Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 182-190

The emperor was in his palace, trying to find a way to kill Maximus, he couldn't just assassinate him, and here's why: In his meeting with senator Falco, they were talking about that subject, and commodus says,"An emperor can't rule if he is not loved!" They were talking back and fourth about how Maximus was defying him, and that if they just assassinate him, the people would rebel, then he couldn't rule, Maximus shows compassion, and mercy, the emperor wouldn't make a martyr out of him.Every time he survives, the crowd would get bolder. then Falco mentioned a snake that lives underwater. It would let their enemies come closer, and closer, and even let it nibble on it. So that was the plan; to just wait.

There wasn't much to talk about in these pages, all that happened was Maximus thinking about his past, his battles, misfortunes, family, and his friend Cicero, how good he was at getting info. Also the emperor and Falco talked. that's it. I thought this part was boring. I have nothing more to talk about.The end.

martyr: someone who is killed for their beliefs, or purposes.

I just kept on smiling, by Simon Burt; fiction, pgs. 10-19

This book takes place around 1900's, I'm pretty sure, anyways.
It is school time, and the narrator was in Latin class with Nicky Carver, and the other students. Nicky Carver is supposedly the narrators friend. What happens is that the narrator steals 3 out of 27 literacy books on the teachers desk, after writing a sentence down for the class, then that's when it all went down. before the teacher knew it, the books were in the chapel, the narrator was not like the other kids, instead of spending his time in the day room, he went to the chapel, and that's where he hid the books. Later, when the teacher found out what had happened the next day, he came into the classroom, and the thief would have a chance to return them. The next day, they weren't there, and everybody was whipped as their punishment. Then, just before the day ended, Nicky Carver tried to take the narrators place, and said he did it, the narrator was furious, and he went right up, and admitted it was him! The room was cleared, and he was whipped. The end.


I thought it was weird how he was furious at the end, and took the blame for himself. Also, the reason I thought Nicky Carver was the narrators friend, was because he talked to him occasionally, at least more than others, and he played chess with him. This story kind of reminded me of the Harrison Burgeron, because the story had a weird set of time, story line, and characters, even though they were two totally different stories.


Latin: the Indo- European language of the ancient Romans, or relating to their culture

Harrison Burgeron, by Kurt Vonnegut; fiction, pgs. 1-9

It was 2081, and everybody was finally equal, although it wasn't what it seemed. Everybody except for a few people wore handicaps. One day, two people, one named George, with a handicap, and another with no handicap, named Hazel, were watching ballerina's on the television together, and talked about them, how one specific one was good, and beautiful. When it came to the news in the studio, it all happened. They were talking about a man that carried 300 pounds of scrap metal on his back, named Harrison Bergeron. They said," if you see this man, do not try to reason with him". Then, coincidentally Harrison Bergeron showed up, Everyone was screaming, then he ripped the door off its hinges, and said,"I am the emperor, you hear me, I am the Emperor!!!!!!". Then he stomped on the ground and made the ground shake. This is where it gets weird, he chose his empress, which was a ballerina, and they all started dancing to music, and became one with it. Then, the handicap general came in with a 10 gauge double-barrel shotgun and killed the empress. She demanded they all put on their handicaps, and that's where the TV went out. George and Hazel said it was a doozy, and that's the end of the story.


I thought this story was so completely random. It was hard to tell where exactly they were, but it was really funny. I thought the whole story was really random because at the end, they all just suddenly danced for no apparent reason. It was just completely unexpected. I don't really understand the moral of the story though. Anyways, that's pretty much all I have to say.


consternation: great agitation, dismay, or fear.

