Roman gladiator who fought with equipment styled on that of a fisherman
Further information: List of Roman gladiator types
A retiarius stabs at a secutor with his trident in this mosaic from the villa at Nennig, c. 2nd–3rd century CE.
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 tridens), and a dagger (pugio). The retiarius was lightly armoured, wearing an arm guard (manica) and a shoulder guard (galerus). Typically, his clothing consisted only of a loincloth (subligaculum) held in place by a wide belt, or of a short tunic with light padding. He wore no head protection or footwear.
The retiarius was routinely pitted against a heavily armed secutor. The net-fighter made up for his lack of protective gear by using his speed and agility to avoid his opponent's attacks and waiting for the opportunity to strike. He first tried to throw his net over his rival. If this succeeded, he attacked with his trident while his adversary was entangled. Another tactic was to ensnare his enemy's weapon in the net and pull it out of his grasp, leaving the opponent defenceless. Should the net miss or the secutor grab hold of it, the retiarius likely discarded the weapon, although he might try to collect it back for a second cast. Usually, the retiarius had to rely on his trident and dagger to finish the fight. The trident, as tall as a human being, permitted the gladiator to jab quickly, keep his distance, and easily cause bleeding. It was not a strong weapon, usually inflicting non-fatal wounds so that the fight could be prolonged for the sake of entertainment. The dagger was the retiarius's final backup should the trident be lost. It was reserved for when close combat or a straight wrestling match had to settle the bout. In some battles, a single retiarius faced two secutores simultaneously. For these situations, the lightly armoured gladiator was placed on a raised platform and given a supply of stones with which to repel his pursuers.
Retiarii first appeared in the arena during the 1st century AD and had become standard attractions by the 2nd or 3rd century. The gladiator's lack of armour and his reliance on evasive tactics meant that many considered the retiarius the lowliest (and most effeminate) of the gladiators, an already stigmatised class. Passages from the works of Juvenal, Seneca, and Suetonius suggest that those retiarii who fought in tunics may have constituted an even more demeaned subtype (retiarii tunicati) who were not viewed as legitimate retiarii fighters but as arena clowns. Nevertheless, Roman artwork, graffiti, and grave markers include examples of specific retiarii who apparently had reputations as skilled combatants and lovers.
hold of it, the retiarius likely discarded the weapon, although he might try to collect it back for a second cast. Usually, the retiarius had to rely on...
class of gladiator who fought as a retiarius tunicatus. They wore tunics to distinguish them from the usual retiarius, and were looked on as a social class...
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...
rather than the retiarius.: 237–238 n14 However, Channel 4's Time Team discovered in Wales a carved penknife handle depicting a retiarius and a murmillo...
dissimilar but complementary types. For example, the bareheaded, nimble retiarius ("net-man"), armoured only at the left arm and shoulder, pitted his net...
streams. Sundadanio retiarius reaches a maximum size of 1.9 cm (0.75 in) standard length. Lumbantobing, D. (2019). "Sundadanio retiarius". IUCN Red List of...
fishing, a type of gladiator called a retiarius or "net fighter" was armed with a trident and a cast net. The retiarius was traditionally pitted against a...
or fuscina) were used by a type of gladiator called a retiarius or "net fighter". The retiarius was traditionally pitted against a secutor, and cast a...
another secutor, Mazicinus, is struck by the retiarius Almunus, an hoplomachus fatally wounds the retiarius, Callimorfus, and finally a smaller gladiator...
small fishing net and a three-pronged frog spear (similar in style to a retiarius); she is able to defeat Bran's direwolf, Summer, in mock combat by entangling...
of plan to shift bank holiday to October". BBC News. 5 February 2011. Retiarius Ltd (2006-01-19). "Brown on Campus | Felix: The Student Newspaper of Imperial...
After winning the Poletti Prize for painting in 1880, with his entry, A Retiarius (net-man) gladiator wounded in a Flavian Amphitheater, he had the opportunity...
mosaics which show nets. In a parody of fishing, a type of gladiator called retiarius was armed with a trident and a cast net. He would fight against a secutor...
In most cases the off-hand weapon is used to deflect or parry. Daishō Retiarius "The Rapier Part Four: Sword and Dagger and Sword and Cloak Workbook,...
snarer's armour was probably similar to that of the retiarius; it consisted mainly of a retiarius armguard worn over the left shoulder. Another possibility...
late-1944 and early-1945. Schloss Berg Roman villa Mosaic in Roman villa A retiarius gladiator stabs his secutor opponent (Mosaic of Nennig) Borg, Saarland...
death; instead they were identified by their fighting specialty such as retiarius or murmillo or less often as a freeborn man, LIBER, a status which was...
new creatures, evolved from their underground nest. Among them is the Retiarius, a spider-like creature which makes gigantic spiderwebs, and giant wasps...
(subscription required) Carter, Michael (2008). "(Un)Dressed to Kill: Viewing the Retiarius". In Edmondson, J. C.; Keith, Alison (eds.). Roman Dress and the Fabrics...
sexual desire than of dignifying and marking the citizen's body. Thus the retiarius, a type of gladiator who fought with face and flesh exposed, was thought...
types of gladiators who were different but complementaryː e.g., the agile Retiarius ("net man"), bareheaded, armored only on his left arm and shoulder, used...
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