Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Sulla's Deeds

In six hundred and seventy-five years of the Roman era, the conqueror of Isavre, Pubrius.Silverius.Vatier and Appius.Clausius.On the morning of three days before the first half of November (November 10) in the year of Pricher's reign, the common people from all parts of the city of Rome gathered in the streets before dawn.All the people rushed to the arena. From the crooked, narrow, but very densely populated alleys of the districts of Esquevelín and Suburra (where the people who live there are mostly civilians) poured out a motley crowd of people of all ages and status; The main streets of the city, Tempernor Street, Potters Street, New Street, and other avenues, all headed in one direction and rushed towards the Colosseum like a tide.

Artisans, paupers, freed slaves, old scarred gladiators, beggars, crippled veterans of proud Roman legions Conquerors of Asia, Africa, and Sembria, common women, clowns, mummers, dancers, and three Five groups of flexible children rushed forward one after another in an endless stream.Their lively, jovial faces, their carefree chatter, and their sarcasm and sarcasm, all told that they were hurrying to enjoy the show that everyone loved. All this motley, tumultuous, and innumerable crowd filled the great city with an indistinct, tumultuous, but merry tumult, a tumult which consisted only of thousands of beehives setting out in the streets. Only the hum that comes out can be compared with it.

The inhabitants of Rome seemed very happy; they were not at all disturbed by the cloudy sky, which, far from bringing good weather, was likely to rain. A very cold morning wind came from the mountains beyond Latin and Durthgul, and it kept piercing people's faces.The extent of the cold was easy to see, for some of the citizens had pulled the hoods of their burqas over their heads, and others had put on sombreroes or round felt hats; Robes or togas were wrapped more tightly, and women wrapped themselves in long, roomy gowns and cloaks. This arena was originally built by the first king of Rome, Telkevinius the Old, in 138 AD, and was occupied by Telkevinius, the last proud king of the Roman era. It was later expanded and renovated; it was called the Colosseum from 533 Roman A.D., because of that year the censor Kundus.Phraminius also built a smaller arena, which bears his own name.

The Colosseum stood in the valley of Morcia between the Palatine and the Aventine, but at the time of the events described in this book it had not yet reached the height of JuliusCaesar and Augustus.The grandeur and grandeur of Octavian's time.But in any case, it is always a huge and amazing building.It is 2,180 Roman feet long and 998 Roman feet wide, and can accommodate more than 120,000 spectators. The shape of this arena is almost oval.Its east end is semicircular, but its west end is cut in a straight line, with a horizontal arch.It was a tall building with thirteen arches, and the central arch was the main entrance and exit to the arena, hence the name of the main entrance; it was through this door that the procession of the patron saints entered before the fight began.The arcades under the remaining twelve arches are used as stalls or arcades. When chariot races are held in the Colosseum, there are places where chariots and horses are placed. It was there to rest the gladiators and shut down the beasts when they were performing.Starting from the arch, the Colosseum is a row of semicircular stone steps, and those stone steps are the seats for the audience.A lot of steps separated those seats, and the audience followed those steps to the seats.Those steps were connected with many steps behind the stands, and the Romans could descend them, and exit by many side doors around.

On the top of the stands are the arcades of columns, which are prescribed for the enjoyment of the women, and allow them to watch the performances. Opposite the main entrance was built a triumphal arch, where the victors entered the arena, but to the right of the double arch there was another gate, called the Gate of Death; The bloody mutilated limbs of the gladiators who had been killed or were about to die dragged them from the arena to the outside through the bleak door. On the vaulted roof were benches, where the highest magistrates, consuls, virgins, and senators were seated.But in other places, there is no specific or assigned seat.

In the arena, from the arch to the triumphal arch, there is a low wall, about five hundred paces long, called the Ridge; it is used to measure distances in chariot races.There are several small pillars at both ends of the wall, which are called standard pillars.In the middle of the ridge wall stands an obelisk dedicated to the sun, and on both sides of the tower are many columns, altars and statues of the gods, among which there are statues of Celes and Venus of Morcia. Inside the arena, there is a wall of eighteen feet high all around, and that wall is called the retaining wall.A deep ditch was dug along the wall, filled with water, and there was an iron railing outside the ditch.All this is to protect the audience, lest they be attacked by the fierce beasts that bark their teeth and claws, roar and show off in the arena.

