A secutor (''pl.'' secutores) was a class of

gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...

. Thought to have originated around 50 AD, the secutor ("follower" or "chaser", from ''sequor'' "I follow, come or go after") was armed similarly to the

Murmillo The murmillo (also sometimes spelled "mirmillo" or "myrmillo", pl. murmillones) was a type of gladiator during the Roman Imperial age. The murmillo-class gladiator was adopted in the early Imperial period to replace the earlier Gallus, named afte ...

and like the Murmillo, was protected by a heavy shield. A secutor usually carried a short sword, a

gladius ''Gladius'' () is a Latin word meaning "sword" (of any type), but in its narrow sense it refers to the sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called '' xiphe'' (plural; singular ''xi ...

, or a

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use de ...

. The secutor was specially trained to fight a

retiarius A ''retiarius'' (plural ''retiarii''; literally, "net-man" in Latin) was a Roman gladiator who fought with equipment styled on that of a fisherman: a weighted net (''rete'' (3rd decl.), hence the name), a three-pointed trident (''fuscina'' or ...

, a type of lightly armoured gladiator armed with a

trident A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other marine ...

and net.

Equipment

The secutor wore a ''

subligaculum A ''subligaculum'' was a kind of undergarment worn by ancient Romans. It could come either in the form of a pair of shorts, or in the form of a simple loincloth wrapped around the lower body. It could be worn both by men and women. In particular ...

'' (loincloth), and a '' balteus'' (a wide belt much like that of the retiarius). On his right arm he wore a '' manica'' (a heavy linen or metal wrapping tied with leather thongs). On his left leg he wore an ''ocrea'' (a greave made of boiled leather or metal). He also carried a ''

scutum The ''scutum'' (; plural ''scuta'') was a type of shield used among Italic peoples in antiquity, most notably by the army of ancient Rome starting about the fourth century BC. The Romans adopted it when they switched from the military formati ...

'' (a curved rectangular shield) to protect himself. The very distinctive helmet of the secutor had only two small eye-holes, in order to prevent a retiarius' trident from being thrust through the face, as well as a rounded top, so as not to get caught in a net. The flanges protecting his neck were smooth and shaped like fish fins for this purpose. Because of the weight and lack of space in the helmet, the secutor had to win quickly, lest he fall to exhaustion or faint due to breath constrictions and heavy armor.

Opponent

The secutor was specially trained to fight a

, a type of lightly armoured gladiator armed with a

and net. This matchup was particularly popular, as it pitted the secutor's heavy armor against the lightweight retiarius. On account of his heavy armor, a secutor was prone to exhaustion during longer matches, and thus relied on quickly concluding the battle to gain victory. The retiarius was lightly equipped in order to evade the secutor's attacks, attempting to exhaust the secutor. The match-up dramatized an encounter between the "fisherman" (retiarius) and a "fish" (secutor). The retiarius used his net to catch the secutor who was equipped with fish-themed armor bearing scaly patterns and smooth contours.

Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville ( la, Isidorus Hispalensis; c. 560 – 4 April 636) was a Spanish scholar, theologian, and archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of 19th-century historian Montalembert, as "the last scholar of ...

noted an association between the retiarius with

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...

, the god of water, and the secutor with

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

, the god of fire. He reasons that this is because fire is a pursuer, and fire and water are always at odds.

Famous Secutores

Flamma

A Syrian, he died at the age of 30, after having fought 34 times—winning 21, drawing 9, and needing ''missio'' (to be spared) only four times. Flamma also received the highest reward four times, a ''rudi'' (wooden sparring sword), which came with the opportunity to stop being a gladiator. Each time he refused the offer, and continued his career.

Commodus

Roman Emperor

Commodus Commodus (; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 176 until the latter's death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination. ...

fought as a secutor, taking to the arena seven hundred thirty-five times. His victories were often welcomed by his bested opponents, as bearing scars dealt by the hand of an Emperor were considered a mark of fortitude. Commodus' opponents always surrendered after they were bested. Commodus never killed his gladiatorial adversaries, instead accepting their surrenders. Commodus' time as a gladiator was not well received by the Roman public. According to

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus ( el, Ἡρωδιανός) of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death o ...

, spectators of Commodus thought it unbecoming of an emperor to take up arms in the amphitheater for sport when he could be campaigning against

barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...

among other opponents of Rome. The consensus was that it was below his office to participate as a gladiator. After Commodus' death in 192 AD, the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

imposed ''

damnatio memoriae is a modern Latin phrase meaning "condemnation of memory", indicating that a person is to be excluded from official accounts. Depending on the extent, it can be a case of historical negationism. There are and have been many routes to , includi ...

'' upon Commodus. As a result of his damnation, according to

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

, the Roman public no longer referred to Commodus by his name or as Emperor after his death. Instead, he was referred to as 'the gladiator' or 'the charioteer' as a means to demean his name.Dio (Cassius.), and Earnest Cary. Roman History. Harvard University Press, 1961, 74.2.1

References

External links

*James Grout
''Secutor'', part of the Encyclopædia Romana
*{{cite journal , last1=Lockyer , first1=Adam , title=Foreign intervention and warfare in civil wars , journal=Review of International Studies , date=5 January 2011 , volume=37 , issue=5 , pages=2337–2364 , jstor=41308459 , doi=10.1017/S0260210510001488

Gladiator types