The Gladiator Valerius

It’s been some 1800 years since Valerius last had to fight for his life in the Amphitheatre. He had dreamt of a life of glory and wealth, knowing full well that only very few gladiators are able to reach such heights. As arena fighters, they live on the lowest rung of the social ladder. They are admired for their courage and fighting spirit, but are also scorned as prisoners who are forced to earn their meagre living through hard physical work in the dust of the amphitheatre. Not many manage to survive and buy their way out. Valerius has. But at what cost? On a walk through the amphitheatre, he recounts all the suffering he has seen, and all the blood he himself has spilled. He traces back the animals, fighters and friends who lost their lives in the mighty rotund arena. And he tells of the day which continues to plague him even now: The day he faced his best friend in the amphitheatre.