This place where the performance was given to the Romans in AD 675 is such a magnificent building.This gigantic building is now filled with venerable Roman citizens whose invincible eagles have flown all over the world.However, there are still people rushing from outside the arena, and their number is increasing every hour and every minute. In the constant flow of people, there are not only civilians, but also knights, nobles and ladies; all of them look carefree Carefree, like those who wait for some kind of fun and enjoyable entertainment. What happened on this day?what are they celebratingWhat kind of performance attracted so many audiences to the arena?

Happy man Lucius.Cornelius.Sulla, the ruler of Italy, who made all Rome tremble, in order to forget with joy the incurable skin disease that had plagued him for more than two years, had made it public a few weeks ago to declare, He will pay for the Roman citizens to feast for three days, with all kinds of entertainment. On the previous night, in the square of Mars and in the open space beside the Tiber, the populace of Rome had sat around the innumerable feasts which had been arranged at the behest of the cruel dictator.They munched noisily until nightfall, and then the usual feast turned into unbridled revelry.This Gaius.The sworn enemy of Marius gave the banquet with unprecedented pomp and extravagance, with the best food and the most mellow wine in countless three-bed dining rooms hastily arranged in the open space. The whole city of Rome was entertained.

The generosity of the happy Sulla was unprecedented: these feasts and performances, which he celebrated with Hercules, cost him a tenth of his fortune.The food he prepared was so rich that a large amount of surplus food was thrown into the river every day; the wine he used to entertain people was also aged for forty years or more. Thus Sulla entertained the Romans with his left hand part of the looted property with his right hand.Although the Quilites hated Sulla in their hearts, they accepted the banquets and entertainments arranged for them by this man who hated the whole Roman people without fear.

The best time of day has started.Vibrant rays of the sun, breaking here and there through the clouds, resplendent the top of the hill and the roofs of dozens of temples, trading halls, and noble mansions surrounded by walls of white marble.The bright sun also warmed the Roman citizens sitting on the stone steps of the Colosseum. The Colosseum was already filled with more than 100,000 Roman citizens, waiting to enjoy their favorite performances: gladiator-to-gladiator bloody fights, gladiator-to-beast fights. Among the more than one hundred thousand spectators, there were ladies, nobles, knights, tax collectors, moneyholders and rich foreigners who gathered in the eternal city from all the districts of the city and all places outside Rome. The best seats.

Although the favorites of fate arrive at the Colosseum much later than the poor, they always get the best and most convenient seats.Many poor Roman citizens, though often without bread, and sometimes even without houses, retained their pride, and were always ready to cry: Nlimetangercivigromanussum. (Don't touch me I'm a citizen of Rome!) Among the various low-effort occupations of the idle poor.It was a special occupation to arrive early at places of public entertainment to secure the best seats for wealthy citizens and nobles.When those rich and noble think that the performance is worth seeing, they come to the arena in a carriage and pay three or four sesterces for the right to sit in a good seat. The arena is crowded with more than 100,000 spectators of different genders, ages and origins.Such a great scene is difficult to imagine.Clothes of all kinds, including togaes with wide purple borders, togas with narrow purple borders, priestly robes, toga, sleeveless robes, long robes, and mantles, their colors are interwoven into a magnificent and splendid one; thousands of people The noise and noise are like the roar of a volcano in the ground; the turning of thousands