A/N: This was originally a class paper, but I have been toying with written a history fanfiction. As a History/Classics major I greatly enjoy thinking about ancient times. If it would strike some people's fancy I could fanaggle this or something similar into a story. If nothing else it can serve as a fun history lesson because everything is historically accurate to the Roman Empire under Diocletian. Or if you just want to talk history with me, send me a PM! There is little I enjoy more than a rousing discussion of the ancient times. Let me know what you think!
This was not just any day at the games. It was a first for me. Of course I had been to the Flavian Ampitheatre before what Roman hadn't, but I usually sat in the high seats with my mother. Today I was sitting in the front with the senators. I had recently married a prominent senator and in honor of our wedding he had given a donation to one of the local ludi, funding their purchase of a new gladiator. He was a well trained gladiator who was fighting this afternoon and my husband thought it appropriate that I joined him to watch the days events.
Being this close to the arena floor was very different. The ampitheatre had alwasys been loud, but from the front the noise was immense. It felt as though you could hear conversations coming from the very top of the stands and voices seemed to even drift from across the sand covered floor of the yard. It was overwhelming to be assualted from all sides with the noise of excited people and very distracting. I was nervous to miss a comment from my husband, but he appeared busy enough with his colleagues.
The crowd hushed as trumpets blared from the royal box as the emperor made his way to the front of the box with his arms held out. The crowd roared as he turned himself from side to side soaking in the praise of the people. These games were to be great. As his arms lowered, the doors at the end of the field opened and the volume of the crowd increased as we rose to our feet. As the procession came into the arena the games officially began.
Leading the way were the lictors of the emperor and each bore his standard as began their march around the the field. After the lictors came the trumpetors playing a fanfare, quickly followed by men carrying small statuary of the gods. First Jupiter and then a likeness of Rome herself. Next came a solitary man, one of the emperors scribes to record the events of the games. The group of men following him each carried a palm branch one for each gladiatorial contest to take place that afternoon. Another group followed carrying examples of the armor and weapons to be used by the gladiators in the fights.
Finally the gladiators themselves came. The were the last to enter and were a mass hard to tell one from another. The crowd's volume increased as the men procceded around the arena. In the group were all the trainees of all the schools to be represented, whether, each was going to fight today or not. The men raised their arms to the crowd, but it was impossible to tell which was which in the large group they walked in. Celebrating your favorite would have to wait until his match. Once the gladiators entered the stadium the procession seemed to move much faster and the the line was quickly moving out of the main doors that closed behind them.
The doors reopened as a group of men lead in a huge beast. It dwarfed those who guarded it as it was lead around the edge of the arena and the crowd began to murmur as we watched. As the beast shook its head the elongated nose curled up and back as it walked slowly onward. Behind followed cages of beasts bright orange in color with white and black accents. The animals prowled along the bars of the cage as they were pulled by slaves. Next came in a group of animals similar to horses, but taller and with large lumps on their backs. In some ways this was my favorite part of the day. The animals brought in from the far reaches of the empire were very similar to the mythical beasts from stories. The proccession of beasts went back through the doors and the crowd got louder as the doors shut once more.
At last the events of the day were truly about to start. The crowd remained fairly calm as the gates opened a third time, allowing a small man to enter warily into the ring. He stood armed only with a heavy spear and had no shield. He wore a breastplate made of leather that did not appear thick and he stood in the center tightly gripping his weapon. It was clear he was a bestiarius and a young one at that, but one I did not recognize. I leaned back in my seat to better hear the man behind me as he told of how the man, Naevius came to the arena.
He had apparently been the son of a wealthy man in the lower provinces of Italy, but was recently jailed for failure to pay his debts. Naevius had shown some promise as a gladiator, but in his training had been a disappointment. When it became announced that these games were to be held, his training was switched to handle the beasts instead. The owner of the school had been angered by the amount he had played to get him only to have him turn out to be without enough skill to compete as a gladiator.
