hoplomachus: Difference between revisions

|wketx=A [[hoplomachus]] (pl. hoplomachi) (hoplon meaning "[[equipment]]" in Greek) was a type of gladiator in ancient Rome, armed to resemble a Greek [[hoplite]] (soldier with heavy armor and helmet, a small, round, concave [[shield]], a spear and a sword). The hoplomachus would wear a bronze helmet, a manica on his right arm, loincloth (subligaculum), heavy padding on his legs, and a pair of high greaves reaching to mid-thigh. His weapons were the spear and a short sword. He was often pitted against the murmillo (armed like a Roman soldier), perhaps as a re-enactment of Rome's wars in Greece and the Hellenistic East. The name hoplomachus means 'armored fighter'. The small, round shield, or hoplon, was as much a weapon as a sword or spear, not unlike the original hoplites (who carried a larger shield), who used it primarily for defensive purposes, but also employed it in their charges, using it to ram their opponents at the onset of a fight. They wear no shoes so the sand will chafe their feet and give them a challenge.