of heads and the waving of tens of thousands of arms are like terrible waves in a violent ocean!But all these descriptions of the incomparably great scenes in the arena at that time can only give people a very weak idea. The civilians sitting on the stone steps of the stands everywhere took out the food they brought from home from time to time.Some eat bacon, others eat cold pork or sausages, and some eat a kind of bun or rusk stuffed with curd milk and honey.As they ate, they joked and told all sorts of wisecracks and not very refined sarcasms; they talked lightly, laughed loudly, or drank wine: Veritra, Massigus, and Dusgul liquor. There was lively business everywhere; peddlers of boiled beans, pancakes and steamed buns sold out of their wares in no time.Because the civilians are scrambling to buy these cheap and high-quality food to entertain their wives and children.Then, of course, the jubilant customers had to call the wine seller over to buy wine to quench the thirst caused by eating boiled beans.They drank glasses full of sour wine that conscientious wine-mongers sold as duskur. Those of the rich, the knightly, and the noble families sat alone away from the common people, with a deliberate air of grandeur, and engaged in lively and lively conversation. The dandies in costumes spread cushions and blankets on the hard stone steps, and they put open umbrellas on the heads of beautiful ladies and charming girls to shield them from the scorching sun. On the third row of stone steps in the stands, almost near the Arc de Triomphe, between two nobles, sat a lady of great beauty.Her graceful posture, full body, and wonderful shoulders show that she is a true Roman beauty. She has a well-defined face, a broad forehead, a slender and beautiful nose, a petite mouth, a pair of big black flexible eyes, and two red lips burning with a strong desire for a kiss.All in all, there is almost no part of this noble lady that does not reveal that incredible and charming power.Her thick and soft curly hair, as black as a crow's wings, hung down to her shoulders, but was tightly bound near her forehead by a golden crown studded with precious stones.A sleeveless gown made of very thin white woolen fabric and embroidered with a gold fringe at the bottom, showed her fascinating curves.But on the outside of the beautiful sleeveless gown with folds flowing downwards, there was a snow-white waistcoat with purple tassels hanging down. This richly dressed beauty was probably not yet thirty years old; she was Valeria Lucius.Van Lerius.Messala's daughter, Kundus.Holdenius' half-sister.Kundus.Holdenius was a famous rhetorician, and he was Cicero's rival.He was elected consul in AD 685.A few months before the events we narrate began, Van Laeria's husband divorced her with an excuse that seemed plausible to outsiders, saying that Van Laeria would not have a son; but in fact, the divorced The reason was that rumors about her character were raging in Rome.The gossip held that Valeria was a womanizer who had had many infidelities with her suitors.But in any case, both parties in the divorce have preserved their decency this time, so Fan Lelia's reputation has not been damaged. Beside Valeria, sat Elevius.meduri.It was a lanky, pale, clean, well-combed, perfumed, oiled, and carefully made-up fellow.On all his fingers were finely carved gold rings set with precious stones.Around his neck hung a gold necklace, and below it was a beautiful gold pendant.Medourie, in addition to his refined attire, carried an ivory cane, which he played with from time to time with great grace. On the indifferent and dull face of this nobleman, there was a bored and numb expression. He was only thirty-five years old, but he was already tired of everything in the world.Elevius.Medouri was born in Rome of a distinguished and noble family.Those nobles, tortured by drinking and feasting, have lost their heroism, and they have given the right to fight and die for the glory of the motherland to the hands of the common people.These noble families shirk the responsibility of conquering