by David Adkins
*
I pushed through the excited masses that were making their way up and down the aisles, heading towards the reserved seating of the knight, Petronius. Aria waved as she saw me coming and I waved back.
I nodded to Petronius as I joined his party. “Thank you for allowing me to join you.”
He barely grunted a response but Stephanio stood from his position in the row behind. “Greetings, Hylas. What an incredible building this is,” he stated.
“Greetings, Stephanio. Yes, it is very impressive,” I replied.
“A fitting backdrop to such a long-awaited contest,” he said, smiling. I could see no tension in him, only confidence.
“Indeed it is.” I took my place in the empty chair next to Aria. I gripped her hand and whispered, “I hope Corelia wipes that confident smile off his face.”
“I think that smile has been annoying Petronius too. Petronius has hardly said a word since we arrived here and is looking very nervous. For all his faults he really does care about his daughter.”
“What about you, Aria?” I asked.
“I am also a bundle of nerves. I could not sleep last night.” She tightened her grip on my hand.
I thought it wise not to tell her how I had spent the night, particularly in view of Corelia’s revelation. “She will win, for Jupiter will not let Ephesus triumph over Rome.” I tried to sound more convinced than I was.
“The problem is, Hylas, that we have the pageant and parade and then a few gladiatorial contests before it is time for the contest between Corelia and Amina. I don’t think that I can bear to sit through it all.”
“I hadn’t thought about having to sit through everything else first.” I shook my head and stared at Aria. She was beautiful. I had hardly noticed before because of my obsession with the beauty of Corelia. Did she really love me?
She shuffled uncomfortably under my gaze. “What is it, brother?”
“My head is all over the place, Aria. Paulinus has allowed me to sit with you but I am still on duty and could be called away at any time.”
“You must not leave me,” she said.
“I will not,” I replied. “How was Corelia this morning?”
“She is confident. I offered to fight in her place but she would have none of it.”
“You could hardly do that.” I smiled at her loyalty.
“Hylas, she is the fittest and fastest she has ever been.”
“Then she will win.”
She nodded. “It is almost time for the games to begin.”
I looked around me in awe. The Colosseo had rapidly filled and last minute arrivals were frantically making for their seats. I noticed that Flavius Clemens had now joined the Emperor in his box. Once again I looked at the Emperor with intense hatred. Aria saw me looking at him.
“One day, Aria, I will kill him. Domitian is responsible for this contest. He is the cause of all our woes.”
“Keep your voice down, Hylas,” she whispered a warning as Petronius glanced in our direction.
I heeded her warning despite the intensity of my hatred. It was not noticed anyway amidst the tumult that was gathering momentum. The Emperor rose and waved to the adoring crowds and received an unrestrained ovation in response. He was popular because of the exciting entertainment he provided for the people of the great city. It was the signal that the show was about to begin.
The gates opened at the far side of the arena and all manner of oddities appeared in procession and made their way around the amphitheatre. There were men and women on stilts, fire eaters, dwarfs, clowns, acrobats and an array of people dressed in the most unusual of ways. They were followed by men and women paraded in chains and for the most part nearly naked. I realized that there were a few wretched representatives of every conquered people within our vast Empire and some from outside the Empire. The crowd roared their appreciation at the symbolism. The subject people were then followed by a large group of thin, starving creatures barely recognizable as human. Their guards were using their whips with great enthusiasm and many of the poor souls could do little more than crawl around the arena such was their plight.
“Who are they?” I said to Aria in wonder.
“They are members of the Christian cult. Remember I told you I killed one in the arena and he made no attempt to fight back. They are very strange and they are hated by Domitian because he perceives them as a threat.”
“They do not look like much of a threat to me,” I replied.
