Recognising Gladiators: Ⅱ the Eques

An eques (“horseman”, plural: equites) was always teamed up with another eques. Some artists rendered them with ocreae (greaves)[i] and manicae (arm guards) (Fig.❶), but usually they only had a helmet, a sword and a shield, making them the least protected of the seven most popular imperial Roman one-on-one gladiators right after the retiarius.

☑　Tunica

The equites were the only ones of the different categories of gladiators to wear a tunic, but a relief from the Glyptothek (Munich) suggests that the early equites wore scale-armour^[ii].

☑　Shoes or boots

Unlike most gladiators, equites appear to have worn some kind of footwear (Fig. ❶&❷&[iii])

Fig. ❶Relief showing two equites, Pompeii 20-50 CE. Gladiator exhibition, Gallo-Romeins Museum, Tongeren (Belgium)

☑　Hasta

It is commonly assumed that the equites started their duel riding on white horses[iv] and then got down^[v], perhaps after hastae (spears) had been hurled at one another. An oil lamp in Vienne^[vi] shows and eques on horseback, but most representations show a duel on foot, even though eques means “horseman”. This may be due to the fact that it was easy to lose one’s balance fighting on horseback as stirrups were not used by the ancient Romans^[vii].

☑　Cassis

Egg-shaped, brimmed helmet with small holes for the eyes, often decorated with two feathers (Fig. ❶&❷&[viii]).

 

Fig. ❷Relief showing two equites, Pompeii 20-50 CE. Gladiator exhibition, Gallo-Romeins Museum, Tongeren (Belgium)

☑　Parma

It is hard to establish whether the round shields used by the eques had a center grip (like the oval shields found in DuraEuropus, Syria[ix]) or straps to secure the forearm to the shield (like the clipeus/aspis ἀσπίς). A third possibility is that both types existed, either simultaneously, or depending on what was fashionable at a certain time. Finally, we should consider the possibility that the equites’ shield was provided with both a center grip and straps so the wielder could decide for himself what felt most comfortable depending on the situation. Certain depictions (Fig. ❶+[i]) seem to show equites with shields that are not unlike medieval bucklers, which would make a center grip more likely. One mosaic from Zliten, Libya^[x] shows the shields lying on the ground with the backside up, probably revealing a center grip, but the nature of this type of artwork makes it hard to make out details. An argument in favour of two straps is that it would be rather difficult to hold a shield with a center grip while on horseback (equestrians with oval parmae on Trajan’s column seem to hold their shields with straps^[xi]). A mosaic in Germany[xii] depicts equites with shields that look more like domed clipei/aspides than flat parmae, which would make two straps more likely. In all depictions known to the author, the artists have avoided showing how the hand is gripping the shield, sometimes at the expense of a natural-looking posture, presumably because the arm’s position is difficult to depict.  

☑　Gladius

The length of the short sword used by the eques seems to vary, but on some depictions it looks more like a dagger^{[xiii] [xiv]} in length, rather than the type of gladius a legionary would have used.

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[i] Raddato, Carole. “Mosaic depicting the fight between two equites gladiators named Simmachius and Maternus, 3rd century AD, National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid (15290925618).jpg”. Available from: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mosaic_depicting_the_fight_between_two_equites_gladiators_named_Simmachius_and_Maternus,_3rd_century_AD,_National_Archaeological_Museum_of_Spain,_Madrid_(15290925618).jpg (accessed September 13, 2016).

[ii] User:Bibi Saint-Pol. “Relief gladiators Glyptothek Munich 364.jpg”. Available from Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Relief_gladiators_Glyptothek_Munich_364.jpg (accessed January 28^th, 2016).

[iii] Raddato, Carole. “Mosaic depicting the fight between two equites gladiators named Simmachius and Maternus, 3rd century AD, National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid (15290925618).jpg”. Available from: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mosaic_depicting_the_fight_between_two_equites_gladiators_named_Simmachius_and_Maternus,_3rd_century_AD,_National_Archaeological_Museum_of_Spain,_Madrid_(15290925618).jpg (accessed September 13, 2016).

[iv] Watson, Lindsay & Patricia (2003) Martial: Select Epigrams. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 178.

[v] Shadrake, Susanna (2005) 2011. The World of the Gladiator. Didcot: Tempus Publishing. Reprint, Stroud: The History Press: p153.

[vi] Raddato, Carole. “Terracotta oil lamp, on the discus an eques at full tilt on horseback wearing visored helmet and carrying round shield (parma equestris) and sword (gladius), Musée des Beaux-Arts et dArchéologie, Vienne (France) (9597188417).jpg“. Available from: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terracotta_oil_lamp,_on_the_discus_an_eques_at_full_tilt_on_horseback_wearing_visored_helmet_and_carrying_round_shield_%28parma_equestris%29_and_sword_%28gladius%29,_Mus%C3%A9e_des_Beaux-Arts_et_dArch%C3%A9ologie,_Vienne_%28France%29_%289597188417%29.jpg (accessed September 13, 2016).

[vii] Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins (2014) Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. New York: Infobase Publishing: p85.

[viii] Raddato, Carole. “Mosaic depicting the fight between two equites gladiators named Simmachius and Maternus, 3rd century AD, National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid (15290925618).jpg”. Available from: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mosaic_depicting_the_fight_between_two_equites_gladiators_named_Simmachius_and_Maternus,_3rd_century_AD,_National_Archaeological_Museum_of_Spain,_Madrid_(15290925618).jpg (accessed September 13, 2016).

[ix] Connolly Martell, Bess (2015) “An ancient Roman shield gets a makeover thanks to a Yale team” YaleNews. http://news.yale.edu/2015/11/02/ancient-roman-shield-gets-makeover-thanks-yale-team (accessed September 13, 2016).

[x] “Gladiators from the Zliten mosaic 2.JPG”. Available from: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gladiators_from_the_Zliten_mosaic_2.JPG (accessed September 13 , 2016).

[xi] Ulrich, Roger B. “TRAJAN'S COLUMN LIII/LXXIV (Scene 74) (Detail 2)”. http://www.trajans-column.org/?page_id=107 (accessed June 29, 2016).

[xii] Raddato, Carole. “Detail of Gladiator mosaic, two Eques fighting equipped with lance, sword and the traditional small round shield, Römerhalle, Bad Kreuznach, Germany”. Available from: Flickr.com, https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/8197211680/in/gallery-40060535@N05-72157632064124119/ (accessed September 13, 2016).

[xiii] Raddato, Carole. “Detail of Gladiator mosaic, two Eques fighting equipped with lance, sword and the traditional small round shield, Römerhalle, Bad Kreuznach, Germany”. Available from: Flickr.com, https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/8197211680/in/gallery-40060535@N05-72157632064124119/ (accessed September 13, 2016).

[xiv] UNCG. “Mosaic with Gladiators: panel showing equites. Romermuseum, Augst, Germany.” Available from Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/368169338264429309/ (accessed January 30^th, 2016).