I leant back and took some grapes from the basket. I offered Quintus a hand full, but he shook his head.
" I'm not hungry."
He stared at the pit intensely. I knew he had been a soldier once and he had fought in Germania, but still I couldn't fully understand his passion. Of course I enjoyed the spectacle and I too hoped that the Thracian would win, but that was because I had placed my bet on him. I didn't know anything about fighting.
" Oh no!", Quintus cried and he brought his hands to his face.
A moment later the Thracian was struck down, appearantly as a result of some flaw in his defence which my friend had noticed and I had not.
" Idiot!"

Half the crowd cheered and the other half swore as the man got up again. I could see that one side of his helmet was red with blood, but I couldn't see where he was hurt. He stumbled towards the retiarius and stabbed at him furiously.
The opponent evaded the sword and threw his net at our favorite. It entangled his leg and nearly made him trip. I knew I could forget about winning anything today. I shouldn't have listened to Valerius when he told me to bet on the Thracian.
" Retiarii are badly protected", he had said," They are just a fantasy-image made up by some gladiator-school. Thracians are based upon real fighters. They have proven their effectiveness in battle."
Well, this one had not been very effective so far. I doubted he'd ever been in Thrace.
He stabbed and slashed at the retiarius, but the half naked Numidian just hopped around him and taunted him. He was safely out of reach. Every now and then he poked at his prey with his trident, but so far the Thracian was able to block the strikes with his shield.

Quintus sighed.
" What a shame... He's already doomed."
I nodded and took some more grapes. They were juicy and sweet, a real treat. This match became boring. Why didn't he just give up?
The retiarius walked around the Thracian and, still stuck in the net, his victim couldn't follow his movements. He was now with the shoulder of his sword arm towards the Numidian, ready for the slaughter.
The retiarius stabbed him and the three iron dents tore his flesh. I heard a cry of agony from below the bloody helmet and quintus got up from his chair.
I hoped that the man in front of me would remain seated, but it was vain hope. He too got up and obstructed my view.
As I put the last grape in my mouth and rose too, the Thracian was already lying in a bloody puddle. The retiarius had placed his foot on his head and aimed the trident at his neck.

I looked at the governor. People shouted and waved. Quintus clenched a fist and extended his thumb to indicate that the man should live.
I frowned.
" Do you know how much of my money he has wasted?"
I pointed my thumb downwards.

The governor waited and smiled. He obviously enjoyed this precious moment. Then he gave the signal... Death.
The retiarius pierced his victim's neck. The other gladiator had some convulsions and then it was over.
" So are they now calling that funny little guy with the hammer?", I asked.
Quintus looked at me.
" I doubt if he can be more dead than he is now, can he?"
" Yes, but it's tradition, isn't it?"
He shrugged.
" Do you have some grapes left?"