Yes, female gladiators did exist, and here’s everything you need to know about them

Nero’s reign, from 54 to 68 A.D., saw the first written records of women participating in gladiatorial combat. Ancient authors noted their presence at festivals, marking the first appearance of female combatants in official Roman spectacles.

The women in Nero’s games did not merely fight each other with swords. They also drove chariots at dangerous speeds and hunted wild beasts in venationes. This expansion of women’s participation went far beyond simple duels. Suetonius documented these various activities.

Female gladiators never became a common sight in Roman games. The historical accounts of Cassius Dio clearly indicate that they appeared occasionally as lavish additions to special spectacles, often funded by emperors to mark important occasions. Archaeological evidence reflects this rarity. Inscriptions and reliefs depicting women constitute only a tiny fraction of the abundant documentation on male gladiators throughout the empire.

A marble relief from the 1st or 2nd century, originating from Halicarnassus and now housed in the British Museum, depicts two women in armor engaged in combat. The women are carrying shields, daggers, and greaves—concrete archaeological evidence that women’s combat in the arena actually took place. It was discovered in present-day Turkey in the 19th century.

The stage names inscribed on the Halicarnassus relief were inspired by Greek mythology to add a dramatic touch to the performance. “Amazon” evoked the legendary warrior women, symbolizing strength and exoticism, which heightened the show’s appeal to the audience. “Achillia” referred to the Greek hero Achilles.

The relief from Halicarnassus depicts the two women who were spared, along with an inscription confirming that they were honorably released. This “missio” proves that women’s contests followed rules similar to those of men’s contests, in which clemency could be granted and survival was not automatically denied.

Emperor Domitian’s spectacles between 81 and 96 A.D. featured women fighting dwarves in nighttime torch-lit battles, intended to amuse and shock the crowds. Suetonius documented these spectacles as evidence of Domitian’s taste for bizarre forms of entertainment. These extravagant events inspired satirical commentary mocking the way emperors turned serious arena combat into circus acts intended purely to elicit laughter.

In 200 AD, Emperor Septimius Severus imposed an empire-wide ban on women’s participation in gladiatorial combat and wild animal hunts. Cassius Dio noted that this ban followed crude jokes made during women’s sporting events, as Severus feared that this would undermine respect for women and Roman social order.

Women from the senatorial elite voluntarily participated under emperors such as Nero. This participation led to legal restrictions, notably Tiberius’s decree in A.D. 19, which prevented high-ranking women from debasing themselves by taking on roles in the arenas that brought social dishonor upon their entire families.

Many female gladiators belonged to the class of “infames,” who were legally despised: slaves, prisoners of war, or convicted criminals forced to fight in the arenas. As infames, they lost all their legal rights, which made them disposable forms of entertainment, just like male slaves in gladiator schools.

Unlike the well-documented facilities for men, there were no specialized schools for training female gladiators. The absence of women’s “ludi” reflects their marginal role; their training likely took place outside of formal institutional structures. Women appeared in men’s schools as companions known as “ludiae,” but not as official trainees due to strict gender segregation.

Elite women likely trained in private settings with personal tutors who taught them combat techniques, which were publicly justified as health exercises. Informal groups may have emerged from youth organizations, teaching the basics of swordplay in unofficial settings, away from public view.

The women in training practiced striking wooden posts called “palus” with wooden swords, just as the men did. These exercises focused on strikes and defenses to prepare them for actual combat in the arena; they were slightly adapted to the women’s physiques, emphasizing agility rather than brute strength.

Training focused on endurance for prolonged combat, in line with the Roman belief that women’s physical fitness promoted reproduction and childbirth. Strength training with weights and various exercises prepared them to wield weapons effectively, although the intensity of the training was less extreme than that of programs designed for men.

Helmets, shields, swords, leg guards called greaves, and arm guards called manicae: female gladiators wore the same equipment as their male counterparts. The Halicarnassus relief in the British Museum depicts standardized combat gear with no gender-specific modifications, as confirmed by archaeological evidence.

Regulated spectacles could end in death, clemency signaled by the “pollice verso” (thumb turned downward), or an honorable draw decided by the sponsors and the audience’s reaction. The crowd influenced the organizer’s decision regarding the fighters’ life or death based on the quality of their performance.

A first-century tomb in Southwark containing exotic objects and the remains of a woman who was not from the local area has been tentatively linked to female gladiators, although this remains highly controversial. The tomb contained lamps depicting gladiators and Anubis, suggesting a connection to the arenas; the woman may have been from outside Great Britain.

An inscription from Ostia dating to the mid-2nd century shows a local magistrate proudly boasting that he provided “women for the sword” in public games. The Latin phrase “mulieres ad ferrum” specifically refers to sword fighting, which is more in line with gladiatorial traditions than with theatrical performances.

Female gladiators were rare enough to significantly boost attendance at the games, which otherwise featured only male combatants. The imperial games showcased women as attractions, their exotic charm highlighted in the accounts of Cassius Dio and others. 

Female gladiators sometimes appeared in staged fights that served as entertainment before the men’s matches began. These choreographed performances focused less on actual danger and more on theatrical spectacle.