Demetrius

[Liv]

DEMETRIUS

31 | July 44 CE | Gladiator | Retiarius | Bisexual | Original | Marwan Kenzari

Personality & History

Demetrius is a man of few words and keeps mostly to himself - this is the way he found to cope with jeers and snide comments from other gladiators who looked down upon lowly retiarii. He will join in on the hazing and bullying of new recruits in an attempt to fit in and divert attention from himself, but will also share tips and useful advice with the less arrogant newbies. Being a gladiator has led Demetrius to living in the moment and not making any long-term plans; living to take part in another match is enough of a goal for him. Every now and then he wonders what he would do if he were to earn a rudis and be freed, but most of the time he is painfully aware of his limitations in skill.

Born verna in Saldae, Mauretania Caesariensis, Demetrius is the middle of three siblings. He doesn't know who any of their fathers are, nor did it ever bother him that much. Spindly and nimble from a young age, he caught the eye of a local lanista who bought him from his master at the age of fourteen. Demetrius spent his teenage years training as a retiarius; despite his agility he was never particularly strong, yet managed to learn how to use the net and trident of his class to a decent level of proficiency. He spent the following years fighting in the arena of his hometown, sometimes winning and sometimes losing but always surviving.

A visitor from Rome saw potential in him, and at the age of 23 Demetrius found himself crossing the Mediterranean to the capital. His earlier successes were not easy to repeat, and Demetrius found himself bested often enough for his purchaser to regret his acquisition and sell him off to another lanista of less repute. In the new ludus the competition was less fierce and Demetrius found his mojo again, although facing off against gladiators from other ludi didn't always lead to victory. Nevertheless, his fortune seemed to have changed, until the fateful day where Demetrius suffered a bad fracture in a match. It took quite some time to heal and his balance wasn't how it used to be, leading to a much disappointed lanista.

Almost two years on, Demetrius knows he will never be as good as he was before and how he was before wasn't good enough to be among the best, so he's grimly resigned himself to seeing his career in the arena come to an end soon - one way or the other.

Family

Father: unknown
Mother: Viridia, slave
Siblings: Balbina, Acacius (both slaves)

EVENT FOR: Gladiatorial games 76 CE

@Gothic

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