Firey Urgency

From the Diary of Lucius Alfidus, Wine Merchant of the Aventine

Ides of August, Second year of the reign of Our Emperor Domitian.

Today I had the privilige of attending the Games in the Flavian Ampitheatre, a game, I hear, devised by our Princeps himself. Two teams of gladiators were drawn up at either end of the ampitheatre, each guarding a gladiator from the ludus of the opposing team, tied to a stake above a pyre. Each team would have the challenge of rescuing their compatriot from the pyre before the other could light it and burn them to death.

The first team, of the Ludus Servitus et Dubous consisted of Silas the Crupellarius, Apollodorus the Scissore, Verus the Laquearius, Scylax the Cursed of Neptune, a Retiarius, Ordones the Saggitarius and Triton the Velite. Facing them were the Ludus of Arvindus et Paulus. Their team consisted of Turbus, Champion Neapolis, Icarus the Pictish Warrior, Bomilcar and Garrus, Secutore, Hyspax the Hoplomachus and Massina the Retiarius.

The match started with the Arvindus et Paulus team leaving Massina to light the pyre beneath their captive, while the remained of the team ran towards their foes. In what was a calculated, if not exactly courageous move, the Servitii fell back into a defensive line, while Verus and Triton attempted to light the pyre. Ordones struck first with his bow, targeting Turbus, drawing some blood, although it was only of small comfort to the audience who were crying out for combat. A further success for the Servitii was the ignition of the pyre. This development certainly lit up the audience, if you will pardon that horrendous pun.

While the main body of the Arvindii continued to charge towards the Servitii, Hyspax broke to their left hoping to cut around the defensive cordon and reach the captive. The Servitii crept closer to the advancing horde, while Ordones managed to wound Garrus. The crowd were now jeering and crying out as the Sevitii still refused to clash with the enemy. Even our Princeps seemed to be losing patience, it is claimed he was murmuring something about condemning the entire Ludus to death.

Finally, the two teams clashed in hand to hand combat and blood began to flow as Verus swept across the sands towards the captive and Triton launched a javelin at Hyspax, tearing open his flank. Bomilcar the Secutor managed to cut down the much more heavily armoured Silas. He then moved on to attack Ordones, who managed to switch to his gladius and inflict a savage wound on Bomilcar, to the delight and astonishment of the amassed spectators. Nearby, Scylax managed to ensare Garrus with his net before skewering him with his trident, tearing open his bowels. Turbus and Icarus between them managed to dismember Apollodorus between them, cutting down the second of the Servitii heavies. Hyspax managed to reach the pyre and began to clamber up. The sands seemed to favour the Arvindii.

The crowds cheer as blood flows and gladiators fall

The next moments saw Triton charge up behind the climbing Hyspax, hauling him off the pyre and gutting him with his gladius, ending the first rescue attempt of the match. Scylax and Ordones faced down the badly wounded Bomilcar and Icarus. Bomilcar was cut down by Ordones, while Icarus and Scylax traded blows, with Scylax drawing blood.

Triumph begins to fade to tragedy for the Arvindii as they fall.

Far from the main action, watched over by a Psychopompus, Verys and Massina clash around the burning pyre.

Verus and Massina clashed by the captive at the Arvindii end of the arena. Verus managed to ensnare Massina in his lasso, but even while thus hampered Massina managed a wicked trident thrust that caught Verus in the throat, sending him to the Underworld in a shower of blood.

Massina stands victorious.

Triton, a relatively inexperienced gladiator found himself face to face with Turbus, a legend of the sands. Moments later, a legend lay broken on the field, torn open from shoulder to waist, Triton stood victorious, guarding the screaming remnants of the Arvindus now roasting on the pyre.

Triton stands over the corpse of his would-be conqueror as a new legend is born.

Scylax and Ordones managed to finish off Icarus as the crowd was swept up in the drama of a legend being born.

The last survivor of the Arvindii, the Retiarius Massina raised his finger to appeal for mercy, which the crowd supported. The editor of the games granted him mercy as Ordones sprinted the length of the arena, scrambled onto the burning pyre and cut the captive free, badly burnt but alive.

Tragically for the Arvindii, Domitian commanded that their captive be left to burn. As the flames crept higher, his screams were drowned out by the crowd cheering Triton and the Servetii celebrating their victory.

The games were a success with the crowd and I trust this is but the first of many delights I will behold in the great ampitheatre.