The Christians were followed by the animals. The animals, watched carefully by their trainers and keepers, were then paraded around the arena in the wake of the Christians. There were small animals at the front and as they entered the arena they were followed by larger animals. At the rear were the very large animals and most strange many of them were. There were horses with stripes, large deer-like creatures with amazingly long necks, camels with humps from the deserts of North Africa and finally and most magnificent of all were the huge elephants with their tusks and strange trunks.
After the animals came the gladiators and gladiatrices. These were the people who would soon be fighting and shedding their blood on the arena sands. For the first time two gladiatrices were the last to enter the arena and this honour awarded to them was not lost on the crowd. They were greeted by a frenzy of noise. Corelia and Amina walked side by side not even glancing at one another. Many in the arena were on their feet and the cheers were almost all for Corelia. She was the toast of Rome and I loved her so much. She looked straight at us and waved and we waved enthusiastically back. “We have to will her to victory,” I shouted to Aria, trying to make myself heard above the din. Petronius heard my words and actually patted me on the back.
“I will send her vibrations of strength,” she replied.
Proudly this group made their way round the arena, all of them waving to the vast crowds, and the audience were on their feet cheering and applauding. Then they exited the cauldron and the arena was empty. The crowd gradually became silent. The fighting was about to start and the blood was about to flow and all eyes turned towards the metal gate. I was indifferent; all that mattered to me was the contest scheduled for later in the day.
And so the events of the day unfolded. There were fights between gladiators who had the same weapons. There were battles between gladiators armed with different weapons. There were fights between gladiators and animals. Some of the contests were long and evenly contested. Some of the contests were short and often unevenly contested, but they all had one thing in common: much blood and much death. When a gladiator was not killed during the contest and it came down to the decision of the Emperor, the thumb of Domitian was always turned downward. He showed no mercy, even when the defeated gladiator had put up a good fight and the crowd had been entertained. It was painful for me to watch as I knew that it would soon be the turn of Corelia to enter the arena. I hated Domitian with a vengeance but I heeded Aria’s warning and did not speak of it again. I could see the tension Aria’s face as, like me, she dreaded the entry of the gladiatrices into the unforgiving cruelty of the vast theatre of blood. Another contest ended in blood and death and we were one contest nearer the entry of Corelia and Amina.
My mind was in turmoil. My eyes were almost unseeing and my ears were deaf to the announcements. “This is the last one before Corelia. It will be soon.” I heard Aria’s voice and felt the dig of her elbow in my ribs and I returned to some kind of unwanted reality.
I looked below to where two gladiators toiled under the late afternoon sun. “I don’t know if I can bear to watch,” I replied.
“We have to and we have to will Corelia to victory,” she said firmly.
“I know,” I said as I watched one gladiator plunge his spear through the body of the other against a background of bloodlust and cheering. The contest was at an end and this time no decision would be required by the Emperor. The fallen gladiator was very dead. I watched in horror as his lifeless corpse was dragged from the arena while the victor took t
he applaudits of an admiring crowd. With a final wave to the crowd and a bow to the Emperor he too departed the arena leaving it empty and silent. The crowd hushed in expectation. The time had come.
*
The minutes went by with the noisy crowd in a frenzy of anticipation. The air seemed oppressive and I could hardly breathe. It felt as if there was a knot in my stomach and my hands were trembling. Aria’s condition looked no better than mine as she watched the large, iron gate nervously. More minutes went by, no doubt designed to build on the excitement and the tension in the vast audience. At last the iron structure on the far side of the arena began to crank slowly open. The crowd went silent at the grating sound that echoed around the amphitheatre. I watched, spellbound, knowing that the contestants were about to emerge through the gate.
The voice of the games announcer hushed the crowd and made me jump. “Today is the day we have all been waiting for. It has come about due to the great efforts of our illustrious Emperor to bring together the two greatest gladiatrices in the whole of the Roman world.” The Emperor stood and waved and the crowd responded with roars of approval.
“The bastard,” I muttered.
