The rudus/rudis was a ceremonial sword very similar to a training sword that a gladiator would use to practice their fighting. It resembles the gladius, which was the sword most often used in the arena. The material was not made out of any special type of wood, but rather wood that they would have had excess of. We do not know the type of wood that the swords were made out of, however based on a study of shipwrecks from Rome, we do know that common types of wood would most likely be pine, cypress, elm, and oak. This is because “[t]he choice of wood in the past was also conditioned by its easy availability in the nearby surroundings or by its commercial supply.”(Giachi, Lazzeri, Lippi, Mariotti, Macchioni, Pacia 2003, 275)
These are the dimensions of the rudus that is located at the department. The pommel is 2 inches. It puts weight on the sword so that it is balanced. The handle is 4.6 inches, and the quillon (which is the hand guard) is 1.5 inches. This makes the hilt about 8.1 inches long. The rest of the sword is 20.5 inches long, making the total sword about 28.6 inches (72.6 cm).
Avē Imperātor, moritūrī tē salūtant
(Suetonius, Claudius 5.21)
In Ancient Rome, these words were said by gladiators that were addressing the emperor before engaging in combat in the arena. In English, this phrase means “Hail, Caesar, we salute you, we that are about to die,” which reflect the stoic mindset that the gladiators who faced near-certain death often had. (Suetonius, Claudius Book 5) The men who stated this were to participate in a mock sea battle for Claudius on Fucine Lake, that ultimately made Claudius to say, “Aut nōn,” which roughly translated to “Or not, as the case may be.” (Suetonius, Claudius Book 5) The phrase is often said to be an acknowledgement of their death in battle, with Claudius potentially showing mercy due to their stoicism. A trait for which gladiators are famous for and is attributed to their ability to fight so well.
Gladiators were highly known in the ancient world (especially the good ones), like celebrities, but they were of no higher status than that of a slave and were often people that had been captured from Rome’s conquests. In essence, they were entertainers, and therefore classified as infama, which meant “lacking in reputation.” (Edward 1998, 66) These people were either captives from Rome’s conquests, or a “…free man reducing his life to the lanista,” where lanista means a “trainer of gladiators.” (Baker 2000, 38) They were used for dangerous and often brutal entertainment spectacle that captivated audiences in the Roman world. Through trial by combat, with its inherent risks and sacrifices, these men would earn money for their masters, based on how well they performed in a fight. The amount of money they earned could eventually earn them their freedom, however it would usually take about a decade of service in order to do so.
On attaining their freedom, they would be given the rudus. This acted not only as their symbol of independence, but also their survival. The profession was considered extremely dangerous, and “[t]he lives of gladiators were mostly all too brutally short.” (Grant 1995, 100) Many did not live long enough to see themselves be rewarded. However, when one did live long enough to earn their freedom, sometimes the emperors themselves would bestow the rudus. One such example is when four brothers pleaded with Emperor Claudius to discharge their father, who was a chariot rider, in which Claudius respected their wish and gave their father a custom sword (Suetonius, Claudius Book 5).
Gladiators were not forced to give up fighting if they did not want to. A gladiator could earn multiple rudi. A Syrian gladiator named Flamma was recorded to have received up to 4 wooden swords (Grant 1996, 101). As such, many of them would continue working for their old master, however some would prefer to work as an instructor for the new warriors, rather than continue fighting. These people were called doctores (Baker 2000, 45). Both of these options were eligible to earn more rudi over time.
Bibliography
Baker, Alan. The Gladiator. Massachusetts: Da Capo Press, 2000. The Gladiator: The Secret History Of Rome’s Warrior Slaves – Alan Baker – Google Books.
Edward, Catherine. “Unspeakable Professions: Public Performance and Prostitution in Ancient Rome.” In Roman Sexualites, edited by Judith P. Hallett and Marilyn B. Skinner. New Jersey: Princetown University Press, 2003. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780691219547/html.
Giachi, G., Lazzeri. S., Lippi, M. Mariotti, Macchioni, N., Pacia, S. 2003. “The wood of “C”and“F” Roman Ships found in the ancient harbor of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy): the utilization of different timbers and the probable geographical area which supplied them.” Journal of Cultural Heritage, no. 4 (October-December): 275. main.pdf (sciencedirectassets.com).
Grant, Michael. Gladiators. New York: Barnes & Nobes Inc, 1995. Gladiators – Michael Grant – Google Books.
Suetonius. The Twelve Caesars. Translated by Robert Graves, Revised by Michael Grant. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003. The Twelve Caesars – Suetonius – Google Books.
DePauw University Classics World 