The Letters of a Gladiator called Cytus - by Jaime Painter

My name is Cytus. I live and work just outside the city-state Cannae. I stay with my parents and work on their small farm. We are all in a great amount of debt and that is why I sold myself to a gladiator school in Rome. Let me tell you the whole story…

I was working in my father’s fields one day when a troupe of soldiers came past. They were stopping at certain trees and hammering signs into them. Curious, I stopped my work and went up to the sign.

“Wanted,” I read, “strong, healthy slaves to become gladiators. Will pay 600 sestertii.” I gave a low whistle. 600 sestertii was more than I earned in a year! This could be a chance to get out of my debt and become famous! With stars in my eyes, I forgot about my work and went back up to the house. I decided I would go down to the market square and ask when this was happening. I wrote a note to my family, just in case I couldn’t see them again.

XIII Maius IVC

Dear Mother and Father

I am going to sell myself to become a gladiator. I shall get a very good income with a start of 600 sestertii! I shall send you the money by mail and write to you once a week. I shall train very hard and, maybe, in five years time I shall be free again. Do not worry about me. I shall “play it safe”. I’ve heard the accommodation is wonderful.

Anyway

Like I said, don’t worry about me

Your son

Cytus

I placed the letter in front of the door. I shall miss them. I started the walk down to the market square. It took an hour to get there. I thought about my decision. Was it a good idea? Should I have waited to see my parents for the last time in 5 years? The walk took shorter than usual and before I knew it, I was in the market square. The wonderful smells of freshly baked pita bread, feta cheese and olive oil, and fresh lamb with rosemary filled the air. I saw, on the far side of the market, a big group soldiers and strong-looking slaves, their muscles almost bursting out of their togas. I was pretty strong, but a weakling compared to them. I felt doubts forming in my mind.

“Will all slave owners and sponsors please come forward”

I walked over to where the slaves were kept

“Any questions, please form a line to my right”

I got in line and told them my situation. They gave me my 600 sestertii and I went to the line of slaves.

We were piled in a truck and…

XV Maius IVC

Dear Mother and Father

I have got so much to tell you!

Everything has gone well. They accepted me into a gladiator school in Rome. It is near the Collosseum and it is run by a lanista. I begin my training tomorrow. One day I shall fight in the Collosseum. Guess what? I found out that Priscus is training in the next door gladiator school! Remember, my friend that I have known since my first years of school? We are allowed out of the school on a Friday and we are going to meet up by the Collosseum. I can’t wait!

The people here are mostly slaves. I hate to admit it, but they are very nice, despite all their muscles.

We are in the most basic accommodation, but it is wonderful. We each have our own beds and they are cleaned regularly. We have to bath once a DAY! They are very into their hygiene here. We even have to use soap!!

The food is magnificent! There’s freshly baked pita bread and mutton and delicious yoghurt. They work on the theory that if we’re fed well, we’ll play well. I’m sure that works!

I miss you so much

I can’t wait to see you again

Your son

Cytus

XXX Maius IVC

Dear Mother and Father

Once again, I have so much to tell you!

I’ve begun my training and have been put in the “secutor section”. There are 18 of us in the group, but I think I’m pretty good. We use a sword and a trident as our weapons and a helmet and a shield as protection. They’ve taught us many little techniques that I think are going to be very useful. The agility exercises that they give us are so tiring! Things like quick reaction and speed are tested.

We did some mock fights. It was an adrenaline rush like no other! I fought against a man called Othious, who was very good and I ended up in a “mock death” more times than not. I’ll train even harder to make sure that that won’t happen in real life. Yes mother, I will.

Last Friday, I met up with Priscus, just like old times. It was so divine wondering around Rome and looking up in awe at the Collosseum. We went and sat under the Olive trees and went “lady watching”. It was so much fun, even though I know you wouldn’t have approved of it, Mother.

The magister, who runs the school, is going to pick people to go to the Collosseum to fight against the next door school! I hope I get in, because that means I shall get double the amount of sestertii that I earn at the moment! That will mean only 4 years in this place.

School is not what I think it would have been. It’s better, but I really don’t like killing people I don’t even have a grudge on! I’m really dreading that part.

Anyway

I’m missing you so much

Your son

Cytus

XV Iunius IVC

Dear Mother and Father

I’ve been chosen! I can’t believe it. The last mock battle I did, I beat Othious! The magister was so impressed that he immediately said I was in! It turns out that Othious wasn’t agile enough, but I was, since I was smaller than that great toga-bursting man! I’m so pleased!

