 |
| 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).
(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)
