Glădiătōrii lud i

, combats originally exhibited on the grave of deceased persons at Rome. They were first introduced at Rome by the Bruti, upon the death of their father, A.U.C. 488. It was supposed that the ghosts of the dead were rendered propitious by human blood; therefore at funerals, it was usual to murder slaves in cool blood. In succeeding ages, it was reckoned le cruel to oblige them to kill one another like men, than to slaughter them like brutes, therefore the barbarity was covered by the specious show of pleasure and voluntary combat. Originally captives, criminals, or disobedient slaves were trained up for combat; but when the diversion became more frequent, and was exhibited on the smallest occasion, to procure esteem and popularity, many of the Roman citizens enlisted themselves among the gladiators, and Nero, at one show, exhibited no le than 400 senators and 600 knights. The people were treated with these combats not only by the great and opulent, but the very priests had their Ludi pontific a les , and Ludi sacerdotales . It is supposed that there were no more than three pair of gladiators exhibited by the Bruti. Their numbers, however, increased with the luxury and power of the city; and the gladiators became so formidable, that Spartacus, one of their body, had courage to take up arms, and the succe to defeat the Roman armies, only with a train of his fellow-sufferers. The more prudent of the Romans were sensible of the dangers which threatened the state by keeping such a number of desperate men in arms, and therefore many salutary laws were proposed to limit their number, as well as to settle the time in which the show could be exhibited with safety and convenience. Under the emperors, not only senators and knights, but even women engaged among the gladiators, and seemed to forget the inferiority of their sex. When there were to be any shows, hand-bills were circulated to give notice to the people, and to mention the place, number, time, and every circumstance requisite to be known. When they were first brought upon the arena , they walked round the place with great pomp and solemnity, and after that they were matched in equal pairs with great nicety. They first had a skirmish with wooden files, called rudes or arm a lusoria . After this the effective weapons, such as swords, daggers, . , called arm a dec ret or i a , were given them, and the signal for the engagement was given by the sound of a trumpet. As they had all previously sworn to fight till death, or suffer death in the most excruciating torments, the fight was bloody and obstinate, and when one signified his submi ion by surrendering his arms, the victor was not permitted to grant him his life without the leave and approbation of the multitude. This was done by clenching the fingers of both hands between each other, and holding the thumbs upright close together, or by bending back their thumbs. The first of these was called pollicem premere , and signified the wish of the people to spare the life of the conquered. The other sign, called pollicem vertere , signified their disapprobation, and ordered the victor to put his antagonist to death. The victor was generally rewarded with a palm, and other expre ive marks of the people’s favour. He was most commonly presented with a pileus and rud is . When one of the combatants received a remarkable wound, the people exclaimed habet , and expre ed their exultation by shouts. The combats of gladiators were sometimes different either in weapons or dre , whence they were generally distinguished into the following orders: The secutores were armed with a sword and buckler, to keep off the net of their antagonists, the retiarii . These last endeavoured to throw their net over the head of their antagonist, and in that manner to entangle him, and prevent him from striking. If this did not succeed, they betook themselves to flight. Their dre was a short coat, with a hat tied under the chin with a broad ribbon. They wore a trident in their left hand. The Thraces , originally Thracians, were armed with a falchion, and small round shield. The myrmillones , called also Galli , from their Gallic dre , ♦ were much the same as the secutores . They were, like them, armed with a sword, and on the top of the head-piece they wore the figure of a fish embo ed, called μορμυρος , whence their name. The Hoplomachi were completely armed from head to foot, as their name implies. The Samnites , armed after the manner of the Samnites, wore a large shield broad at the top, and growing more narrow at the bottom, more conveniently to defend the upper parts of the body. The E edarii generally fought from the e edum , or chariot used by the ancient Gauls and Britons. The and a batæ , ἀναβαται , fought on horseback, with a helmet that covered and defended their faces and eyes. Hence and a bat arum more pugnare , is to fight blindfolded. The meridian i engaged in the afternoon. The postulatitii were maintained out of the emperor’s treasury, fisc us . The dimachæri fought with two swords in their hands, whence their name. After these cruel exhibitions had been continued for the amusement of the Roman populace, they were abolished by Const an tine the Great, near 600 years after their first institution. They were, however, revived under the reign of Constant i us and his two succe ors, but Honor i us for ever put an end to these cruel barbarities. ♦ ‘where’ replaced with ‘were’