Most Popular Gladiator Weapons & Armor Used During the Roman Empire

Ancient weaponry expert Dash Rendar shares insights into the weapons used by gladiators

Co-authored by Dash Rendar and Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: January 22, 2026 Fact Checked

Roman gladiators used a wide variety of weapons, along with specific armor and helmets, to fight their enemies in the Colosseum. Gladiator weapons can get pretty confusing, until now—keep scrolling to get the facts on different types of gladiator weapons, their purpose, and who used them. We’ve also included common types of gladiator armor and helmets worn by these ancient warriors who fought to entertain the masses in Rome, plus facts about the gladiator types themselves, with insights from ancient weaponry expert Dash Rendar.

What weapons did gladiators use?

An illustration of 5 common gladiator weapons including scutum, gladius, sica, parma, and pugio.

Ancient weaponry expert Dash Rendar says each class of gladiators had its own weapon, each with advantages and disadvantages in battle. The most common weapons include:

Scutum: Large rectangular shield
Gladius: Short, double-edged sword
Sica: Short, curved sword
Parma: Small shield (round or rectangular)
Pugio: Double-edged dagger

1

Scutum

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The scutum was a large, curved, rectangular shield. Gladiators who used the scutum shield were also referred to as "scutarii.” The shield was approximately 3-4 feet tall and had a curved shape that wrapped around the gladiator’s body for protection. It featured a horizontal grip for the hand and was also regularly used by Roman infantry. The scutum shield was typically used in conjunction with a short sword (gladius) in the arena.^{[1]
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- Type: Shield
- Used by: Murmillo, Secutor, Provocator
  - Murmillo (“Fish Man”): Used a gladius (short sword) and a large rectangular shield (scutum); wore a helmet featuring a fish-shaped crest, and mostly fought against a Thraex or Hoplomachus.^{[2]
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  - Secutor (“Follower”): Wore a smooth, rounded helmet with small eye holes when fighting the Retiarius’ net.
  - Provocator (“Challenger”): Known for wearing a heavy breastplate and carrying both a gladius and a scutum shield; fought against Murmillo and Thraex.^{[3]
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- If you want to make your own Roman-style shield, check out how.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Dash Rendar is an English Warbow and Ancient Weaponry expert. He has over 700,000 followers across his social media accounts, where he shares his knowledge about ancient weapons and warriors.

2

Gladius

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The gladius was a short, double-edged sword used for thrusting. It was also used for slashing and in close-quarters combat, because of its smooth shape and sharp point. The gladius was mostly used with the scutum shield, and was also a weapon that Roman legionnaires used in battle.^{[4]
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Dash Rendar
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Expert Interview} It was considered the standard weapon for many types of gladiators, which is why the word “gladiator” came from “gladius,” meaning “sword.”
- Type: Sword
- Used by: Murmillo, Secutor, Provocator, Eques, Dimachaerus, Scissor
  - Eques (“Horseman”): Fought on horseback and in foot combat; typically only battled each other.
  - Dimachaerus (“With 2 Swords”): Fought with 2 swords (sica and gladius) while wearing little to no armor; fought against Hoplomachus and other Dimachaerus.^{[5]
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  - Scissor (“Cutter”): Known for wearing a forearm crescent-shaped blade attached to a protective glove; fought against Retiarius.^{[6]
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3

Sica

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The sica was a short, curved sword with a double edge. It was designed with a forward-facing, curved, pointed blade to get around an opponent’s shield. The sica’s angled blade could also reach vulnerable areas on an opponent’s body, like the back or limbs. It had a guard to protect the hand and an end knob so the gladiator’s hand wouldn’t slip.^{[7]
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- Type: Sword
- Used by: Thraex, Dimachaerus
  - Thraex: Fought with a sica, wore high armor on both legs, and a tall crested helmet; fought against Murmillo.^{[8]
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4

Parma

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The parma was a small, often round shield (but could also be square or rectangular). It was used by gladiators called parmularii who were known for their mobility and speed. The lightweight shield’s small size was made for defense moves and not full-body protection. It was typically used alongside a gladius or sica sword.^{[9]
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- Type: Shield
- Used by: Thraex, Hohplomachus, Eques
  - Hoplomachus (“Armored Fighter”): Fully armored gladiators who carried a spear with a small round shield, and wore a helmet with a stylized griffin on the crest; fought against Murmillio.^{[10]
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5

Pugio

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The pugio was a small, broad dagger with a kidney-shaped blade. It was mostly used as a backup weapon by gladiators like Retiarius for close combat fighting. The pugio was also used by Roman legionnaires as a sidearm and by Roman officials as a symbol of status. It was most famously known as the weapon used to assassinate Julius Caesar.^{[11]
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- Type: Dagger
- Used by: Retiarius
  - Retiarius (“Net Man”): Lightly armored gladiators who used a net, a trident, and a dagger; fought against Secutor.^{[12]
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6

Fascina

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The fascina was a long, 3-pronged trident used exclusively by Retiarius gladiators. They usually fought with the fascina trident and a rete (weighted net). The fascina was sometimes as tall as a human being and was used to jab at opponents to keep them at a distance. It was an integral part of the Retiarius’ costume, famously made to look similar to Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.^{[13]
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- Type: Trident
- Used by: Retiarius

7

Rete

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The rete was a weighted net used alongside the fascina. The Retiarius gladiator used this heavy net to entangle his opponent and possibly disable him. In addition to the rete and fascina, Retiarius also sometimes used a pugia dagger as a weapon.^{[14]
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- Type: Net
- Used by: Retiarius