The announcer continued. “The two contestants have much in common. They are both twenty-five years of age. They are both undefeated. They are both champions of their respective half of the mighty Roman Empire. They represent the east and the west.”
“Get on with it,” said Aria for she could not bear the wait.
“I introduce to you from the great city of Ephesus, the champion of Asia and the east, also known as the Queen of the Nile because she originally hails from Egypt. It is Amina the Nubian.” Amina walked through the gate and into the arena waving to the crowd, but was greeted by a chorus of boos and only a few cheers. She looked as formidable as ever and my throat went dry. The muscles bulged on her exposed brown arms and legs and I knew the strength in them.
It was Corelia’s turn to be presented. “I hardly need to introduce to you the toast of Rome. She is the champion of the west and sometimes called the Queen of Sparta. She is nevertheless from our own great city of Rome. She is the magnificent Corelia.” Corelia joined Amina in the arena to tumultuous cheering and applause that seemed to rock the vast stadium. As always she took my breath away. She was magnificent though she seemed small in comparison to Amina. She waved to her adoring public and the noise and support reached even higher levels.
They were both clad identically. They both wore only body armour which was made up of a series of overlapping metal plates. The plates were designed to deflect blows aimed at the body. Neither wore protection for the head, arms, or legs and both were barefoot. They were both armed with a small round shield and a short Roman sword, a gladius.
“Keep calm and remember our plan,” I heard Aria mutter.
“What plan?” I asked.
“To use her speed and a handful of arena sand,” she replied.
“You mean she intends to throw sand into Amina’s eyes,” I observed with horror. “Even I know that such a trick is as old as Rome and never works.”
“It is true that contestants, knowing that their opponents have picked up a handful of sand, are ready for it and close their eyes for a brief second when the throw comes. The fact that the ploy is now rarely used will add to the surprise element. If Amina does not see her pick up the sand it makes it very dangerous.”
“Amina is an experienced gladiatrix who will not take her eyes off Corelia, so how can she not see it?” I said with exasperation.
“That is why we have a plan,” she replied.
I was shaking my head but had to direct my attention back to the two gladiatrices. They were standing twenty feet apart and about to commence battle. The Emperor stood with a purple handkerchief in his hand. He looked around him and then let it fall. The contest had begun and the crowd roared with enthusiasm and bloodlust.
The two gladiatrices circled each other cautiously for some time. Then suddenly Amina attacked and I winced. Corelia parried the blow comfortably and Amina moved away. Then it was Corelia’s turn to attack but once again the blow was parried with ease. “They are feeling one another out,” said Aria.
This sparring went on and on with no success on either side. Then Amina attacked again and once again her blow was parried, but this time she did not move away. Their swords and shields were locked in a trial of strength and I watched in fascination as their muscles bulged and each gladiatrix strained to gain the advantage. In the end Amina’s greater power told and she pushed Corelia away. I heard Aria whisper, “Now,” but I did not understand. Corelia stumbled backwards and Amina tried to follow up her attack but Corelia’s speed was breathtaking and she avoided the deadly blow.
Aria banged her fist on her knee in frustration. “She could not do it.” I did not understand her words; to me Corelia had done exceedingly well to thwart the attack.
They were back to circling one another and back to the game of thrust and parry with neither able to gain an advantage. The tension in the arena was almost tangible and I felt as if I could reach out and touch it. Then Amina made a more determined attack with a heavy blow and two follow-up thrusts. Corelia blocked the first, avoided the second, and deflected the third though Amina’s blade had touched her on the arm. I could see blood by her elbow on her sword arm and I was terrified. “It’s only a nick,” Aria reassured me. “We get them all the time in training.” However, I thought she looked more worried than she was letting on. “Time for those vibrations, Hylas,” she reminded me.
I tried to will my own strength into the frame of Corelia as did Aria. I remembered the words of Corelia. ‘Together we can have victory.’
