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FEMALE AND DWARFGLADIATORS 149
Unlike Sp. 6 and 6B. which were written specifically to commemorate
the games given to inaugurate the Colosseum. the two epigrams of
Martial cited by Murison. 1.43 and 14.213. cannot be connected to any
specific spectacle. and their effectiveness depends on his audience's general
knowledge of how dwarfs were used in the Roman games. 15 In 1.43
Martial complains that his host had served such a small boar for dinner
that an unarmed dwarf could have killed it. The impression that Martial
was specifically referring to dwarfs who fought as venatores is reinforced
by his claim that. as retribution for his shabby dinner. the host
himself should have to face a boar in the arena. The second epigram
14.213 was intended to be inscribed on a small shield to be given as a
gift. Martial joked that the recipient would find it to be a parma (a very
small shield), but for a dwarf it would serve as a scutum (a large
shield).16 The epigram clearly assumes that dwarfs used shields. either
when they fought as gladiators or as venatores. Most important here.
though. is the fact that nothing in these two epigrams has any connection
with the use of women in the arena. Martial was thinking exclusively
of the dwarfs he and his audience had seen perform in the arena
at one time or another.
In contrast to Martial and Suetonius. Stat. Silv. 1.6 deals with a case
in which women and dwarfs appeared in the same spectacle. The poem.
in fact. constitutes our best evidence for the fascination that these two
types of entertainers held for the Romans. While not intended as an historical
account. this poem actually provides a chronicle of a very elaborate
festival staged by Domitian in connection with the Saturnalia. 17 The
poem records the gifts of food and various entertainments that made up
the festival from the beginning of the celebration at dawn (9) until well
into the night when Statius could no longer keep himself awake (96-97).
As one of the central events. female gladiators appeared some time be-
15 1.43 may conceivably have been inspired by a particular festival but I am
not convinced that the Charidemus mentioned in 14 was a genuine person. contra
M. Citroni. ed.. M. Valerii Martialis Epigrammaton liber primus (Florence
1975) 144·
16 The epigram represented a very pointed criticism of Domitian and his interference
in the normal operation of the games. The parma was traditionally
used by the Thracians. described here as the gladiators who normally lost. They
tended to lose during Domitian's reign because he was an ardent supporter of
their traditional opponents. the murmillones. who used the scutum; see
Friedlander, Sittengeschichte Roms'o 11.75-76 (on this epigram and g.68); Ville
(above. n. 7) 444-445·
17 For the date of this festival. which does not affect the argument here. see
H. Frere. ed.. Stace. Silves Tome I (Livres I-III) (Paris 2
1961) 46 n. 1; Ville (above.
n·7) 152 - 154.