Murmillo
Type: heavyly armoured swordfighter
Opponent: thraex, hoplomachus
Weapon: short sword (gladius)
Armour: Attic-Boeotian helmet, large oval or semi-oval or rectangular shield (scutum), textile right arm guard (manica), textile left shin armour and grave (ocrea)
Total weight of equipment: 12-15kg
The murmillo´s equipment with short sword and large shield derived from the Roman legionary. his equipment made him an excellent defensive fighter. Protected by the large shield he could slash and stab at his adversary, thraex or the hoplomachus. The term murmillo probably comes from „murex“, which describes a sea snail, as well as a sharp cliff. Both underlines the murmillo´s defensive character. Another explanation is that murmillo comes from a kind of fish, which was caught with the net, and that this is recurring to the fact that the original adversary of the murmillo was the retiarius, who fought with net and trident.
murex brandaris, real purple-snail, mediterranean.
Pompeji, before 79 AD & Roman Empire 2nd-3rd century CE
17. Januar 2012
At last a combined effort was made, supported by all the resources of the empire, against this gladiator, and Licinius Crassus vindicated the honour of Rome. Routed and put to flight by him, our enemies — I am ashamed to give them this title — took refuge in the furthest extremities of Italy. Here, being cut off in the angle of Bruttium and preparing to escape to Sicily, but being unable to obtain ships, they tried to launch rafts of beams and casks bound together with withies on the swift waters of the straits. Failing in this attempt, they finally made a sally and met a death worthy of men, fighting to the death as became those who were commanded by a gladiator. Spartacus himself fell, as became a general, fighting most bravely in the front rank.
Florus, 2.8.12-15
Spartacus, leader of the slave revolt in the 1st c. BCE, fought as a murmillo.
AER/1510 Pompeii Murmillo helmet, bronze
AER/1510-TN Pompeii Murmillo helmet, tinned steel
AER/AS/1501-GR Murmillo / Secutor Greave, bronze
AER/AS/1501-GR-TN Murmillo / Secutor Greave, tinned steel
AER/CL/1503-STD-N Secutor / Murmillo Textile leg armour
AER/CL/1501-LB Textile Armour right arm
AER/MISC/1503 Gladiator belt
AER/SWS/1502 Short Sword
AER/GSH/1501-BRZ Secutor / Murmillo Shield Boss, bronze
AER/GSH/1501-BRS Secutor / Murmillo Shield Boss, brass
AER/GSH/1501-TN Secutor / Murmillo Shield Boss, tinned steel
AER/CL/1504-STD-WL subligaculum
AER/SH/1501-8/(your EU-size)-N Gladiator gaiters
For a second- to third century CE Murmillo impression we also offer the Berlin Murmillo helmet. The rest of the equipment is identical, sou you would just need the different helmet. We will soon offer a matching second- to third century CE thraex helmet as well.
AER/H/1501 Berlin Murmillo Helmet, bronze
AER/H/1501-TN Berlin Murmillo Helmet, tinned steel