In Roman society, the Hoplomachus (alternatively called the Samnite) was a type of gladiator. They were considered the "standard" gladiator. Their weapon and armor was based on the garb of the soldiers of Samnium, a kingdom in southern Italy which the Roman Republic defeated and annexed around 80 BCE. They were part of the heavy class of gladiators (Hoplomachus/Samnite, Thracian, Murmillo), wearing a standard Roman helmet, the Galea (open face, wide sideguards, a slightly raised crest and a plume), a large, rectangular curved shield (the Scutum), metal wrist guards, metal greaves. They used a Gladius, a short-sword, the standard sword for Roman soldiers. Their most common adversaries were the other heavy-class gladiators: Thracians and Murmillos. The name Hoplomachus derives from what the