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Updated: July 24, 2025
Just at the nick of time the right sort of fellow pops up nobody knows whence, a lanista with hair like curling helichryse, as Theocritus has it, and a small army of gladiators, whom, out of devotion to the Emperor, he offers to exhibit for nothing. Who so pleased as Theocles now?
In fact the Roman sense of fair play was offended when the lanista gave Almo a mere moment of rest and then set against him a sixth antagonist. Murmurs ran from tier to tier, there were hoots and cat-calls. Aurelius put up his hand and the people became still. It was not often that the entire throng in the Colosseum focussed its attention on anyone fighter. That happened now.
It was natural, therefore, that the professional fighting man should become a far more inevitable condition of social and political success than the hunter or the race-horse has ever been with us. Some enterprising members of the nobility soon came to prefer ownership to the hire system and started schools of their own in which the lanista was merely the trainer.
While Murmex was gone he viewed more fencing by young aspirants matched against accredited Palace-school trainers. When Murmex returned he had him matched with the best of these tiros. But, almost at once, he called to the lanista: "Save that novice! Murmex will kill him, even with that lath sword, if you don't separate them."
He knew, however, that Scopus had in his time been unrivalled in the arena, and that, moreover, the rest, who had been offended by his airs of superiority, would side with the lanista against him. "I said nothing to the Briton," he said; "it was the boy I addressed. If it was an offence, why did he not take it up? Is he a coward that others have to fight his battles?
"Where are you leading me?" asked Ahenobarbus, a second time, after all his efforts to communicate with the usually fluent Greek met with only monosyllables. "To the lanista Dumnorix," replied Pratinas, quickening an already rapid pace. Keeper of a school of gladiators. "And his barracks are ?" "By the river, near the Mulvian bridge."
In the sheltered valleys of the upper Apennines they found moderately safe and comfortable fastnesses, and soon around them gathered a number of unattached highwaymen, who sought protection and profit in allying themselves with the band led by the redoubtable lanista. But if Dumnorix was the right arm of this noble company, Publius Gabinius was its head.
No! the conquest of the cestus was not sufficient he had not yet won the prize of victory his father was still a slave! "Noble ædile!" he replied, in a firm and deep tone, "I shrink not from this combat. For the honor of Pompeii, I demand that one trained by its long-celebrated lanista shall do battle with this Roman." The people shouted louder than before.
As the two men face each other and the lanista gives the signal anyone can see, usually, that the retiarius is confident of victory and the secutor wary and cautious or even afraid.
He has certainly served under Bombochides Cluninstaridysarchides, cried the host. 'Sporus, Niger, Tetraides, he declares he shall win the purse from you. Why, by the gods! each of your muscles is strong enough to stifle all his body, or I know nothing of the arena! 'Ha! said the gladiator, coloring with rising fury, 'our lanista would tell a different story.
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