Quintus Flaminius Vitulus had partaken of a little of the wine on offer - and there was only a little of the quality wine available to the Senators, the purse of the junior Pleb Aedile not being particularly deep. Still, he had spent what money he had on putting on a good show in the arena, and some of the contests had been very dramatic.

Tremendus, who had looked good in earlier rounds, had been dispatched by the imperious Pusillus, in a spectacle of bloody gore.

"Well, at least my man survived his fight with him," Vitulus said to Gallus, who had joined the other Senators at the front of the ring. "I hear that rogue Corvus was calling him names earlier."

"Yes, Minimus not Maximus," Gallus chuckled.

"Mind you, at the end of it we both have one dead gladiator and one live one. Tubero's man put up a good fight, but Agrippa made a wise investment with that one. He's a monster! I can't see another man beating him, and he certainly has the crowd on his side. Amazing. I can see your mind working, Gallus, surely not another idea - you'll have to tell me in the Senate, I want to get back before the voting starts."