Narrative Essay: Maius The Chaser

Maius X
98 BCE
Today brought a hard and trying battle. I fought a strong but predictable secutor, or “chaser”. Being a retiarius or “net-man” I was equipped with a rete, a weighted net hemp net; a pugio, a dagger; and a fuscina or tridens, a three pronged spear. I also have a piece of armour called a galerus that protected my head and neck but did not limit my head movements. The secutor I challenged was armed with a long shield and shortsword. He wore a helmet with a visor, but I could see his bloodthirsty eyes staring at me. When the gates open I went into a defensive position where I could quickly leap away if I had to. The secutor charged at me, yelling a blood curdling battle cry. I darted away and slashed at him with my dagger when he was
I couldn’t see the secutors face, but I could tell he was smirking smugly. He said to me in a low whisper that stank of ash (as some gladiators drank a potion made of plant ash that strengthened bones) “Just know that you won’t be the first to fall to Titus Sulinus”. Those arrogant words brought fire back into me and I sprang up and slashed with my dagger. It caught him in the shoulder, and he gave a grunt of surprise. It was his turn to fall to his knees, but only for a fleeting moment. He used his time to sprint as well as he could to the other side of the ring. I unravelled my rete from were it was held on my wrist. I swung it around once to straighten it out. I narrowed my eyes, aimed my rete, and threw the weighted net at Titus. It spiraled into the air, springing into a flying circle just like it was designed to do. The rete fell onto Titus and caught him in a rough, tangled mess of rope.I sprinted towards him, I was not going to let this chance go by. I skidded to a halt by his side and tightened the rete. He looked so fearful that I made his end very quick. A fast movement with my fuscina at his throat and he was no more. I couldn’t believe it, I had won! I had won before of course, but never