Gladiatrix: Female Fighters Offered Lewd Entertainment in Ancient Rome

Female gladiators (gladiatrix) were just a thing of legend for many years. However, decades of research have made it possible to finally confirm their existence and importance in the Ancient Roman culture of gladiator fights.

Female gladiators were often called ‘The Amazons’. In Rome, people liked to see their fights in arenas like the Coliseum, and believed them to be examples of the legendary Amazons from the east. Ancient reliefs depict the female gladiators as clothed and equipped similarly to the male gladiators, yet there were some significant differences.

First of all, they did not wear helmets or tunics. In place of tunics they wore only a loincloth. They also used a sword called the gladius, wore arm and lower leg protectors, and a body shield. The lack of helmets for most female gladiators also may be of interest. There are few male gladiators who didn't use the helmet, but it seems that in case of women, there was a different reason for not using it. Women didn't use helmets usually to show their feminine hairstyles and as an obvious demonstration of the sex of the fighters.

The Ludus magnus in Rome: barracks for gladiators built by Emperor Domitian (81–96 CE), view from Via Labicana. In the background, the Colosseum. (Public Domain)