There were many types of gladiators in ancient Rome, and they were trained at the ludus by a specialist (doctores or magistrii) skilled in that form of fighting.Each type of gladiator had his own set of traditional weapons and armor.
the gladius sword was quite a substantial piece of equipment over 24 inches in length around 50cm. The more skin left unarmoured and exposed, the lower a gladiator's status and the greater his perceived
Some would say that the net itself was a form of defence or armour, but in the traditional sense the retiarius was the most lightly armoured gladiator in Rome.With no helmet or shield, the only armour of a retarius was their manica, an arm guard typically worn on their right arm. (Technically, the retiarius was not a "gladiator" at all, since he did not fight with the sword—gladius—after which such fighters took their name. ) The following list includes gladiators as typed by fighting style and equipment, general terms for gladiators, fighters associated with gladiatorial spectacles who were not strictly gladiators, and personnel associated with training or presentation. The only saving grace was that Aulus knew his opponenet from many years ago, this fight would depend on how much his opponent had learned in those years, and Aulus was ready to fight.’A very unique gladiator, and typically the enemy of the more standard secutor, the retarius would have been an interested prospect to watch battle in the Colosseum. The Trident & Net combination is the mid-range weapon for the Gladiator. We can not mistake the tunic, since the ribbon of gold reaches from his neck, and flutters in the breeze from his high-peaked cap.
Rare gladiator fights were staged over water; these may have given rise to the concept of a gladiator based on a fisherman. Not a typical weapon for battle, but as we mentioned earlier this came from the fact this gladiator was based off the likeness of a fisherman. Almost all of these classes were based on military antecedents; the retiarius (\"net-fighter\" or \"net-man\"), which was themed after the sea, was one exception. The Trident and Net were the primary weapons of the Retiarius class of gladiator. With such a unique weapon the retarius gladiator would need special training time to master such a weapon, unlike a sword it was not useful in close quarter combat. The length of the trident enabled the retiarii to keep distance, jabbing and prodding from long range. Roman gladiators fell into stock categories modelled on real-world precedents. The retiarius gladiator was one of the most recognisable fighters of the ancient roman Colosseum.