Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Samnites

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. 

SAMNI'TES. A class of gladiators (Cic. Sext. 64.), who wore the same kind of armour as the Samnite soldiers, viz. a close helmet with wings (pinnae) at the sides (Varro, L. L. v. 142.), a shield of the kind called scutum, a greave (ocrea) on the left leg (Liv. ix. 40.); and a piece of armour or armlet (manica, Juv. vi. 256.) on the right arm, which was not protected by the shield. Most of these particulars are distinctly visible in the annexed figure (Samnites/1.1), from a bas-relief in stucco, on a tomb at Pompeii, which from that circumstance is believed to represent a gladiator of the class in question. It will, however, be observed that both the legs are furnished with greaves, instead of the left one only, as expressly mentioned by Livy and Juvenal (ll. cc.); but since the original has entirely perished, in consequence of the fragile nature of the material in which it was formed; and had, moreover suffered from time before it was first discovered, it will not be unreasonable to assume that Mazois, the artist to whom we are indebted for the design, has added the greave to the right leg to make both match, in ignorance of the real fact, or, perhaps, misled by the corrosions of the stucco.

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  Samnites/1.1