The crowd roared once more as Naevius quickly turned towards the end of the field opposite to the large doors as three lions came into the arena. The beasts paced the edges of the field as Naevius nervous followed the animals with his eyes turning his body to best protect himself should one approach. The lions did little, but circle the arena and the crowd quickly became restless for the first action of the day. Boos and calls for blood could be heard throughout the stadium as one of the lions laid in the shade of a side entrance.
At once one of the lions sprang from his laps at the edge and charged toward Naevius at the centerof the ring. He quickly backed up and brought his spear down ready to fight the animal. As the lion appoached he took a preemptive stroke catch the beast in the head. The spear drove itself through the lion's eye, but not before the beast had gotten a paw into Naevius's arm. Blood poured down his arm and onto the beast as he put his foot on it's head to pull the spear from the animal. Blood flowed onto the sand surround the beast's body both from the bestiarius's arm and the lion itself.
The smell of blood spured the third lion to attack, but Naevius was not as lucky this time. The beast knocked him off his feet with a powerful strike to the chest and grabbed his tigh holding on tightly while keeping the man pinned with his paws. The man desperately swung at the beasts head trying to loosen its grip, but the lion held its position. At last he was able to stab the animal in the shoulder causing it to let go roaring ferociously as it took another swipe at his chest.
Naevius quickly scooted backwards along the ground to get away from the beast's teeth. As the lion tried to steady itself with its new wound, the bestarius managed to get to his feet. As the lion approached more slowly this time and Naevius was able to hit it's shoulder again. This time the lion stayed down as it roared and the crowd roared with it. Naevius removed the spear before plunging it into the animal's side again the animal continued with it's horrible noise as he pulled the spear free to lodge it into it's side a third time.
Naevius left the spear in the beast's side as he collapsed next to the beast panting. Blood pooled around both bodies as they lay in the sun. The crowd cheered, but more for blood than anything else. Although Naevius had survived his first round in the ampitheatre, even killing two of the beasts, it was obvious that his wounds were severe. He would not survive the night and had ultimately lost this battle, hardly worthy of the ovation going on in the stands.
Men came in from side entrances to move the third lion back into it's underground cage as others removed the carcases of the other two beasts. Man also brought a litter to carry Naevius to be looked at by a medic; although, the man looked more dead than alive at this point. The crowd settled some at this point as the wealthy attendants sitting at the front rose to go out for lunch. The next event was the humiliores, which senators hardly ever watched instead taking a break for a meal. I was escorted to our slaves while my husband went with his fellow senators to eat.
As we returned to our seats the crowd pulsed with excitement, the gladiatorial fights were the draw of the games. The first matches of the afternoon were disappointing. Today the men seemed prone to injury and fights ended early with one opponent surrendering. At first the emperor was lenient, allowing both men to return to the medics, but as the poor display continued the crowd became unsatisfied. The emperor began calling for death at the end of the match no matter the performance. As the corpse of the last loser was removed from the field the crowd quieted some in anticipation for the final match.
My husband straightened beside me, for this match had his prized gladiator in it. A veteran retiarius from a ludi outside the city that had become well known for his skills in the theatre. He was a Celtic slave named Senovara and he had yet to lose a match. The city had filled with gossip when it became known that he was being brought into a local school. Usually barbarian slaves were larger, but he had been smaller and was made a bestiarius. After he had survived several rounds against the beasts his master had switched his position. He was made a retiarius and became even more successful.
His opponent was equally as skilled. Cassius was known simply as the Thracian and was well known throughout the city for his performance in the amphitheatre. His nickname was something of a farce because he was a Roman who had grown up in the city. His father was a merchant who had accumulated a large debt gambling and in order to pay off his debts had sold his son to the local school. Although Cassius had been destined to become a merchant like his father, he seemed far more adept with the skills of a gladiator.
Although my husband had sponsored Senovara, I favored Cassius. My father had accumulated great wealth as a merchant which allowed him access into the upper class giving me a renowned senator as a husband. Before he had grown wealthy my father had done business with Cassius's and we had become acquainted in our youth. When his father had not yet gotten a taste for gambling it had even been discussed that we might marry.
