The Lore You Know - Retiarius

A new opponent enters the arena. This time it’s the “net-figher” – the Retiarius -- a fierce opponent to heavily-armored gladiators, such as the Murmillo. 

While the images of most gladiators were based on military groups, the image of the retiarius was created around characteristics pertaining to the sea and fishermen. In ancient Rome, fishing was an important part of daily life and having a gladiator who embodied this aspect was something the people could get behind. The story of the retiarius was to fight against more heavily armored gladiators like the murmillo and the secutor, who were both based off of fish. 

The retiarius was equipped with three pieces of equipment to claim victory in the arena, a rete, a fascina, and a pugio. The rete, which you may already be familiar with if this is your class of choice, was a weighted wide mesh net about 3 meters in diameter. The fascina was a 1.6 meter trident that was one of the most unique weapons used in the amphitheater and required intense training to master. Unlike the sword, the trident was not the best weapon for close quarter combat, but due to the fact that the retiarius was based off the image of a fisherman, it was a necessary addition. The final piece of equipment was the pugio, a small dagger used in tight situations to parry blows from a sword.
 

The ends of the rete were wrapped around the wrist of the retiarius and used to trap their opponents, trip them, or ensnare their weapon. If the cast was unsuccessful it could be jerked back and used again. But in the heat of the battle, if the rete was lost, the retiarius would have to continue the fight with just their fascina and pugio. Sometimes opting to grip the fascina with two hands for better control. In other cases, the retiarus would keep their distance, stabbing with the fascina until they were able to use their agility and mobility to close the gap and strike with the pugio. 

As mentioned earlier, in contrast to the murmillo, the retiarius was the most lightly armored gladiator in Rome. They bore no helmet or shield, instead they simply wore a manica, which was an arm guard worn on their right arm, and a galerus, which was a bronze shoulder guard. The galerus was a way for them to protect themselves from head strikes. 
 

Like all other gladiators, the retiarius moved the crowd and provided entertainment as they fought to the death. Luckily our retiarii, as their final move, have Vital Protection: Near Escape, to not only whip the crowd into a frenzy but to survive the battle as well.

References
Wisdom, Stephen. 2001. Gladiators: 100 BC–AD 200. Retiarius. [Text].
Nossov, Konstantin. 2009. Gladiator: The Complete Guide to Ancient Rome's Bloody Fighters. Retiarius. [Text].
Warriors and Legends. 2018. Retiarius Gladiator. [Online].
Wikipedia, 2018. Retiarius. [Online].