Marcus Horatius Arenicos

Marcus in the aftermath of his first battle commanding the Ghosts of Calradia

Southern Empire

* College of Gladiators

reformed Calradian Empire

* second Horatius gens

**Marcus Horatius Arenicos** was patriarch of the gens Horatius, imperator of the reformed Calradic Empire, as well as a gladiator, politician, and legionary of the Southern Empire during the Calradia Civil War.

Marcus was renowned for his skill with a gladius, scutum, and pilum, as well as his leadership and determination. His crowning achievement was ending the Calradia Civil War, and establishing the reformed Calradic Empire.

## Biography

### Early Life

Son of the Praetor Praetorii at the time of Emperor Arenicos I's death, Publius Horatius Gaulicus, along with his mother Manaria Horatii, and born alongside two siblings; his older brother Ericus Horatius and sister Sicelica Horatius. Marcus' father declared support for Emperor Arenicos' widow following his death, which resulted in the Calradic Senate of the Northern Empire killing his father, mother, and two siblings as part of a coup to retain power over the empire.

As the sole survivor of what would later be called the "Horatii Massacre", Marcus was sold into slavery at the age of 6 and would later become an indentured gladiator at the age of 16, fighting under the name of *"Homosinefacie"* (roughly *"Man without a face"*).

### Young Adulthood

Marcus fought as a *Samnite* in the arena, wielding a gladius and scutum while wearing a feathered gladiator helm, a manica (arm sleeve) on his right arm, one greave on his left leg, along with a skirt and short trousers made of fur and animal hides. As a slave-fighter, Marcus would kill hundreds of opponents in the arena, sustaining many injuries including his famous face scar. Due to his proficiency at combat sports, he received the name of *"Inextinguibilis"* (*"Unstoppable"*) from colosseum attendants.

During his time as a gladiator, Marcus clashed with many talented warriors, both those who fought in the arena voluntarily and involuntarily. Through these fights, he made many enemies. The most notable of his opponents was Variasis, a retainer of the gens Antonii from the Northern Empire of Calradia. In his later years, Marcus reputed Variasis to be "-the finest man I ever faced in the arena."

At the age of 22, having gained notoriety as a gladiator across all three of the Calradic empires, Marcus began fighting in the foreign arenas of the Kingdom of Vlandia, and Battania, the Byzantine Empire, and the Ayyubid Sultunate. His fame spread particularly quickly throughout the deserts of the Ayyubid, who came to refer to Marcus as *"Almot al-abeedh"* (*"White death"*). While fighting against these unfamiliar warriors proved a challenge for him, he still managed to come out on top of his bouts, and credited these ventures into foreign lands for his knowledge on the neighboring states of the empire.

On Autumn 12, 322, during a tournament in the town of Metz, Marcus encountered a gladiator claiming the name "Homosinefacie the Butcher". Marcus killed the impostor during the early rounds of the tournament and rode with his head mounted on his horse's saddlebag for the duration of his stay, solidifying his legitimacy as the *"Man without a face"*.

### Freedom

On Winter 17, 323, Marcus entered a tournament in the capital of Roma with Empress Rhagaea Pethros in attendance. Besting a plethora of skilled legionaries, mercenaries, and commanders from across the Southern Empire, Marcus stood victorious before the Empress and declared himself before her and all others in attendance; "I am Marcus Horatius, son of Publius Horatius Gaulicus, the last Horatii! -", effectively revealing his identity to the world for the first time, and declaring himself the only Horatii over 19 years after the gens' supposed dissolvement. Although Marcus had broken the law by rejecting his slave-name, Rhagaea would not only pardon him of this offence, but also redeem his citizenship for his victories in arenas across the empire, and the loyalty his father had once shown both her and her late husband.

A free man for the first time after a life of combat, Marcus turned to the only thing he was familiar with; battle. By gathering the funds he had earned through his many years as a gladiator, he hired a small band of sellswords from the cities of Roma and Napoli, forming his own mercenary company named *"The* G*hosts of Calradia"*. It was also at this time that Marcus purchased the shop once owned by his mother, both in the hopes of reclaiming that which once belonged to his family, as well as to ensure the continued funding of his mercenaries.

As a sellsword, Marcus would choose to fight for the Southern Empire, providing his prowess in combat to the empress in exchange for gold. Although he was no longer a gladiator, Marcus elected to continue dawning the helmet he had worn in the arena, to act as a symbol of his company.

## Personality

During his years as a gladiator, Marcus became a hardened, serious, and merciless combatant. In order to survive in the world of slave-fighting, Marcus was distrustful of others, due to multiple attempts made on his life by supporters of his opponents. He also learned to be merciless, and out of hundreds of opponents, he spared only upwards of ten. He was also seen as cruel, even by gladiator standards, as he often made examples of his opponents in order to further increase his own notoriety (such as when he mounted the head of another gladiator named "Homosinefacie" on his horse and rode it around town).

Later in life, as Marcus slowly transitioned from "soldier" to "politician and ruler", his personality gradually changed. Though he retained his famous determination and combative mindset, he was more open to those around him and allowed certain individuals to grow closer to him. In his older age, he retained the mercilessness and ferocity he once had as a young gladiator, but he only directed this towards his enemies, ruling over his own subjects with pride and benevolence. No matter how much he matured, and regardless of whether his empire was at war or at peace, Marcus remained a proud fighter at heart, facing every obstacle in his path as an enemy to crush under his might.

## Notes

* Marcus had multiple busts of his father Publius made during his reign, which decorated the halls of the palace in Roma even after his passing
* Marcus had a statue of his mother, Manaria, erected in the center of Venezia (the place of her birth)
* During his reign, Marcus commissioned the "*deus familia Horatii*"

## Images

Marcus as a gladiatorThe Ghosts of Calradia
## Footnotes

1. ↑ "gens Horatius" may refer to one of two Calradic gens; the *first* gens Horatius founded by Publius Horatius Gaulicus, or the *second* gens Horatius founded by Marcus Horatius Arenicos
2. ↑ Marcus had never shaved his face, nor cut his hair, until he earned his freedom in 323 (at which point he decided to do so)
3. ↑ "*Deus familia Horatii*" is a painting which was made during the reign of **Marcus Horatius Arenicos** as imperator of the Calradic Empire depicting the original members of gens Horatius (Publius, Manaria, Ericus, Sicelica, and Marcus himself)