Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death

***Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death*** (also known as ***Colosseum: A Gladiator's Story***) is a British docudrama film produced by the BBC in association with the Discovery Channel, France 2 and NDR. It was originally narrated by Michael Pennington and premiered in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2003; later, it was narrated by Liev Schreiber and aired in North America on March 14, 2004.

## Plot

The film tells the story of Verus, who fought as a gladiator in the Flavian Amphitheater. His fight in the Colosseum is the only one recorded in detail.

In A.D. 79, Roman forces take the village of Moesia and take many of the village men prisoner; one of them is Verus. The prisoners are marched fifty miles to work in a quarry called "the pit", preparing stone for an amphitheater which Emperor Vespasian intends to use to gain support of the people. An owner of a gladiatorial school arrives with his trainer to choose recruits. When Verus is not chosen, he picks a fight with Priscus, a man he does not know. Their fight is broken up and they are taken with several other recruits to be trained in Rome. The two soon become friends.

All new gladiators fight in arenas scattered around Rome. When Verus is defeated, he asks for a second chance, knowing full well he will not receive another, and defeats his opponent; however, he does not kill him, as contrary to popular myth not all gladiator fights ended in death. Gladiators had a ninety percent chance of surviving the fight, and the game's sponsor would have to pay for a replacement if one was killed. Any gladiator who was injured is given the best medical care in all of Rome. Roman doctors were renowned for their treatment of flesh wounds and fractures and used an opium-based anesthetic for operations. For each victory, a gladiator is paid the equivalent of a Roman soldier's yearly pay and can purchase some items. Priscus obtains a small prayer statue and wall shelf for his Celtic devotions.

"Funeral clubs" are formed by gladiators to ensure that a fellow gladiator is given a proper burial if they died. During the funeral procession, the gladiator's name, origin, fights and death are inscribed upon their burial stones. Verus and Priscus promise support for one of their widows.

Verus soon becomes known for his skills and victories. He is eyed by an Imperial lady and summoned to a party at night hosted by Titus and the lady. Upon arriving, he is suddenly attacked by another gladiator provoking a surprise fight for entertainment; Verus defeats his opponent, whose death is commanded by Titus. This is Verus' first kill. Verus then returns to the school to find that Priscus has been sold to another school.

Vespasian dies June A.D. 79; Titus, who is very unpopular and has many enemies, decides to finish the Amphitheater quickly. On August 24, A.D. 79, Vesuvius erupts and the economy falters, leaving the Amphitheater as Titus' only hope of gaining support from the public. The day of the Games arrive and tickets are free, with Titus presiding over the whole thing. Animals such as lions and tigers have been brought in, and the Beast Master's task is train them to go against their nature and kill prisoners before the screaming crowd; if the animals fail to perform, the Beast Master is blamed and punished with execution before the crowd. Sure enough, the animals fail to follow through in killing as they are frightened by the noise of the crowd, and the Beast Master is executed.

Titus allows the crowd to decide life or death. At the climax of the day's games, Verus finds that he is matched against Priscus, and they must fight to the death. After a long and desperate fight, the fight master stops them. Titus sends each of them a Palm of Victory and a Wooden Sword, granting both men their freedom. The crowd is jubilant, and the battle is memorialized by a poet. Verus is last seen on the road returning to his village in Moesia.

It is last revealed that Titus died six months later of a mysterious illness, and by then had become the most popular emperor in Roman history.

## Cast

* Robert Shannon as Verus
* Derek Lea as Priscus
* Jamel Aroui as Titus
* Hichem Rostom as Lanista
* Lotfi Dziri as Trainer
* Dorra Zarrouk as Imperial lady

## Home media

Main article: *Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death (Home video)*