other nations and countries on the common people, and their own job is to squander their ancestral property in a life of luxury and pleasure, or to plunder the provinces they rule. . In Fan Lailiya.On the other side of Messala sat Marcus.Gertius.Zegizius.A nobleman who is fifty years old.He was a cheerful, jovial, ruddy, stocky little fellow.With a tall belly.Chewing and drinking was his favorite pastime, so he spent most of his time at the dining table in the Samba restaurant.In the first half of the day, he always went to try the extremely delicate and delicious dishes made by the cook, whose cooking skills were well-known in the whole city of Rome; I imagined in advance the happy situation when I entered the three-court restaurant again.In a word, Marcus.Gertius.While digesting his lunch, Zegizius was already thinking of dinner. After a while, Kundus.Holdenius also came here.The orator's eloquence gained world reputation at that time. Kundus.Holdenius was not yet thirty-six.He had spent a lot of time and painstakingly studying the gestures of speech and the various ways of expressing his thoughts, and his art of combining gestures and words has reached the pinnacle of perfection.Everywhere he went to the senate, to the dining-room, or wherever he seemed to be born, his manner, with the utmost dignity and dignity, amazed everyone.His dress was always dark, and the folds of his toga, which always hung in such a harmonious way, and were carefully and neatly folded, accentuated more strikingly the beauty and stateliness of his posture. Prior to this, he had made military exploits in the Marci War against the allies in central Italy. Two years after joining the army, he was promoted to centurion and later elected tribune. It must be mentioned that Holdencius is not only famous for his erudition and eloquence, but also can be said to be a skilled actor.Half of Holdencius' achievements should be attributed to his clear and clear voice and his superb reciting skills. play.This caused Isopus, the most famous Roman tragedian, and Rosius, the most famous comedian, to rush to the Great Council while he was speaking; The secret of the art of reciting so vividly played by Ouse. When Holdencius, Valeria, Elevius, and Zegizius talked to each other and, in accordance with Valeria's wishes, sent a freed slave to claim the gladiators for the day's fight The procession of the priests of the statues had circled the ridge wall by the time the plaques of their names were placed, and had placed the idols on the flat tops of the ridge wall. Not far from where Valeria and her conversation partner were seated, stood two boys in purple-trimmed white togas, accompanied by a governess.The two pupils, the one fourteen and the other twelve, had faces that were purely Roman, chiseled, with a broad forehead.The two boys were descendants of the Borzius tribe, and their names were Katu and Zebion.Their grandfather was Catu, the famous censor in the Second Punic War. He was the deadly enemy of the Carthaginians and had demanded the destruction of Carthage at any cost. The younger brother, Chebion, was more talkative and courteous, and he talked with their governess Sarbiton from time to time.But brother Marcus.Polzius.But Kato was a silent and pouting teenager.He had a sullen scowl quite out of proportion to his age.From an early age he showed an indomitable will and a steadfast, unwavering spirit.It is said that when he was only eight years old, Marcus.Pompezius.As soon as one of the generals of the Italian cities of Siron in the war against Rome for civil rights came to the house of Drusus, the younger Catu's uncle, he grabbed Catu the Younger and held him to the window, threatening him, saying: If he If he refused to intercede with his uncle for the Italians, he would be thrown out of the window on the gravel road.Pompezius shook him and threatened him, but to no avail.Little Kato said nothing, did not move, and showed no sign of agreement or fear.A natural willpower, a study of Greek philosophy, especially the Stoics, and a deliberate imitation of his