8

Hasta

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The hasta was a long spear used for thrusting. It was the ideal type of spear to throw at an opponent from a distance. It measured 8 feet (2.4 meters) in length and had a pointed leaf-shaped head, which also added to its ability for thrusting from afar. The Roman army also used the hasta spear as a way to defend against opponents on horseback.^{[15]
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- Type: Spear
- Used by: Hoplomachus

9

Lancea

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The lancea was a lightweight spear functioning as a javelin and a thrusting weapon. It was also used for both throwing and fighting in close quarters, and when gladiators fought animals in the arena. The lancea spear was more commonly used in the Roman army for defending against soldiers on horseback. For this reason, the lancea was reserved for the Eques gladiators, who primarily fought each other on horseback.^{[16]
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- Type: Spear
- Used by: Eques

10

Arbelas

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The arbelas was a forearm scissor blade used exclusively by Scissor gladiators. It had a curved, semi-circular blade (resembling a cobbler’s knife) and was attached to a metal tube or glove worn by the gladiator to protect his forearm. The Scissor gladiator also typically carried a gladius sword when facing the Retiarius.^{[17]
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- Type: Blade
- Used by: Scissor

11

Manica

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The manica served as a protective arm sleeve for gladiators. They wore it on their sword arm to protect both the forearm and shoulder. Manica means “sleeve” in Latin, and was made mostly from overlapping metal parts secured with leather straps to fasten it in place. It was also used by Roman legionnaires for arm protection during battle.^{[18]
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- Type: Sleeve
- Used by: Thraex, Hoplomachus, Retiarius, Murmillo

12

Greaves

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Greaves were shin guards worn to protect the lower legs. They often used overlapping pieces of metal so that gladiators could remain flexible when fighting off their opponents, and had leather straps to fasten them. The look of the greaves varied, with many featuring decorative designs or artistic imagery, including Roman gods like Jupiter or Neptune. Most gladiators wore one or 2 greaves, depending on the fight.^{[19]
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- Type: Leg guard
- Used by: Thraex, Secutor, Murmillo, Provocator

13

Galerus

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Galerus was a long, curved shoulder guard worn by the Retiarius. It covered the left shoulder and upper arm, while also protecting parts of the head and face. The galerus was the primary armor worn by the Retiarius, who did not wear a helmet. It was often worn with the manica forearm sleeve for further protection to the left side, which was the side that the Retiarius presented to their opponents.^{[20]
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- Type: Shoulder guard
- Used by: Retiarius

14

Balteus

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The balteus was a leather belt that held a dagger or sword. Worn both by gladiators and Roman legionnaires, its primary function was to hold the loincloth in place. The balteus was made from leather and adorned with metal (bronze or tin) plates or medallions as a status symbol. In addition to holding a pugio dagger or small sword, it also provided additional protection for the gladiator’s stomach area.^{[21]
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- Type: Belt
- Used by: Secutor, Thraex, Hoplomachus, Retiarius

15

Helmets

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The type of helmets used differed according to which type of gladiator wore them. They were an incredibly important piece of armor that could protect the front, sides, back, and top of the head. Helmets differed—some had broader brims or decorative crests to protect the face or throat. Here is a list of helmet types, according to the type of gladiators who wore them:^{[22]
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- Murmillo: A fish-shaped helmet with a tall, angular crest, a wide, curved brim, and a face visor.^{[23]
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- Thraex: A broad-brimmed helmet that completely enclosed the head with a tall, solid griffin-shaped crest; it sometimes featured a feathered plume on top.
- Secutor: A smooth, tight-fitting helmet with a face guard, durable cheek plates, and small eye holes; it flared out into a wide neck guard at the bottom.^{[24]
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- Hoplomachus: A helmet with a visor, crest, and wide, upturned brim to offer complete head and face protection; it also sometimes featured feathered plumage or crests.
- Provocator: A helmet with a visor and cheek guards that evolved into a full face mask and eye grilles; it had a wide neck guard and often a decorative design.
- Eques: A visored, brimmed helmet without a crest that was decorated with 2 feathers on the sides; it usually covered the entire face.
- Dimachaerus: A combination of different helmet types worn by the Murmillo or Provocator (usually a metal face covering with eye slits), or no helmet.
- Retiarius: They did not wear a helmet.
- Most, if not all, gladiator helmets were made from bronze and iron.

16

Gladiator Matchups

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Different types of gladiators were paired up for more engaging battles. Rendar says that each class of gladiators had its own weapon, and “when they did those fights, they tried to pair them up differently every time. They would cater [the matchups] so there wasn’t a clear-cut advantage. Every single match was done in a way that would have advantages and disadvantages for each fighter to make it a more engaging fight for people to watch.”^{[25]
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- Rendar says a fight wouldn’t be, for instance, a Murmillo against a Murmillo, which was a heavier unit with a large shield, wraps, a helmet, and a short sword called a gladius. Instead, it might be a Murmillo against a Retiarius, who had an arm guard, net, and trident, and who didn’t usually wear a helmet. The Murmillo’s helmet had a lot of edges on it, which made it easy to snag with the Retiarus’ net.^{[26]
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- The Retiarus were often paired up against the Secutors as well, says Rendar. The Secutor had a curved sword, and they wore a smooth helmet, which the Retiarus’ net would just slide off of, making them harder to trap.^{[27]
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- Rendar adds that certain classes of gladiators tended to be more popular. For instance, he says the Retiarus was usually a crowd favorite because they didn’t wear a helmet. “They tended to gain popularity because people could recognize who that fighter was.”^{[28]
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