A Voice in the Wind

With 21 kills to his credit—including a defeat of the reigning champion, Celerus—Atretes is now in high demand, socially and as a fighter. Bato lists the advantages he has earned: reputation, status, higher income (he could buy his own house if he chooses), and the opportunity to fight only four or five matches a year. When Bato informs him that part of his income will go to the emperor as a “goodwill offering,” Atretes bristles at the idea, but Bato makes it clear that “[t]he emperor owns you whether you like it or not’” (247). When Atretes is offered a fee for simply spending the night at an inn—the publicity is more than worth the fee—Bato escorts him to the site, but Atretes is soon besieged by screaming fans, tearing at him and trying to get close to the famed gladiator. His bodyguards are overwhelmed, and he must flee to escape the crowd. Bato takes him to the home of Chiymado, a friend who agrees to let them spend the night. The next morning, Atretes visits Pugnax, the innkeeper and a former gladiator who earned his freedom. He tells Atretes that retirement is hard for a fighter, and that he will miss the adrenaline rush of battle.