stern grandfather gave the fourteen-year-old the character of a gallant citizen.He later died fighting in the city of Ujga.His body was taken to the grave, wrapped in the banners of liberty loyal to Latin, as if in a shroud. On the Arc de Triomphe, not far from a certain exit, sat a child of an aristocratic family accompanied by a teacher.He was talking excitedly with a boy of about seventeen.Although the boy was wearing the toga that adults only wear, there were only some extremely fine hairs growing on his lips.He is not tall, and looks frail and sickly, but on his pale face covered by black oily hair, those big and dark eyes are shining brightly, showing infinite wisdom. This seventeen-year-old boy is Jidus.Lucretius.Carus.He was a son of a famous Roman family, and later he wrote the long poem "On the Essence of All Things", which made his name immortal.The strong and courageous twelve-year-old boy with whom he was talking was Gaius Cassius, son of the retired consul Cassius.Cassius.Longkinus.He was destined to play a most prominent role in the events leading up to the fall of the Republic. Lucretius and Cassius talked very vigorously.The future great poet has often visited Cassius Cassius in the last two or three years.To the house of Longinus, who valued the wit and great nobility of the young Longinus, and became very fond of him.Cassius also loved Lucretius very much. They were attracted by the same kind of feelings and interests. Both of them paid little attention to material life and adopted the same attitude towards people and gods. Beside Lucretius and Cassius sat Faust, son of Sulla.He was a thin, red-haired boy; his pale face was marked with bruises and lumps from a recent fight.There was a fierce, haughty look in his blue eyes, and he liked nothing more than to be pointed at and said to be the happy son of a happy dictator. In the arena, young gladiators who have not yet been trained are fighting with admirable enthusiasm, swinging the coach's bludgeon and wooden sword, fighting without any harm to themselves.The arena entertained the audience with such shows until the arrival of the two consuls and Sulla, who paid for the favorite gadgets and entertainments of the Roman citizens. But no one will be satisfied, no one will be interested in this bloodless gladiatorial combat, except the veterans and freed gladiators of the legions who have survived a hundred battles and fights of.Suddenly, the entire vast arena burst into thunderous applause, which was extremely loud but quite neat. Long live Pompey!Gnaeus.Long live Pompey!Long live the great Pompey!Thousands of spectators chanted. Pompey entered the arena, and sat down beside the group of virgins on the vaulted roof.It turned out that this group of pure women who dedicated their lives to the goddess of chastity also gathered here, ready to enjoy this bloody performance they loved so much.Pompeo bowed gracefully to the crowd, and then put his hand to his lips and threw kisses frequently to express his gratitude. Gnaeus.Pompey was about twenty-eight years old, and he was very tall, with a physique as strong and powerful as Hercules; his thick black hair covered his large head, and the forehead was set so low that it almost covered him. His big dark eyes, shaped like beautiful apricots, were joined together above the brows, but the pupils were limp and expressionless.His rough, well-defined face and strong and powerful body give people a sense of fortitude and beauty.Of course, those who have observed his face carefully will find that that indifferent face does not make people feel that his thoughts and careers are irrelevant to this man who rose to the top of the Roman Republic within twenty years. Great impression.But in any case, when he returned from an expedition to Africa at the age of twenty-five, he not only won the honor of triumph, even Sulla himself respected him as the great Pompey in a moment that may be Sulla's most generous.But whatever may be said of Pompey himself, of his exploits, of his career, of his achievements, when he entered the Colosseum on