Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Retiarius

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

RETIA'RIUS. A Roman gladiator, so named from the net (rete) which formed his characteristic implement of attack. Besides this, he was equipped with a heavy threepronged fork (fuscina, tridens), but had no body armour; and his art consisted in casting the net over the head of the adversary, generally a secutor, with whom he was matched. If he succeeded in his throw, so as to hamper his opponent, who was fully armed, in the toils of his net, he advanced to close quarters, and attacked him with the trident, as exhibited by the illustration (Retiarius/1.1) from an ancient mosaic; but if he failed, having no defensive armour, he immediately took to flight, and endeavoured to collect his net for a second cast before he could be overtaken by his adversary, who pursued him round the arena. Suet. Cal. 30. Claud. 34. Juv. ii. 143. viii. 203.

• 
  Retiarius/1.1