In the Name of Ben Hur Page #3

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you can use to propagate an attack.

By studying the birth of the attack,

you can counter it.

Attack me.

If you can observe your opponent...

you can anticipate their move

and counterstrike.

Observe, anticipate, counterstrike.

Otherwise, you will be on the defensive.

Any counterattack will be off balance.

You will learn the feints

for every weapon...

how to counter each one.

Now, everybody pair up.

We start with a straight thrust.

Are you telling me that you were unable to

find those responsible for this incident?

Aye. That is correct, sir.

And what do you believe

their motivations were?

I cannot say.

Cyprian, you have

an ear to the ground here.

Is this an isolated incident, or is it

a symptom of some larger rebellion?

There is some civil unrest.

I wouldn't call it organized.

- It may have been personal.

- Personal?

You mean this is a direct affront

to my authority?

- I think they...

- Shut up.

You're confined to barracks

till further notice.

I didn't mean you personally, sir.

I meant the ones who did this didn't

like their people taken for concubines.

Incidents of this nature

cannot be tolerated.

Once word gets out that Roman law can

be defied, it opens the doors to sedition.

We must be swift and merciless

with our reprisals.

- I agree.

- The true measure...

will be how we use this affront

to our advantage.

But the men we have we know

are useless in this kind of situation.

Cyprian, what does one do

when the knife is dull?

Sharpen it.

Yes, but if the steel is not true,

it'll soon turn dull again.

We need new knives

honed of tempered steel.

And where would one find

such knives, as it were, sir?

With the wars winding down in Carthage,

a great many experienced sell-swords

can be found seeking work.

I don't think we need look very far

at all to find our new knives.

I am Atticus, veteran of the Tenth Legion,

pensioned after honorable service in Gaul.

I'm now free to pursue

more lucrative employment.

Were you a gladiator?

I was trained at the Ludus in Rome,

where I fought for my freedom.

- I then enlisted in the Tenth Legion.

- Was your retirement honorable?

It was a honor to fight alongside

the many that died in the Tenth.

That I did not when so many did,

it made me ponder my purpose.

And did you find said purpose?

Aye, to gather my brothers and sisters

for future service of Rome.

I see. Gratitude, Atticus.

Laquearius.

No need to announce every one.

We've all been to the arena.

- Are you a Sagartian?

- Aye, sir. I'm from Zagros.

I fought and won in Rome.

- Can you show me how?

- A volunteer?

Gratitude. You may join us.

This is Tauri from Dacia.

A Scythian?

Does he speak?

If so, we have not heard him.

But he understands,

and his ax speaks loudly enough.

- Is he deaf?

- No.

It is believed that he witnessed

such horrors in his youth

when his village was raided

that he lost the ability to speak.

And he bears no ill will towards Romans?

It was not the Romans that raided

his village. It was the Budini.

The curs.

He fought with the Romans to push back

the Budinis into the dark forest

where they rot and fester.

There are few others

I would wish to watch my back.

Welcome, Scythian.

And who might you be?

I am Veleda Araeo.

I trained at the Collegia Iuvenum

in Rome as a gladiatrix.

You were a slave?

I am a free woman,

daughter of Quillius Araeo,

gladiator of Rome.

You were a venatore? You killed

animals in the hunt in the arena?

Yes. I also fought in the arena.

- Against gladiatrices?

- That is the custom.

You have fought against men?

That is not the custom in the arena.

I did fight with the garrison

under Lucius Caedicius

at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

I stood side by side with centurion.

I cannot say for certain,

but I believe most of them were men.

When the fortress fell, she was one

of the ones who stayed to fight

to allow the legion to make their escape.

It was a dark day for the empire.

You have honored Rome.

Fortune has favored us, Cyprian.

This is Braga...

the last of the Gallaeci tribe,

who fought so formidably

that she was allowed to live

on one condition...

she fight in the arenas in Rome.

The Gallaecian spirit

is well known in these parts.

Perhaps a demonstration

of the throwing knives.

Are these a tradition amongst your people?

No, sir.

- I have not seen anything like them before.

- I created them myself.

Impressive. Welcome to our cadre, Braga.

This is Khutu.

She is from the Xiongnu clan,

a vast tribe of bowmen and riders that...

roam the vast steppe

to the east of the empire.

And how do you find it here

by the sea so far from home?

The men here bleed and die

in a manner far superior to those

from the province from which I come.

- How so?

- I would not call them weak,

yet a life indoors

away from the wind and sky

makes them fall quicker to the earth.

Welcome, Khutu.

Sir, I do not mean to overstep,

but we are here to find soldiers,

- not arena sideshow attractions.

- Cyprian...

your council is valued well,

but you show your inexperience.

In many far-flung regions of the empire,

the women fight alongside the men.

The valiant nature of such warriors

has been recorded by many.

If Atticus vouches for them without

reservation, that is good enough for me.

As you will.

You will assemble at the 17th

Legion garrison at first light.

There, you will receive your instructions.

Gratitude.

I did not mean to overstep, sir.

No, I've always valued

you speaking your mind.

So let me ask you a question.

What method would you use to flush out

those responsible for our troubles of late?

I would seek out Sergius.

Someone in his employ

must have given away our plan.

The best way to gauge

someone's reaction in the future

is to see how they reacted in the past.

With that in mind,

I propose a different strategy...

one where it does not matter from

whose lips the information spilled.

One where it may, in fact,

benefit from the spilling.

In the arena, women were pitted

against animals and other women...

but in a real-life battle,

there are no such rules.

Your opponent's size or sex

should not be taken lightly.

Reach is an advantage, but speed and

agility can overcome a larger opponent.

You must know where to strike and have

the presence of mind to seize that moment

when presented with it.

Use your opponent's weight

and momentum against them.

Better.

Right thrust.

Left side strike.

Right side strike.

Uppercut.

Downward strike.

Good. Now faster.

Straight thrust.

Left side strike.

Right side strike.

Uppercut.

Downward strike.

Very good. Now switch roles.

I'm ready to tear the Romans apart

like a wild Illyrian dog on a hare.

You speak like a Thracian, Aurelia.

I'll drink the Roman's blood, Darius.

Line up!

You're ready to go up against the Romans?

Ready.

Ready.

Let's see it.

Are you ready?

- Ready?

- No?

If you believe you have mastered something,

you are no longer the master.

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