Gladiators, and when one of the combatants received a remarkable wound, his adversary or the people cried out, Habet, or Hoc habet. The first part of the engagement was called ventilare, praeludere; and the second dimittere ad certum, or versus armis pugnare: and some authors think, with much probability, that it is to these two kinds of combat that St Paul alludes in the passage 1 Cor. ix. 26, 27. "I fight not as one that beateth the air; but I keep my body, and bring it into subjection."
If the vanquished surrendered his arms, it was not in the victor's power to grant him life; it was the people during the time of the republic, and the prince or people during the time of the empire, that were alone empowered to grant the boon. The reward of the conqueror was a branch of palm tree, and a sum of money, probably collected among the spectators: sometimes they gave him his congé, or dismissed him by putting one of the wooden foils or rudes in his hand; and sometimes they even gave him his freedom, putting the pilæus on his head. The sign or indication, whereby the spectators showed that they granted the favour, was premere pollicem, which M. Dacier takes to be a clenching of the fingers of both hands between one another, and so holding the two thumbs upright close together; and, when they would have the combat finished and the vanquished slain, verterunt pollicem, they bent back the thumb; which we learn from Juvenal, Sat. iii. ver. 36. The gladiators challenged or defied each other, by showing the little finger; and, by extending this, or some other, during the combat, they owned themselves vanquished, and begged mercy from the people: Victi ostensam digiti veniam a populo postulabant, says the old scholiast on Persius.
There were various kinds of gladiators, distinguished by their weapons, manner, and time of fighting, &c. as, The andabatae, mentioned under ANDABATAE. The cateruarii, who always fought in troops or companies, number against number; or, according to others, who fought promiscuously, without any certain order. The dimachæ, who fought armed with two poniards or swords, or with sword and dagger. The essedarii, who fought in cars. The fiscales, or Casariani, who belonged to the emperor's company; and who, being more robust and dexterous than the rest, were frequently called for, and therefore named also postulatitii. Several other kinds are mentioned in the ancient authors.