ACCENDONES, in Roman Antiquity, a kind of gladiators, whose office was to excite and animate the combatants during the engagement. The orthography of the word is contended: the first edition of Tertullian, by Rhenanus, has it accendones; an ancient manuscript, accendones. Aquinas adheres to the former, Pitiscus to the latter. The origin of the word, supposing it accendones, is from accendo, I kindle; supposing it accendones, from accedo, I accede, as added to. The former places their distinguishing character in enlivening the combat by their exhortations and suggestions: the latter supposes them to be much the same with what among us are called seconds, among the Italians patroni; excepting that these latter only stand by to see the laws of the sword duly observed, without intermeddling to give advice or instruction.