in antiquity, a name which the Romans gave to a kind of gladiators who entered the arena about noon after the bestiarii (who fought in the morning against beasts) had finished. They were thus called from meridiem, i.e. noon, the time when they exhibited their shows. The meridiani were a sort of artless combatants, who fought man with man, sword in hand. Hence Seneca takes occasion to observe, that the combats of the morning were full of humanity compared with those which followed.