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Updated: May 1, 2025
Yet the audience never tired of their bloodless bouts and, while the nobility and gentry never joined in, the populace invariably roared a protest if they saw the lanistae make a move to separate them, and yelled for them to go on and fence longer.
Scopus would have objected, but the gladiators broke into shouts of "A fight! a fight!" and, as it was according to the rules of all the ludi that quarrels should be fought out with wooden swords without interference by the lanistae, he simply shrugged his shoulders.
The guards ran, the surgeons' helpers ran, even Galen ran, but Aemilius Laetus reached Palus first, and, between the dazed and stunned lanistae, picked up the big golden helmet and replaced it on his head, hiding his features.
"I see," said Ben-Hur; "ten thousand sestertii is a fortune. It will enable you to return to Rome, and open a wine-shop near the Great Circus, and live as becomes the first of the lanistae." The very scars on the giant's face glowed afresh with the pleasure the picture gave him.
Last of the day's exhibitions, came the fencing match between Palus and Murmex, at the center of the arena, empty save for those two and their two lanistae. All others in the arena, including the surgeons, their helpers and the guards, drew off to positions close under the podium wall. Murmex and Palus fenced in all sorts of outfits, except that neither ever fought as a retiarius.
Before Galen, before even the lanistae could reach the two, Murmex died. Palus staggered to his feet and put up his gory hand to his yellow curls, with a convincingly agonized gesture of grief and horror. He uttered some words, I heard his voice, but not the words. Folk say he said: "I have killed the only match I had on earth, the second-best fighter earth ever saw."
The games began with a set-to of sixteen pairs of gladiators fighting simultaneously. After this was over the sixteen victors drew off towards one end of the arena and sixteen other pairs fought simultaneously. After them the victors of the first set paired off as the lanistae arranged and the eight pairs fought.
Then, two and two, marched the gladiators who were to take part in it, accompanied by their lanistae or teachers. Scopus, after seeing Beric well placed, had left him to accompany Porus and Lupus. The gladiators were variously armed.
Palus behaved unlike any other secutor ever seen in the arena. He availed himself of none of the usual devices, which lanistae taught with such care, in the invention of which they gloried and in which they drilled their pupils unceasingly. He merely stood still and watched his adversary. The cunning cast of the deadly net he avoided by a very slight movement of his head or body or both.
Some waiting-maids from Judæa fetched goodly money; an innkeeper of Etruria bought them, for they were well-looking and knew how to handle and carry wine jars without shaking up the costly liquor; and the negroes were sought after by the lanistae for training to gladiatorial combats. Scribes were also in great demand for copying purposes.
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