November 10, 675, the sympathy of the Roman populace was utterly complete. on his side.Already at twenty-five he was a triumphant man, and had the love of all the soldiers in his regiment; those veterans, hardened by weather, dangers, and scores of battles, unanimously made him generalissimo. Perhaps this particularly pronounced preference of the Roman populace for Pompey may be explained more or less by their hidden hatred of Sulla: having no other means of expressing this feeling of hatred, they had to Vent it to the stormy applause and cheers that welcome the dictator's young friends; for Pompey is the only man who can match Sulla in military exploits. Following Pompey came the two consuls who had to leave their posts on January 1 next year, Pubrius the conqueror of the city of Isavre.Silverius.Vatier and Appius.Clausius.Priehl.In front of Servilius, who was in power this month, walked a team of guards of honor carrying tokens, and in front of Clausius, who was in power last month, also walked a team of guards of honor. When the two consuls appeared on the vaulted flat roof, all the people stood up and paid due respect to the supreme ruler of the republic. Silverius and Clausius began to take their seats, and the audience followed them.The two nobles Marcus Marcus who were elected consuls for the second year at the Citizens' Assembly in September.Aemilius.Lepidus and Kundus.Lutacius.Cadurus also sat down. Pompey bowed to Servilius and Clausius, and they returned the salute, but with an air not only amiable but almost servile.Then Pompey stood up and approached Marcus G., who was very grateful to him.Shake his hand, Lepidus, for Pompey had used his great prestige to support Lepidus in the election against Sulla's intentions. Lepidus greeted the young generalissimo with respect and professed his allegiance; they began to talk;Cadurus only bowed slightly reservedly and proudly. Although Sulla was no longer dictator at the time of the election of the consuls, he retained his power.He made every effort to oppose the consul candidate Lepidus, because he believed that his speculation was not unfounded. Lepidus was actually Gaius.Followers of Marius were his enemies.But precisely because of Sulla's opposition and Pompey's goodwill support, a situation emerged at the Citizens' Assembly, that is, Lepidus overwhelmed Lutacius, a candidate supported by the wealthy aristocratic faction. ．Caturus.Sulla has several times reproached Pompey for this, saying that in electing consuls he did not help the good, but the worst of all citizens. As soon as the consul arrived, the group of young gladiators stopped performing.The gladiators who were really going to fight that day had already prepared everything to stand at the door of the vault, so that they could file in front of the consul according to the custom.There they waited only for the signal to go. All eyes were fixed on the vaulted dome, and all awaited the signal from the two consuls to begin the gladiatorial fight.But the eyes of the two consuls were scanning the rows of seats in the arena, as if searching for a certain person and asking his permission.In fact, they were waiting for Lucius.Cornelius.Sulla waited for the man who had voluntarily renounced the position of dictator, but was still de facto ruler of Rome. Finally, there was a round of applause, weak and sparse at first, then louder and more regular, echoing through the arena.All eyes were on the Arc de Triomphe.At this time, Lucius.Cornelius.Surrounded by his friends, disciples, and senators, Sulla entered the arena through the triumphal arch. This curious figure was then fifty-nine years old.He was of considerable stature, and of solid build, and he walked slowly and listlessly, like a man exhausted, the result of wanton feasting, for his whole life was devoted to debauchery, especially in the In the past few years, it has been more powerful than in any previous period.But the chief cause of his age was his consuming and incurable disease, which left a sad, premature mark on his face and on his whole appearance. Sulla's