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 170-182

Well, Maximus, and Tigris fought, and as expected, by me, Maximus won, but in a weird way. What he did was this; first, Tigris saluted, but Maximus didn't, he just rubbed his hands with sand. After that, Tigris attacked, Maximus blocked, and they they were very soon in an intense battle, and they would none stop keep blocking, and attacking each other, as if they were a perfect match. But then a surprise came up, and living tigers came up out of the ground from trap doors. one by one, four came up surrounding each corner of the coliseum. they were held back by Paetorian guards behind cages, but the guards started cheating. When Tigris got close to one of the Tigers, they pulled it back, but when Maximus got near one, they let it out closer to him, the audience noticed this, and demanded a fair fight. They stopped doing that, but instead let the tigers get closer, bit by bit. At the end Maximus succeeded, and let Tigris live even though the emperor gave the symbol to kill him. The emperor got mad at Maximus, and went up to him with his guards and they yelled at each other, and the crowd continued to yell, and shout, not knowing what the two were saying. So the emperor, knowing this, mocked Maximus's past, and the bad things that happened to him. Then Maximus said,"The time for you honoring yourself... will soon be over." Then a man named Cicero met with Maximus and told him where he was at, at the time. Cicero was a friend of his.


This part is tragic in my eyes, but, one thing; the part where Maximus spares Tigris's life I thought was pretty cool, because usually when the emperor says to kill the opponent, they do! Anyways, the reason I thought it was tragic was because the emperor was making fun of Maximus, and was about to kill him on the spot, but tried to conceal his anger the best he could. Maximus left before the emperor decided to do anything, which the emperor thought was rude, of course, because your not suppose to turn your back on an emperor.


invariably: changing, or to change subject.

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 160- 170

In these pgs. the emperor is trying to find a way to kill Maximus, but cannot just simply do it. So while Maximus was lying on his bed, awake, a guard came to fetch him, and bring him to Lucilla. At any second he was expecting to be killed or attacked, but he wasn't. He was just put into another cell, where he was chained, and Lucilla talked to him about Commodus. Maximus knew he could be killed any second from there out. Just three days ago he thought they poisoned his food. But they didn't. It was about four days in all that people had knowledge that the so called "spaniard" was Maximus (in the book) . Well, as they cleaned up the mess in the arena, and prepared for the next one, everyone else did too. They are now celebrating the 64th day of the games. There was a mule drawn wagon that they brought in, when they lifted up the tarp, there was... BREAD! The servants threw the bread to the crowd, and the people in the audience watched Commodus walk into the stadium. Behind him was Lucilla. Below them was Maximus, arming up for the next battle, and the name of his opponant; Tigris! He was apparently appart of the arena for years. His armor was: tiger-embossed pollished silver armor, over a thick leather backstrap, with a silver tiger helmet. What's next you'll find out.


I don't have much else to say except, I think that Tigris's armor sounds coooool, but Maximus will still win, and also, I wonder how the battle will be like. Also, I thought it was kind of funny how that wagon was filled with bread, and how they threw it out to the crowd. It was pretty unexpected, I thought Maximus was going to be in the wagon, but there wasn't. Anyways, like I said, we will find out what will happen in the next pages.


jeer: to speak or shout derisively

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 150-160

In these pgs., just as they were about to leave the arena through the gates, two praetorian guards appeared to surround them so the gladiators put down their weapons, and kneeled. Commodus, the new emperor neared toward them with a big smile, Maximus found a small spear head, and just before he was about to kill the emperor, Lucius the little boy appeared in front of him. so he didn't kill the emperor yet. He was just about to leave until guards stopped him, he was to tell who he was, he had no choice but to, so he did, and amazement/ silence swept the crowd. Commodus was mad, and almost executed him, until the crowd stopped him. They booed him out, and let Maximus live. Later that evening he screamed his madness out, like a child.


I thought it was funny how he screamed his madness out, and when the crowd booed him out. But I do have to say, it does really use descriptive words, again to describe the setting, and what's happening. I love this book, It's enjoyable. At least, for me.My favorite part was of course, when screeched his anger, like a child.


bunting: A light cloth made for flags, decoration.

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 140- 150

The few moments before they went into the coliseum, Maximus asked the official if the emperor was coming, and he responded positively, which was either good or bad for him, because he comes everyday. Anyways, before entering the arena; Commodus was talking to the other senates and council to rename Rome; Commodiana, his own personal colony. Everyone was preparing for the battle. Once they entered the arena, they mentioned the names of the other team, which were the Scipio Africanus. Maximus's team saluted the emperor, and waited for them to come out, they rode out on six chariots! Then fought, they ran over a gladiator, in the process of herding them to where they wanted. A spear flew into a gladiators neck killing him instantly. I don't need to go into to many details, so I'll just say this: Maximus took control, and grouped the gladiators together, commanding their every move. They were victorious, and rested.


