Roman Lanista

I wanted to ask you something. Which is... what's your name?
This article title is conjecture. Although the article subject is canon, no official name for it has been given.

The Roman Lanista served as the head trainer of the Gladiator School outside of Cyrene in Cyrenaica during the 1st century BCE. He was also the employer of the Thracian gladiator Polymestor, who won him many battles and riches.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Head of the Gladiator School[edit | edit source]

Primarily operating as the head trainer of the Gladiator School outside Cyrene, the Roman Lanista often exchanged correspondence with a fellow lanista by the name of Faunus, who operated in the city of Tarraco in Hispania, usually to make purchases and sales of gladiators that included Albiorix and Tarbus.^[1] Among his most well-known and best fighters was the Thracian Polymestor, who gained fame as the "Thracian Bear" and won him battles across the Roman Republic, gaining him large amount of wealth. After fighting for many years, Polymestor sought to gain his freedom to start a new life. However, the Lanista refused to grant him freedom, seeking to continue benefiting from his battles.^[2]

Around 47 BCE, Polymestor fought in the Amphitheater of Cyrene against the famed Roman general Gaius Julius Caesar. Though Polymestor lost the battle, Caesar granted him freedom and gave him one of his sword. Nevertheless, the Lanista still refused to free Polymestor from his services. This resulting treatment ultimately led Polymestor to run away into hiding, taking along the sword Caesar has granted him.^[2]

Pursue of Polymestor and death[edit | edit source]

Enraged by the gladiator's actions, the Lanista called for a bounty and employed soldiers from the Roman army to locate Polymestor, seeking to regain Caesar's sword. At one point, the Lanista sent soldiers to the nearby Silphion Farm, having learned that Polymestor had resided there. When Polymestor was nowhere to be found, the Lanista had the soldiers massacred the farm's residents when they refused to disclose his whereabouts.^[2]

Later on, the Medjay Bayek visited the Lanista after hearing of the bounty on Polymestor. After Bayek proved his capability in combat against Polymestor, the Lanista sent him to the farm, hoping the Medjay could find more information about the gladiator's whereabouts. The Lanista and his men shadow then secretly shadowed the Medjay, eventually following him to a nearby fishing village where Polymestor was hiding in. While Bayek dived down to the sea to retrieve the sword that Polymestor had tossed in, the Lanista and his men confronted the gladiator down by the beach. Despite their efforts, Polymestor and Bayek together defeated and killed the Lanista and his men.^[2]