The Glory of A Gladiator

Preview

The gates rise, I hear the clank of iron, see the blood-stained sand, and hear the crowd cheering my name.  I am a gladiator!  I see the guards carry the limp lifeless body out of the arena with my spear still in his mouth.  One of the guards takes my spear out of his mouth and throws it on the ground. I walk over and pick it up, wipe the blood on my net and make the crowd cheer.

     That was all before my loss to Spartacus.  After that day my life changed forever but he spared me.  Once I lost to Spartacus my reputation as a ruthless gladiator was ruined.  I still had the chance to be one of Emperor Julius Caesar's Royal Guards which I took.  I had become Royalty.

            Many years later after Emperor Caesar was murdered, I went back to being a gladiator.  I won every match. Until one day.

            I was sitting in my estate since Caesar had made me a lord in his reign.  I was still a lord but I decided I could fight for a few more years.  As I was sitting one of my personal guards brought in a person who seemed vaguely familiar.  It was Spartacus.  He challenged me to a duel.  Even if I won or lost he would become one of my personal guards.  Sadly I lost that fight.

            Ten years later I somehow became Emperor of Rome.  With an iron fist I ruled.  My armies captured much land.  Only I was not a normal Emperor I was greater.  I had made Rome great again.  I was the most respected and honored Emperor of my time.  With my help Rome became more powerful and wealthy all without disturbing peace in the world.

What I did not know is that my allies had grown jealous of Rome's wealth and wanted it for themselves.  One of my spies informed me a month too late about their plan because once I heard the news my commander ran into my chambers and said "SIER! Come quick our allies are threatening to break into Rome and kill us all!"  "Ready the Spartans." I said commandingly.  As I walked out on our newly finished wall I saw the Emperor of China Jong Lee.

"Emperor Jong of China." I said in fluent Chinese.  "How are you?" said Jong in his best Greek.  "I am well, my country is growing stronger." I said gloatingly.  "Good," said Jong sarcastically. As I began to stand to leave ten Chinese soldiers climbed onto the wall. I was at the least bit scared. "Well, well, well," said Jong "how do you feel now?  Powerless or defeated?" "I feel nothing! Spartans NOW!" I screamed. Just then hundreds of arrows flew over the bridge hitting everything but me (I ducked).  When I stood up Jong and his troops were all dead.

One day I was terribly sick, my personal guard Spartacus came into my chambers and found me dead.

Chapter 1

            "Honey, I think the baby is coming," said my mother.  "Really right now," said my father sadly, "I was going to the arena and watch a few fights."  "NO!" screamed my mother. Thus, I Athicus was born.

            "Athicus Maximus, oh Athicus where are you boy!" my mother called.  "Right here mother," I responded from the lake with the other children.  I ran up the hill and gave her and my father a hug.  "How have you been my son?" my father asked caringly, "great, father," I responded.  "My training is going well."  I was the son of a lord back then, before I became a criminal.

            Now I lived out my days as a teenager killing and stealing to survive.  But even I had no idea of what happened to criminals.  I found out shortly though, I was walking through a dark alley way to my hideout.  Right when I opened the door, I got caught in a net.

            I awoke to find myself in a cage, but the cage was really a cell in the coliseum.

Chapter 2