A small, decorative Roman bone statuette, measuring just 7 cm in height and shaped like a murmillo gladiator, dating to the 1st-2nd century AD, was discovered in Colchester, an English town and a significant Roman settlement in Britain. The artefact is now housed in the British Museum in London. The murmillo, named for its helmet type, the galea, which resembled a fish, was a class of gladiators whose opponents in the arena were typically thracian gladiators. The murmillo wore a padded sleeve, a large rectangular shield called the scutum, a single greave, and the ocrea on the left leg to protect the shin. They fought with a famous double-edged sword, known as the gladius in Latin, which Roman legionaries also used. It also featured a balteum, a kind of belt to hold his loincloth, known as the subligaculum. The gladiator is depicted in a resting stance, with his shield, decorated with scenes of gladiatorial combat, leaning on his greaves.
This type of gladiator relied on his defences to make short, quick attacks. Still, the weight of the weapon and armour, estimated to total 15-20 kg, resulted in slow movement, which an opponent could exploit.