[Footnote 7: Inscription on tomb of a gladiator. "To the Gods Manes and the lasting memory of Hylas, a dimachaerus or essedarius of seven victories and head trainer. His wife Ermais erected this monument to her beloved husband and dedicated it, reserving the usual rights."] §363. The Rewards.--Before making his first public appearance the gladiator was technically called a _tīrō_. After his first victory he received a token of wood or ivory (Fig. 168), which had upon it his name and that of his master or trainer, a date, and the letters SP, SPECT, SPECTAT, or SPECTAVIT, meaning perhaps _populus spectāvit_. When after many victories he had proved himself to be the best of his class, or second best, in his _familia_, he received the title of _prīmus_, or _secundus_, _pālus_. When he had won his freedom he was given a wooden sword (_rudis_). From this the titles _prīma rudis_ and _secunda rudis_ seem to have been given to those who were afterwards employed as training masters (_doctōrēs_, §349) in the schools. The rewards given to famous gladiators by their masters and backers took the form of valuable prizes and gifts of money. These may not have been so generous as those given to the _aurīgae_ (§341), but they were enough to enable them to live in luxury the rest of their lives. The class of men, however, who followed this profession probably found their most acceptable reward in the immediate and lasting notoriety that their strength and courage brought them. That they did not shrink from the _īnfamia_ that the profession entailed is shown by the fact that they did not try to hide their connection with the amphitheater. On the contrary, their gravestones record their classes and the number of their victories, and have often cut upon them their likenesses with the _rudis_ in their hands.