The Gladiator by Simon Scarrow

Author:Simon Scarrow [Scarrow, Simon]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw
Tags: Adventure, Historical
ISBN: 9780755327782
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2009-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Ajax, in the company of Kharim, watched the progress of his .envoy carefully. Chilo had proved himself brave enough since he had joined the small band of fugitives that had attached them-

selves to Ajax since the first days of the revolt. But there was a certain carelessness to his bravery that Ajax had noted during the very first skirmish they had fought with a Roman patrol. It was almost as if Chilo had no fear of death, even as he loved his new life, free from the terrible constraints of slavery. In the ranks of Ajax’s closest lieutenants, Chilo was clearly the most popular with the rest of the army. Chilo had been born free, the son of an Athenian merchant.When his father’s business partner disappeared with every last piece of silver just before the annual taxes were due to be paid, it had ruined the family. The tax collector, as was his right, had duly compelled the merchant to sell himself and his family into slavery. Chilo had been five at the time, and was separated from his family at the slave market when he was bought by a Roman official and sent to serve as a household slave on his estate in Crete.

All this Ajax had learned over the camp fire as he led his growing band of runaway slaves across the ruined province. But of his years of servitude Chilo had said little, and when he did speak of them his eyes burned with an intense hatred a sentiment that Ajax could readily understand. He had long since come to understand the difference between men who were born slaves and those who had become slaves. There was a degree of acceptance of their condition in the former. They had joined his army to be sure, and fought well enough, but the majority lacked the fanaticism of Chilo and the others who had borne slavery as a mark of shame. Every slight and injustice that they endured had burned its way into their souls. It was like a slow poison, Ajax had realised once, when reflecting on his own experience.

His father had commanded a small fleet of pirate ships that had defied the Roman navy for many years before they had finally been trapped and destroyed in a bay on the Illyrian coast. His father had paid the price for defying Rome by being crucified. Ajax and the others who had been captured were sold into slavery. It was ironic that he had been bought by the owner of a gladiator school and trained as a fighter, and now he was repaying his former masters for the skills he had learned in the arena by causing them as much suffering as possible. Every Roman he killed, every estate he sacked and every breath of free air that he drew slowly drained away the poison of slavery.

The only concern that troubled his mind was the uncertainty of the future. He had not remotely considered attempting to launch a revolt when he had made his escape from the governor’s palace following the earthquake.

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