gladiators, men who fought with one another in Roman amphitheatres for the amusement of the spectators. Gladiatorial combats were said to have originated in Etruria. They were introduced at Rome in 264 BC, and were at first confined to public funerals, until the games held by Julius Caesar in 46 BC which were only partly commemorative (of his daughter Julia). Under the empire the passion for this amusement reached its height and contributed to the decline of drama at Rome; five thousand pairs fought in the games given by Trajan in AD 107 to celebrate the conclusion of the Dacian War. Gladiators were selected from prisoners of war, condemned criminals, slaves bought for the purpose, or volunteers who took part for a fee. In late republican times large numbers were trained in gladiatorial schools and retained by private individuals, becoming a danger to law and order (see MILO). It was from a school in Capua that Spartacus escaped to lead a slave revolt in 73 BC. There were several types of gladiator: the murmillo, who fought with helmet, oblong shield, and sword, and had a fish for crest on his helmet; he usually fought a retiarius, who was lightly clad and armed only with a net and trident; there were also the Samnite, armed with oblong shield, visored helmet, and sword, and the Thracian, with round shield and curved scimitar. The poet Statius mentions women and dwarfs among the combatants. A repeatedly successful gladiator might receive by favour of the people a wooden sword (rudis), a token of his discharge from service. A wounded gladiator raised his forefinger to ask for the mercy of the spectators. They signified their decision either by pressing the thumb against the forefinger (premere pollicem) as a sign of good omen (apparently), thereby sparing his life, or by turning the thumb upwards or towards the breast (vertere pollicem) to signify the death-stroke. See also VENATIONES.