• Rules
• Combats

• Nova Roma

CERELIA MUNERA - GLADIATOR COMBATS
   

RULES OF THE FIGHT

Many thanks to G. Galerius Peregrinator and P. Tarquitius Rufus for the help.

    I - Types of Gladiators

    a) Retiarius:  fast gladiator, almost naked, armed with a web and a

trident.

    b) Murmillo :  very common kind of gladiator, wore a helmet with

the form of a fish and a leather hood, galerum. He uses a heavy sword and a shield.

    c) Samnite  :  carried a sword and shield. The samnite is dressed

like the ancient Samnite warriors defeated by Rome.

    d) Thracian   :  very popular gladiator.  Carried a round buckler

and a dagger.

    e) Essedarius (chariot-fighter) : the essedarius comes in a bigae

and throws spears.

�By far the greatest sight in the procession was the captured armour, and so magnificent were the pieces considered that the gilded shields were distributed amongst the owners of the silversmiths' shops to adorn the Forum. This is said to be the origin of the custom of the aediles decorating the Forum when the symbols of three Capitoline deities are conducted in procession through the City on the occasion of the Great Games. Whilst the Romans made use of this armour to honour the gods, the Campanians, out of contempt and hatred towards the Samnites, made the gladiators who performed at their banquets wear it, and they then called them `Samnites.'�

Livy, History of Rome, BOOK IX: B.C. 321-304: THE SECOND SAMNITE WAR

    II - FIGHTING TECHNIQUES:

    a) AGRESSIVE FIGHT     : this technique relies on heavy and violent

attacks caring little with defence.

    b) EVASIVE FIGHT       : this technique relies on speed, constant

escaping, and hit and run.

    c) DEFENSIVE FIGHT    :  this technique relies on defence with

shield to block attacks.  The fighter is very defensive, cautious, and fights with precision.

� Aedilis praeter comitium ac forum basilicasque etiam Capitolium ornauit porticibus ad tempus extructis, in quibus abundante rerum copia pars apparatus exponeretur. uenationes autem ludosque et cum collega et separatim edidit, quo factum est, ut communium quoque inpensarum solus gratiam caperet nec dissimularet collega eius Marcus Bibulus, euenisse sibi quod Polluci: ut enim geminis fratribus aedes in foro constituta tantum Castoris uocaretur, ita suam Caesarisque munificentiam unius Caesaris dici. Adiecit insuper Caesar etiam gladiatorium munus, sed aliquanto paucioribus quam destinauerat paribus; nam cum multiplici undique familia conparata inimicos exterruisset, cautum est de numero gladiatorum, quo ne maiorem cuiquam habere Romae liceret �

G. Suetonius Tranquillus, De Vita Caesarum - LIBER I: DIVVS IVLIVS

    III - BONUS:

    This rule is like the scissor-paper-stone game, and depending on  the manner of fighting the fighter gets a bonus.

    a) AGRESSIVE has bonus over DEFENSIVE: the defensive fighter cannot stand all the blows from an agressive fighter

    b) DEFENSIVE has bonus over EVASIVE:  the evasive fighter is less effective than the aggressive and defensive, but his studied attacks can pick the evasive fighter in mid movement.

    c) EVASIVE has bonus over AGRESSIVE:  the agressive fighter who attacks all the time is open to hits from a fast evasive fighter.

    IV - NATURAL TECHNIQUE  AND CHOSEN TECHNIQUE:

    The Murmillo and The Thracian are AGRESSIVE.

    The Retiarius and The Essedarius are EVASIVE.

    The Samnite is DEFENSIVE.

    A fighter can choose a different technique for fighting to trap the adversary, and he is free to choose and his choice is kept secret.  The natural technique and the chosen technique will be added up for bonus score.

    V - THE WOUND RULE

    A �round� of fight would start by throwing a dice for each player, then bonus is added. The higher value corresponds to the size of wound inflicted.

  The fighter who is wounded three times falls.  If the difference between total wounds is just one, the public gives mercy to the fallen warrior or thumbs down (or up).