It was, however, Amina on the attack again. Even the crowd were looking concerned as their favourite and champion went on the back foot. Corelia was still parrying the blows with reasonable comfort but she was not getting in any attacks of her own. She was keeping her distance from Amina and then dealing with the attacks as they came.
This pattern went on for some time until much to my surprise and to the cheers of the crowd she launched a counterattack. Four heavy blows were parried by Amina and then once again they locked swords and shields. I was astonished that Corelia was doing this because the last time she had come out second best. They were straining every sinew until at last Amina pushed her away contemptuously. Corelia stumbled again and for a moment she was on the ground but she rolled away at top speed to avoid a crunching blow which would have decapitated her.
Aria was on her feet. “Did you see it, Hylas?”
“See what?” I groaned.
“The stumble and the roll – we’ve practised it a thousand times. She may have done it.”
“Done what?” I was almost beside myself.
“Picked up the sand,” she replied.
“That’s impossible. How could she? Her arm is strapped to her shield and the sword was in the other hand and she was rolling at speed for gods’ sake.”
“As Amina pushed her away she may have altered her grip on the shield enabling her to get a handful of sand during the roll. The shield would have prevented Amina from seeing the action.”
“Has she really got sand in her hand unbeknown to Amina?” I asked in wonder.
“I don’t know but that was the plan,” she replied.
Corelia had moved well out of range but it now seemed that Amina was hunting her down. I could sense the anxiety in the audience as Amina planned her next attack. Corelia was looking at her blood-soaked arm and was obviously in some distress. I was distraught. Perhaps the arm wound was worse than we had thought.
Amina took that as the cue to attack. She looked enormous as she cornered Corelia and rained blow after blow on Corelia’s shield and sword. I wondered how Corelia could withstand such a concerted attack but to my astonishment and relief she managed to parry every blow. I was on my feet pleading with her to disengage while Aria was staring at the raging battle in total wonder. Another mighty blow from Amina smashed
against Corelia’s shield and sent her staggering. Corelia stumbled to her knees and Amina sensed the kill. The sand moved swiftly through the air from Corelia’s hand; Amina was certainly not expecting it and did not see it quickly enough. The manoeuvre was complete and for a moment Amina was blinded. The intended final blow from Amina missed Corelia as she swerved to one side in an evasive movement while still on her knees. In the same action Corelia’s sword sliced across Amina’s right thigh as Corelia rolled away from danger. It was a damaging, vicious blow but amazingly it did not bring Amina down.
Amina had cleared her eyes and was looking down at the large gash on her wounded thigh as Corelia moved well out of range. “Why did she not go for the head or body while she had the chance?” I gasped.
“The plan was to go for the head but Amina is so tall and Corelia was on her knees. Her head was out of range and her body is well protected. If she had not penetrated the armour the manoeuvre would have been in vain,” Aria explained.
Amina almost seemed to shrug and again started after Corelia, but the fleet-footed Corelia kept her distance. There was much blood on the arena sand and it was nearly all Amina’s. “Come and fight,” she goaded Corelia.
Amina was still strong and it was obvious that Corelia did not intend to be rushed. As Amina advanced on her Corelia moved away and we could see the frustration on the Egyptian’s face. Once again she pursued Corelia across the arena and once again Corelia danced away. The blood continued to seep from the gash on Amina’s thigh and I realized that she needed to end the contest quickly.
“She is losing much blood,” Aria commented.
“And Corelia knows it,” I replied.
Amina ran after her opponent but Corelia ran too, and there was no way the hampered Amina could catch the nimble Corelia in an arena as big as this. There were some jeers from the crowd as they wanted their champion to stand and fight. Corelia did not oblige them. Amina continued to goad her into fighting. “You are a coward. You are running away.” I glanced at the Emperor who did not seem amused by the unexpected turn of events and the retreating policy of his renowned gladiatrix. All the time Amina could do nothing to stench the flow of blood from the gash inflicted by Corelia’s sword.