Editing Gladiator (section)

===Factions and rivals===
[[File:Pompeii - Battle at the Amphitheatre - MAN.jpg|thumb|The Amphitheatre at Pompeii, depicting the riot between the [[Nocera Inferiore|Nucerians]] and the [[Pompeii|Pompeians]]]]

Popular factions supported favourite gladiators and gladiator types.<ref>Examples are in Martial's ''Epigrams'' 14, 213 and Suetonius's ''Caligula''.</ref> Under Augustan legislation, the Samnite type was renamed ''[[Secutor]]'' ("chaser", or "pursuer"). The secutor was equipped with a long, heavy "large" shield called a ''[[Scutum (shield)|scutum]]''; ''Secutores'', their supporters and any heavyweight ''secutor''-based types such as the [[Murmillo]] were ''secutarii''.<ref>Also ''scutarii'', ''scutularii'', or ''secutoriani''.</ref> Lighter types, such as the [[Thraex]], were equipped with a smaller, lighter shield called a ''[[Parma (shield)|parma]]'', from which they and their supporters were named ''parmularii'' ("small shields"). Titus and Trajan preferred the ''parmularii'' and Domitian the ''secutarii''; Marcus Aurelius took neither side. Nero seems to have enjoyed the brawls between rowdy, enthusiastic and sometimes violent factions, but called in the troops if they went too far.<ref name="Futrell, 96, 104, 105">{{harvnb|Futrell|2006|pp=96, 104–105}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Kyle|1998|p=111}}.</ref>

There were also local rivalries. At Pompeii's amphitheatre, during Nero's reign, the trading of insults between [[Pompeii|Pompeians]] and [[Nuceria]]n spectators during public ''ludi'' led to stone throwing and riot. Many were killed or wounded. Nero banned gladiator ''munera'' (though not the games) at Pompeii for ten years as punishment. The story is told in Pompeian graffiti and high quality wall painting, with much boasting of Pompeii's "victory" over Nuceria.<ref>{{harvnb|Futrell|2006|pp=107–108}}. See also Tacitus's ''Annals'', 14.17.</ref>