I used to work for a company and we would go around doing gladiator reenactments, it was great and fun, however one thing that the boss always said was that if I could find a reference to any gladiator having used an axe, I would be allowed to use one in the fight. Now I have been drawn to fight a Hoplomachus as a Murmillo of a Thracian, but the offer still stands if I can find a reference to using an axe. We like to try and keep is as historically accurate as possible. I am bored of fighting with a Gladius its not as fun. I know that Spartacus (the recent tv adaptation) had their Secutors use axes, however I cannot find anywhere any kind of historical reference to this and wonder if it was just for entertainment purposes. I know that it is traditionally a sword for a Gladiator, but does anyone have anything at all? Help someone out to hit someone else with an axe for entertainment purposes!
asked on /r/history suggested to ask here
There is no evidence that I know of regarding Romans using axes in combat. We do know that many of the enemies the Romans faced used forms of battle axes, but they didn't really fit in as weapons in the Roman army because of the tactics legions used.
As for gladiatorial combat, I have looked through my source documents and I didn't find anything that mentioned the use of battle axes in gladiatorial combat; it seems gladiators used traditional Roman weapons in the arena.
However, I invite someone to provide an example of an axe being used in Gladiatorial combat.