dynamic struggle.

Fig. ❹ Hoplomachus versus Murmillo

Fig. ❺ Hoplomachus versus Thraex

References:

[i] Nossov, Konstantin (2011) Gladiator: The Complete Guide to Ancient Rome's Bloody Fighters. Rowman & Littlefield: p55.

[ii] Shadrake, Susanna (2005) 2011. The World of the Gladiator. Didcot: Tempus Publishing. Reprint, Stroud: The History Press: p143.

[iii] Dunkle, Roger (2016) Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome. Routledge: p106.

[iv] Jastrow (2006) "Amazonomachy Halicarnassus BM 1014.jpg". commons.wikimedia.org https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amazonomachy_Halicarnassus_BM_1014.jpg (accessed September 30, 2016).

[v] Carole Raddato (2012) "Slab from the Amazonomachy frieze from the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, British Museum.jpg". commons.wikimedia.org https://commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Slab_from_the_Amazonomachy_frieze_from_the_Mausoleum_at_Halikarnassos,_Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus,_British_Museum.jpg
(accessed September 30, 2016).

[vi] Gabriel, Richard A (2002) The Great Armies of Antiquity. Greenwood Publishing Group: p175.

[vii] Phang, Sara E. et al. (2016) Conflict in Ancient Greece and Rome [3 volumes]: The Definitive Political, Social, and Military Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO : p123.

[viii] Shadrake, Susanna (2005) 2011. The World of the Gladiator. Didcot: Tempus Publishing. Reprint, Stroud: The History Press: p162)