throw, of if he had lost his net tried to keep his opponent off with a heavy three-pronged spear (_fuscina_), his only weapon beside the dagger (Fig. 165). [Illustration: FIGURE 166. THRAEX] [Illustration: FIGURE 167. VOTIVE GALERUS] §360. Weapons and Armor.--The armor and weapons used in these combats are known from pieces found in various places, some of which are shown in Fig. 152, §345, and from paintings and sculpture, but we are not always able to assign them to definite classes of gladiators. The oldest class was that of the Samnites (Fig. 151, §344). They had belts, thick sleeves on the right arm (_manica_), helmets with visors, shown in Fig. 154, §348, greaves on the left leg, short swords, and the long shield (_scūtum_). Under the Empire the name Samnite was gradually lost and gladiators with equivalent equipment were called _hoplomachī_ (heavy armed), when matched against the lighter armed Thracians, and _secūtōrēs_, when they fought with the _rētiāriī_. The Thracians (Fig. 166) had much the same equipment as the Samnites, the mark of distinction being the small shield (_parma_) in place of the _scūtum_ and, to make up the difference, greaves on both legs. They carried a curved sword. The Gauls were heavy armed, but we do not know how they were distinguished from the Samnites. In later times they were called _murmillōnēs_, from an ornament on their helmets shaped like a fish (_mormyr_). The rētiāriī had no defensive armor except a leather protection for the shoulder, shown in Fig. 165. Of course the same man might appear by turns as Samnite, Thracian, etc., if he was skilled in the use of the various weapons; see the inscription in §363. §361. Announcement of the Shows.--The games were advertised in advance by means of notices painted on the walls of public and private houses, and even on the tombstones that lined the approaches to the towns and cities. Some are worded in very general terms, announcing merely the name of the giver of the games with the date: A • SVETTI • CERTI AEDILIS • FAMILIA • GLADIATORIA • PUGNAB • POMPEIS PR • K • JVNIAS • VENATIO • ET • VELA • ERUNT[4] [Footnote 4: "On the last day of May the gladiators of the Aedile Aulus Suettius Certus will fight at Pompeii. There will also be a hunt and the awnings will be used."] Others promise in addition to the awnings that the dust will be kept down in the arena by sprinkling. Sometimes when the troop was particularly good the names of the gladiators were announced in pairs as they would be matched together, with details as to their equipment, the school in which each had been trained, the number of his previous battles, etc. To such a notice on one of the walls in Pompeii some one added after the show the result of each combat. The following is a specimen only of this announcement: