The secutor

The secutor was a heavily armoured Roman gladiator. The name means chaser or persuer. The character emerged from a murmillo around 50 AD.

Most often his opponent was the lightly armed retiarius: no helmet, little armour. Just a net, a trident and a dagger. The helmet was built against all three. Small round eye holes, too narrow for a trident's prongs to enter. A smooth, rounded shell, nothing for a net to snag. He was dressed as a fish and his opponent was the fisherman.

Found at Pompeii, the helmet survived in a theatre courtyard turned into gladiators' barracks.

Flamma, a Syrian, was a famous Roman secutor. He died at the age of 30, after having fought 34 times. He won 21 times, drew 9, and needed missio (to be spared) 4 times. Flamma's gravestone was discovered in Rome. It was erected by a fellow gladiator named Secundus. The inscription translates to: "Flamma, secutor, lived 30 years, fought 34 times, won 21 times, drew 9 times, reprieved 4 times, a Syrian by nationality. Secundus made this for his well-deserving comrade-in-arms."