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Thraex

Type of Roman gladiator

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated December 30, 2024
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The Thraex (pl.: Thraeces), or Thracian, was a type of Roman gladiator armed in Thracian style. His equipment included a parmula, a small shield (about 60 × 65 cm) that might be rectangular, square or circular; and a sica, a short sword with a curved blade like a small version of the Dacian falx, intended to maim an opponent's unarmoured back. His other armour included greaves, a protective belt above a loincloth, and a helmet with a side plume, visor and high crest.

01Fighting style and techniques

A passage in Petronius indicates that "Thracian" was a style of gladiatorial fighting taught in training schools. An inscription records a doctor thraecum, a teacher of would-be Thracians.

Thraex sculpted from ivory as a knife handle (2nd century AD)
Thraex sculpted from ivory as a knife handle (2nd century AD)
Watch videos about ThraexExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Thraex”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Related topics

List of Roman gladiator types

There were many different types of gladiators in ancient Rome. Some of the first gladiators had been prisoners of war, and so some of the earliest types of gladiators were experienced fighters; Gauls, Samnites, and Thraeces used their native weapons and armor.

Spartacus

Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator who was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Historical accounts of his life come primarily from Plutarch and Appian, who wrote more than a century after his death.

Ludus Dacicus

The Ludus Dacicus or The Dacian Gladiatorial Training School was one of the four gladiator training schools in Ancient Rome. It was founded by Domitian (r. 81-96), completed by Trajan (r. 98-117), and was used to train gladiators drawn from among the Dacian prisoners taken by both emperors in their Dacian Wars.