face was now indeed very terrible, but his original features were very regular and harmonious: a broad front jaw, a big nose with nostrils bulging like a lion's nose, a rather large face with two lobes. A mouth with protruding majestic lips.The visage was formidable, especially in combination with the thick, reddish-brown hair which overlaid it; and in that face were a pair of mobile, dark, penetrating pale gray eyes.It was the bright eagle's eye, but sometimes it became like the coyote's, and in his cruel gaze there was a desire for domination and blood. When Sulla was fighting in Asia against the king of Mithridates, he had been invited to act as a peacemaker in the dispute between the king of Cappadocia, Aliobarzan, and the king of Parthia.The Parthian king sent a special envoy Orobacha.At that time, Sulla's official position was only a governor, but in order to show the power of Rome and his own power, he did not hesitate to sit on one of the three chairs in the hall when they met each other. Having settled down, he considers this most honorable position to be his.He seated Orobacha, the representative of the most powerful king in Asia, on his right, and Alio Balzan on his left.The Parthian king was so humiliated and ashamed by this that Orobacha had him executed as soon as he returned.At that time, there was a Halda in the entourage of the envoy of Orobacha, who was proficient in witchcraft and could determine the spiritual power of a person by his appearance.After carefully observing Su La's appearance, he was very surprised by the frightening light from Su La's beast-like eyes, and he immediately said: This man will definitely become a big man.I wonder how he can bear the fact that he has not yet become the world's first big man! Let us return to Sulla again.We have just sketched his portrait briefly, but we must explain why we have called his face the terrible face at the beginning of the description: Sulla's face is indeed terrible, because in him not only It was full of filthy pustules, and there were white spots here and there.As some Athenian buffoon put it viciously, as if flour had been thrown in the face of a Moor. If Sulla's face had been like this in youth, it would be easy to see how terrible old age would be; in the veins of this dictator ran the blood of scrofula and scrofula, and the wine and feasts in which he had always indulged His condition worsened.The white spots and scabs that had disfigured his face had multiplied, and now his whole body was covered with pustules and ulcers. Sura showed the demeanor of a misanthrope, and slowly walked into the arena step by step.He did not wear the Latin overcoat or the traditional toga, but over his robe of snow-white wool embroidered with gold flowers and arabesques, he wore a gorgeous dress trimmed with gold. A lace, fiery-coloured Grecian coat; fastened at the right shoulder by a gold button, the jewels of which flickered blindingly against the sun.Sulla, who despised humanity in general and his own countrymen in particular, was one of the first few Romans to wear the Greek coat.He was holding a cane with a gold head, on which the sculptor had engraved episodes from the First Battle of Olhomin with great skill.Orkhomin was a city in Beodia, near which Sulla defeated Agelaus, governor of King Mithridates.The sculptor carved the scene of Agelaus kneeling and surrendering to Sulla on the branch.On the ring finger of the dictator's right hand he wore a gold ring with a huge, blood-like ruby ​​inlaid on it, engraved with the scene of Porcus dedicating King Jugurtha.Sulla wore this ring for a moment, until Marius returned in triumph, and used it, according to his characteristic temper, to boast of his exploits to Marius from time to time.The ring became the first spark that sparked a devastating quarrel between Sulla and Marius. As soon as Sulla heard the thunderous applause, a sneer appeared on her lips, and she said in a low voice: Shoot, shoot, you stupid goats! At that moment the two consuls signaled the beginning of the show, and a hundred gladiators emerged from