As the doors opened for the final time the two men entered the arena to the roar of the crowd. Immidiately it was easy to tell who each man was. The new comer Senovara walked slowly and with purpose directly to the center of the ring, while Cassius walked the edge. Where Senovara was silently, Cassius played to crowd. He yelled loudly as he beat his rectangular shield with his sword. He may have been a Roman, but he acted every bit the Thracian he was dressed as. He walked back and forth along the wall before moving into the center to face Senovara.
The retiarius stood his net hanging from one hand while the other had his trident firmly planted in the ground. Cassius took his place across from Senovara and waited for the match to begin. As the referee started the fight he quickly moved back out of the way of the men. Cassius moved forward hacking at Senovara quickly. The Celt moved too quickly and was able to avoid Cassius's initial attacks. The Thracian slowed quickly as he ran out of energy.
When he drew back to regain his breath Senovara shot forward with his trident. He was able to stay farther away as Cassius blocked the blows with his shield. Then Senovara managed to catch his sword between two of the prongs and pull the weapon away throwing it towards the side of the arena. Cassius quickly backed up further from the Celt as he tried to pinpoint where his sword had gone.
Cassius tried to manouver his way over to his fallen weapon, but Senovara kept him in place with quick jabs from his trident. A particularly hard thrust pierced deep into the shield getting stuck. Cassius shoved his shield into the Celt before abandoning it to run for his sword. Senovara was able to pull his trident free quick enough to whip his net into the Thracian's leg, tripping him and halting his progress. Senovara quickly pursued adn tried to pin Cassius down, but he was able to roll away and back in the direction of his shield.
Senovara captured Cassius's leg again with his net and moved closer placing the trident near the fallen man's throat. Cassius reached out grabbing his shield before swinging it and connecting with the side of the Celt's head. Senovara hit the ground hard as Cassius got up and rushed for his sword. His bold move had gained him time, but not without cost as blood dripped down his neck from the trident. As he ran Cassius was hindered by the net still wrapped around his left foot, but he was able to get his sword as the Celt shakely got to his feet. He quickly used his retrieved sword to cut the net from his ankle. He threw the ruined net to the side before turning to face the retiarius.
Senovara approached slowly with his trident held out at length and Cassius crouched and moved slowly to the side towards his forgotten shield. The two men circle moving towards the shield, but as Cassius went for it Senovara moved quicker grabbing it first. He swung the piece at Cassius hard enough to knock his helmet off and onto the ground a few yards away. The Thracian shook his head before rushing Senovara tackling him to the ground. The two men rolled on the ground before the Celt pulled back quickly without his trident reaching for his dagger from his belt.
The trident stood protruding from Cassius's leg, where he lay on the ground screaming in agony. He fell silent as he gripped the trident before pulling it from his leg. Using it to help him stand before breaking the weapon in half and throwing it to the side. Blood flowed from his leg and the mixture of the fresh blood with the older flows from his neck had cause a great amount of sand to stick to the Thracian'd body, while Senovara remained relatively clean.
Cassius moved forward engaging the man in sword play. The crowd was on its feet now shouting and cheering for the two men, creating a deafening noise. The two men grappled before Cassius was able to catch the Celt with a fist to the temple. The blow stunned Senovara long enough that Cassius was able to get the man off his feet quickly stepping on his throat to disable him. The referee called the match and the two men moved slowly to his sides as they faced the emperor. My husband put his head in his hands for the loss of his great investment.
The crowd grew louder in anticipation for the final judgement, but it was unclear what they wanted done. Words mixed togethre as some called for a tie while others wanted death. The emperor approached the front of the box and stood silently before at last holding out his hand. His arm arm held straight and his thumb held up. Senovara was forced to his knees by the referee as the crowd roared in unison.
Cassius moved to take the place of the referee and brought his sword up into the air. He paused momentarily holding the weapon aloft as he looked down at his competator. At last he brought his sword down into his neck as blood splattered across the ground and his body. The crowd cheered loudly again as he pulled the sword swiftly out from the Celt's neck. More blood poured from the wound as Senovara's body fell to the side.