The ''laquearius'', ''laquerarius'', or ''laqueator'' (plural ''laquearii'', ''laquerarii'', and ''laqueatores''; literally, "snarer") was a class of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...

that fought with a

lasso A lasso or lazo ( or ), also called reata or la reata in Mexico, and in the United States riata or lariat (from Mexican Spanish lasso for roping cattle), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when ...

noose A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot tightens under load and can be loosened without untying the knot. The knot can be used to secure a rope to a post, pole, or animal but only where the end is in a position that the loop can ...

(''laqueus'') in one hand and a poniard or

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

in the other.Tegg 485.Cowper 215. The ''laquearius'' appeared late in the history of the Roman games. They may have made up a full-fledged gladiator class that fought actual bouts in the arena. If this was the case, the snarer likely followed the same tactics as the ''

retiarius A ''retiarius'' (plural ''retiarii''; literally, "net-man" in Latin) was a Roman gladiator who fought with equipment styled on that of a fisherman: a net casting, weighted net (''rete'' (3rd decl.), hence the name), a three-pointed trident (''f ...

'', a gladiator who wielded a throwing net and

trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...

.Junkelmann 63. Such combat-oriented ''laquearii'' fought by attempting to snare their adversaries with the lasso to allow for a follow-up strike from the blade. The snarer's armour was probably similar to that of the ''retiarius''; it consisted mainly of a ''

'' armguard worn over the left shoulder. Another possibility is that the ''laquearius'' was a kind of '' paegniarius'', or clown. These men fought mock battles in the arena as

comic relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...

between real matches. Most gladiator types were based on real-world antecedents.Baker 53. Because the Romans did not use lassos on the battlefield, it is unlikely that the ''laquearius'' was based on a Roman model. Instead, it may have been based on a

barbarian A barbarian is a person or tribe of people that is perceived to be primitive, savage and warlike. Many cultures have referred to other cultures as barbarians, sometimes out of misunderstanding and sometimes out of prejudice. A "barbarian" may ...

tribe known to the Romans to use lassos in combat, such as the Sagartians. Another possibility is that the noose gladiator was meant to represent an

executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who effects a sentence of capital punishment on a condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorizing or ordering him to ...

. However, the fact that his backup weapon was sword makes this seem unlikely.

Notes

References

* Baker, Alan (2002). ''The Gladiator: The Secret History of Rome's Warrior Slaves''. Da Capo Press. . * Cowper, H. S. (1906). ''The Art of Attack: Being a Study in the Development of Weapons and Appliances of Offence, from the Earliest Times to the Age of Gunpowder''. Ulverston, Lancashire: W. Holmes, Ltd., Printers. * Junkelmann, Marcus (2000). "''Familia Gladiatoris:'' The Heroes of the Amphitheatre", ''Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome''. University of California Press. {{ISBN, 0-520-22798-0. * Tegg, Thomas, ed. (1829). "Laquearius", '' The London Encyclopædia, or Universal Dictionary of Science, Art, Literature, and Practical Mechanics, Comparing a Popular View of the Present State of Knowledge''. London: Thomas Tegg. Gladiator types

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