ARCHAEOLOGY

GLADIATOR WEAPONS

ladiatorial contests were wildly popular among the ancient Romans, drawing tens of thousands of spectators. At first, the bouts were simple affairs, fought between combatants lightly armed with carried a short sword and a large shield and wore a rounded helmet that covered his entire head, except for two small eyeholes. A secutor often opposed a who was equipped with a net in one hand and a long trident in the other. Other classes of gladiatorsincluded the who carried two short curved blades; the who fought on horseback; the who rode chariots; and the   

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