the vaults and marched in single file along the arena. The first pair of gladiators walking in the front are fishnet gladiators and fish helmet gladiators, and they must start the gladiatorial performance.Although one of them was about to die, they walked and talked quietly.Behind them are nine net gladiators and nine pursuit gladiators. The net gladiators hold tridents and rope nets in their hands, and the pursuit gladiators are armed with shields and short swords.During the gladiatorial fight, the rope net gladiators use this kind of rope net to catch the chasing gladiators. If the chasing gladiators are not covered by the net, they can chase the fleeing rope net gladiators. Behind these nine couples were thirty full-fledged gladiator couples: they fought in teams of thirty, like a small-scale exercise imitating real combat.在這六十個角鬥士中，三十個是色雷斯人，另外三十個是沙姆尼特人；他們全是漂亮、年輕、身材魁梧、強壯而又勇敢的人。 驕傲的色雷斯人用彎曲的短劍作為他們的武器；一手拿著不大的、前面略微隆起的正方形盾牌，他們的頭上戴著沒有面罩的頭盔；這全是他們本民族的武裝。他們全都穿著鮮紅色的短衣，他們的頭盔上飄拂著一對黑色的羽毛。三十個沙姆尼特人的武裝也和他們本民族戰士的武裝一樣：筆直的短劍，不大的、有面罩和帽翼的頭盔；小小的正方形盾牌；鐵製的護手，蓋住了沒有盾牌掩護的右手，最後是一片鐵製的護膝，遮住了他們的左腿。沙姆尼特人都穿著淡藍色的短衣，他們的頭盔上飄著白色的羽毛。 行列的末尾是十對穿白短衣的蒙面角鬥士；他們的武器只是短短的匕首，那與其說像短劍還不如說像普通的小刀，他們頭上的頭盔附有一種不開眼的面罩，面罩上鑽著些很不規則而且是很細小的望孔。這二十個不幸的人，將要被人推到角鬥場上，好像捉迷藏一般地互相角鬥，他們可以長久地娛樂觀眾，引起一陣陣的哄笑，直到打手用燒紅的鐵條把他們趕到一塊兒，使他們互相鬥死才止。 一百個角鬥士在觀眾的掌聲與喊聲之下，在鬥技場上繞了一圈。當他們在蘇拉的座位下面經過時，就抬起頭來按照角鬥士老板阿克齊恩的囑咐齊聲高喊： 偉大的獨裁者，我們向您致敬！ 唔，很不錯！蘇拉向周圍的人說。他用一個百戰百勝的統帥的老練眼光，仔細地注視著在他下面通過的角鬥士。都是些勇敢而且強壯的小夥子！我們就要看到出色的表演了。萬一不是這樣的話，那就該阿克齊恩倒楣！為了這五十對角鬥士，我被要去了二十二萬塞斯太爾司，這騙子！ 角鬥士的行列在鬥技場上繞了一遍，向兩位執政官高呼致敬以後回到拱房裡去了。在那像銀子一般閃爍發光的角鬥場上，就留下了兩個面對面站著的人：魚網角鬥士和魚盔角鬥士。 一切都頓時靜寂了，觀眾的眼睛注視著那兩個準備廝殺的角鬥士。那個魚盔角鬥士是一個金髮的高盧人，身材高大，容貌俊美，顯得強壯而又靈活。他的左手拿著一個不大的盾牌，右手握著一把闊刃的短劍，頭上戴著一頂銅盔，盔頂裝飾著一條銀子雕成的魚。那個魚網角鬥士的武器只是一把三齒叉和一張魚網。他穿著一件普通的淡藍色的短衣，站在離開魚盔角鬥士二十步以外的地方，似乎正在考慮，怎樣才能巧妙地用魚網把魚盔角鬥士罩住。魚盔角鬥士伸出左腳支持著微微向前傾的身子，幾乎把短劍放到右面的大腿旁邊，等待著對方的進攻。 突然，魚網角鬥士拚命向前一跳，落到離開魚盔角鬥士幾步遠的地方，像閃電那麼迅疾地向對方撒出了魚網。但是魚盔角鬥士向後一跳，幾乎把身體伏倒在地上，避開了魚網，接著就向魚網角鬥士猛撲。魚網角鬥士知道自己的進攻落了空，立刻飛也似地逃走。魚盔角鬥士急忙追了上去，但是魚網角鬥士比較靈活，他繞了一個圈子又回到魚網那兒，而且把它拾了起來。他剛剛站直身子，魚盔角鬥士就追上他了，高盧人正準備給他一下致命的打擊，魚網角鬥士卻突然轉過身子，向對方迎頭撒出了魚網，但是魚盔角鬥士趕忙向下一伏爬出魚網，迅速地跳了起來，這時候魚網角鬥士的三齒叉已經刺了過來，可是尖齒只是在高盧人的盾牌上面擦了一下。這時候，魚網角鬥士只得重新拔腳飛逃。 觀眾開始發出不滿的喧鬧：他們認為一個還不會巧妙地撒網的角鬥士竟敢出場參加角鬥，那對他們簡直就是侮辱。 這一次，魚盔角鬥士不但不去追趕魚網角鬥士，反而折到能夠等到他的對手的一邊，而且停留在離魚網只有幾步遠的地方。但是魚網角鬥士識破了這一計謀，他趕快沿著角鬥場的嶺牆飛也似地跑過來。當他跑到凱旋門那兒時，突然縱身跳過嶺牆，落到鬥技場的另一面，離開自己魚網很近的地方。可是魚盔角鬥士早已等候在那兒了，他撲向他的對手，開始用短劍刺下去，於是幾千個聲音瘋狂地喊道： 殺死他，殺啊！殺死魚網角鬥士！殺死這個沒有用的傢伙！殺死這個膽小鬼！殺啊，殺啊！送他到阿凱倫河旁去捉青蛙！ 被觀眾的高喊所鼓舞的魚盔角鬥士，繼續對魚網角鬥士進行攻打，臉色慘白的魚網角鬥士努力不讓對方接近他，一面揮舞著三齒叉繞著魚盔角鬥士團團打轉，緊張地施出所有力量，想趁機搶起自己的魚網。 突然，魚盔角鬥士舉起左手，用盾牌擋開了三齒叉，一下子鑽到對方跟前，正當他的短劍對準魚網角鬥士的胸膛刺過去時，卻不料魚網角鬥士已掄起三齒叉向他的盾牌狠命刺了一叉，直向自己的魚網撲去，但是他的動作還不夠靈活和迅速；魚盔角鬥士的短劍已經一下子刺傷了他的左肩，鮮血頓時像噴泉一般迸射出來。但無論如何，魚網角鬥士還是帶著他的魚網逃開了，他跑了三十幾步，就轉身對著魚盔角鬥士大聲喊道： 一點兒輕傷！It doesn't matter! 接著，他開始高聲唱道： 來啊，來啊，漂亮的高盧小夥子。 我找的是魚，並不是你 來啊，來啊，漂亮的高盧小夥子！ 歌聲剛一停，看台上就爆發出一陣快活的哄笑。魚網角鬥士的狡猾的計策獲得了成功：他贏得了觀眾的同情；四周發出了一陣陣的掌聲，這是觀眾在讚揚這一受傷、流血、手無寸鐵的人。他那求生的本能暗示著他：必須在這時候鼓起勇氣來嘲笑和侮辱對方。 被嘲弄激怒了的高盧人心中燃起了嫉妒的火焰，因為觀眾的同情現在已顯然轉移到對方身上去了，他惡狠狠地向魚網角鬥士撲了過去。但是魚網角鬥士向後跳了幾步。他一面靈活地避開了對方的打擊，一面高聲喊道： 來啊，高盧人！今天晚上我要給和善的卡隆送煎魚去呢！ 這一新的嘲弄更加激起觀眾的嘩笑，同時使魚盔角鬥士的進攻變得更加猛烈了。但是這一次，魚網角鬥士非常成功地拋出了自己的魚網他的對手終於被魚網罩住了。觀眾發瘋也似地鼓起掌來。 魚盔角鬥士竭力掙扎著，但他卻愈來愈糟地被魚網纏住了，觀眾發出一陣陣高聲的嘩笑。魚網角鬥士飛也似地跑到三齒叉那兒，把它舉了起來，一面往回跑一面高叫： 卡隆一定有魚吃了！卡隆一定有魚吃了！ 但是，當魚網角鬥士跑近自己對手的時候，高盧人已經拚著死命用強有力的大手撕破了魚網，接著魚網落到他的腳上，他騰出了自己的雙手。他現在已經可以迎接敵人的攻打，雖然他的雙腳還不可能移動。 觀眾又開始大聲鼓掌。他們緊張地注視著雙方所採取的每一個動作和每一種手段，因為任何一方偶然的差錯都可以決定角鬥的結局。魚盔角鬥士剛剛把網撕破，魚網角鬥士已經跑近了他的雙手，覷中機會用三齒叉狠狠地刺了過去。魚盔角鬥士用盾牌用力一擋，竟使盾牌裂成了碎片。但是三齒叉還是刺傷了他，鮮血噴了出來他那沒有遮護的臂膀上一下子出現了三處創傷。但幾乎就在這一剎那間，他用左手拉住了三齒叉，把全身的重量都壓到他對手的身上，他那短劍已經有一半刺進了對方的右腿。受了重傷的魚網角鬥士拋棄了落在他對方手中的三齒叉轉身就逃，他的鮮血染紅了角鬥場。但他只跑了四十來步，兩膝一屈，便仰天倒在地上。魚盔角鬥士由於用力過猛再加上本身的重量也跌倒在地上了，接著，他趕忙爬起來，拉開腳上的魚網，向已經倒在地上的對手撲去。 在這角鬥的最後幾分鐘之內，觀眾又發瘋似地鼓起掌來，一直到魚網角鬥士用左肘撐起身體，用他死人一般白的臉轉向觀眾才止。他已經準備大無畏地、泰然地去迎接死亡，他現在之所以面向觀眾要求他們決定他的命運，倒不是希望他們救他，只不過是按照慣例罷了。 魚盔角鬥士用腳踏住了對方的身體，把短劍對準了對方的心窩；接著，高盧人為了弄清楚觀眾的意圖，抬起了頭，用他的目光向鬥技場四周看了一遍。 約莫有九萬以上的觀眾，包括男人、女人和孩子，把右手的大拇指往下一按：這是死亡的信號。另外有不到一萬五千個好心腸的觀眾，卻舉起右手，握緊拳頭，彎著大拇指這是他們願意讓打敗的角鬥士活命的信號。 在這九萬名對角鬥士作死亡判決的觀眾中，也有聖潔而又仁慈的貞女，她們也要欣賞不幸的角鬥士的慘死情景，使自己的欲望得到無罪的滿足。 魚盔角鬥士已經準備一下子結果對方的性命，不料魚網角鬥士突然抬起身子攫住短劍，用力刺進自己的心窩，直到胸脯上只留下一個劍柄。魚盔角鬥士連忙拔出那上面已沾滿了熱氣騰騰的鮮血的短劍。魚網角鬥士的身體在劇烈的痛苦中痙攣地彎曲起來，他用那非人的可怕聲音喊道： 萬惡的羅馬人！接著，他倒在地上死了。