I think I must have picked up some points in the gladiator matches that we watched. They were dreadfully gory, with lots of blood. Most people like that, but not me, as you know. I’m not sure what I’ll do in my battle at the Collosseum if I see blood. I just hope I don’t faint.

Unfortunately, I don’t get Fridays off any more, because I have to train even harder! What a pity. No more “lady watching” for me and Priscus (yes Mother, I’m still doing that!)

The other men in the “secutor section” and I have learnt to use our swords and shields to defend ourselves and our tridents to attack. They said men would be more scared to have a 3-pronged thing coming at them, than a 1-pronged thing.

I’m still not very happy about the killing saga. Or the blood scene. I hope whoever I’m fighting will be able to live even if they lose. I just hope I’m not the one who’s going to be doing the killing (or the dying). I really think it’s wrong that innocent people have to lose their lives, just to entertain the rich. Maybe if no-one want to be a gladiator that will change. I used to think it was cool to be a gladiator and be liked by all the ladies, but now I’m not so sure.

We’re going to be training in the next week like never before! Since the championship is only in one week, we’ll be doing even more agility exercises and battle techniques. We’re waking up really early and getting up really late.

Anyway I have to do some more exercises now

You son, Cytus

In the week that followed, Cytus did what he wrote, trained harder than ever before. They were up at sunrise and were still training after sundown. It was a hard week of very intense exercise. The “secutor section” watched even more gladiator fights, and Cytus was getting unsure of what they were doing to each other every day. He didn’t approve of what gladiators did and he felt a plan starting to from in his mind.

The week went by very quickly and before he knew it, it was time. All the gladiators in his school were lined for the walk to the Collosseum. It was a very important day in the history of fights. Thousands of people had flocked to Rome to watch the fights. It was the best form of free entertainment offered in this city. Many people enjoyed watching other innocent people die. But not Cytus.

I was put under the arena in a special place where all the gladiators were kept. I put on my heavy metal helmet that felt like it weighed twice the amount I do! My shield was also heavy, but not as heavy as my helmet. I am left handed, so I held my sword in my right hand. It was a beautiful bronze sword which I was planning to keep after I left the school. I picked up my trident and twirled it around in my hand. I did this every time I was nervous before a fight.

“I have put a list of the gladiators you are fighting on the table,” said our lanista.

Most of the gladiators got up and went over to the table. I looked at the list and saw I was fighting a gladiator from Liberut, a school on the outskirts of Rome. The school had produced some good gladiators in the past years, but I wasn’t too worried. I was fighting first. That, I was nervous about.

“Cytus, please come over here for a minute,” said the magistar.

I went there and he told me that there had been a change in the schedule.

“Who am I fighting now?” I asked

“A man from a school near by,” he said, “his name is-”

“Will Cytus, gladiator from Veritus, please come up to the arena.”

I forgot about talking to the magistar, picked up my weapons and went up the stairs to the arena, still not knowing who I was fighting.

Up at the arena I tried to look across the “stage” to see who I was playing. It was difficult to see his face because it was covered by shadows. But from what I could see, I could tell he was a person from the “retarius section”. They fought with a net, a trident and a dagger. I went over the strategies the magistar had taught us in my mind. I should try stay away from the net.

“Proceed onto the stage, gladiators”

Cytus stepped out of the shadow and into the light and walked towards the centre of the stage.

“Take your positions”

His heart was pumping so fast he thought it would jump out of his throat and sprint away. He still hadn’t looked at my opponent.

“Begin!”

Cytus looked up and saw who his opponent was. His best friend. Priscus.

Priscus seemed to have noticed who Cytus was as well and they just froze, the crowd roaring in their ears.

“Fight, fight, fight, fight,” they yelled in Latin.

“BEGIN!”

They fell out of their trance and started circling each other. It seemed to be happening in slow motion. Priscus half-heartedly jabbed Cytus’ shield with his trident. And that snapped him out of it. And Cytus put his plan into action. Left, right, jab, duck, jump, jab. After a series of fast movements, he found himself on top of Priscus. He looked up at the Patrician and watched his thumb turn downwards. He held his sword over Priscus’ heart.

XXII Iunius IVC

To the parents of Cytus, the gladiator

We are sorry to say, but your son has died in battle. He had a battle against a gladiator called Priscus. He fought like a champion and would have been a very successful gladiator. At the end of the battle, he was on top of Priscus and was told to kill him. But at the last moment, jabbed his sword into his own heart. The other gladiators in his section said he did not like killing without a purpose.

Once again, we are very sorry

Yours sincerely

Veritus School of Gladiators