First Gladiator of Rome: The story of Marcus Attilius

By Robert D. Hastings

IT IS 68AD: Flavian Vespasian rules Rome. A young man enters Rome taking his place as a gardener in the estate of Cassius Laurentius who ultimately becomes a man intent on ruining his life. Marcus Attilius, lured by the bars and gambling of Rome incurs increasing gambling debts which he cannot pay and escapes to the army. He learns to fight in the Fifth legion in the unrelenting heat of Judea. Promoted to Tirarii, he fights at the siege of Jerusalem and with Sacarii, the dagger men, on the plains as they traverse Judea to the high fort of Masada. He is critically injured by a single arrow shot and is repatriated to the island of Sicilia to heal before he returns to Rome. Mourning the loss of his legion and no job prospects he joins the Ludis gladiator school to train as a first year, Tirone. Marcus Attilius evolves as a gifted fighter and meets his first brutal encounter against Britanicus, a champion of Rome. Months later, under the watchful eye of his Lanista, Aetius, he is pitted against the greatest Gladiator of the empire by the name of Hilarius, an undefeated, twelve wreathed, champion of Rome and regarded as a contest that Marcus cannot win as a first year, gladiator. The famous contest is held in Pompeii, under the smouldering peak of Mount Vesuvius as Marcus Attilius meets his ultimate challenge before a crowd of twenty thousand spectators to gain the title of Primus Gladiatori.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1976812828
• ISBN13: 9781976812828
• Release Date: January 2018
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 458 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.5"