Well, it's a lot different if you read the book, and a lot better, because it explains it a lot better, and it's pretty intense. The description, and anticipation mix to make a great action story, and I really like this book! Anyways, it really gives you the thought that your truly there, in the action. I thought the action was pretty intense, and entertaining.


purple-hemmed: To fold back, and sitch down the edge of, or to surround, and shut in(in the color of purple).

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 130- 140

The gladiators in the slave wagon/caravan were headed to the gates of Rome, and the slaves could see nothing outside from the caravan, but Proximo, at the front of the slave wagon saw all too much. Rome looked a lot different from when he last visited it five years ago. It had completely turned into an armed camp, when they stopped at the gates, the guards demanded papers, which they handed small documents to them. They also pulled off the tarps covering the slaves in the back of the wagon, the guards appeared to be Praetorians. He studied the slaves, Maximus first, it seemed as if these two have met before, they were staring each other in the eyes, but the guard just continued to study the rest of the slaves, eventually, they let the wagon in. Everyone looked so much poorer and dirtier, than he remembered, it just showed how good the new services, and council were to Rome(under Commodus). Once the slaves got out of the wagon from their long journey, and stretched on the courtyard, there were many marvelous sights; the gladiator school (Poximo's), and the giant marble fountain, and the giant statue of Mars, the war god, were the ones in front of them, and you would think they would be the first things you notice, but what caught their attention first was the unbelievably huge behemoth of a statue at the end of the courtyard; in the coliseum. It took up a fraction of the sky, and you could hear the 56,000 people screaming for blood. It was the statue of the grand school compound. They were all put in prison cells and waited to be picked for the next battle.
Here it starts to begin the action for real, after there long, boring, journey, they finally get to Rome, where some might die, and you're not getting out easy. Everything in Rome had changed, and later, a little boy came named Lucius, son of Lucilla, and I think the emperor. The battle starts in the next pages.

Fratricidal:The killing of one's brother or sister, or sibling.

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 120- 130

So, after his battle in the arena him and Juba talked about their families, and how they missed them. All of the sudden, some travelers in the distance showed up, they headed to the barracks, and to Proximo, the guy who captured Maximus, and sold him as a slave. The travelers had guards, and they summoned Maximus to follow him. The guards kept their distance, and lead him to Proximo, inside the directors quarters. Proximo signaled the guards away, and greeted Maximus. He offered honeyed insects, but Maximus just shook his head. In there, Proximo said that Maximus was good but not magnificent. He responded; "You want me to kill, I kill, that's enough, he turned to walk out, until Proximo mentioned Rome, his home. "Rome?", then he described the coliseum, and he described it from a gladiators point of view, Maximus asked," You used to be a gladiator?" "The best!", He responded. He mentioned a wooden sword, and how it resembles freedom, Proximo used to be a slave/gladiator, like Maximus is now. He said that if he wants to win his freedom, he has to win the crowd. Then Maximus says," I'll give them something they've never seen before!
Now it skips to a scene of Maximus's family, there, it plainly mentions that their thinking of Maximus. His son was dreaming about him, and then he woke up to his mother, and they talked a little about them, then she's trying to put him to sleep for the next 4 pages. She gave him something to help him sleep, and he slept.

I think it's going to turn out very bloody in the arena, because of Maximus, the reason why is because he said he'll give them something they've never seen before, so their going to send him to Rome, and their going to put him against someone hard. From there, I think chaos will be unleashed, war will start between Persians, and Romans, and a few main characters will die. Obviously, it's going to get worse before better. Another thing that could happen is that he just earns his freedom, and he leaves to home, finds his family dead, and goes back for revenge, and to save the slaves. Life's tough, and I'm not saying it will, but it could happen in this book. That's what I think might happen in this book. Also, I don't think that Maximus could've done anything else as in options because he's mainly got only one thing on his mind; getting back home to his family. I probably would've done the same thing he did in that situation.

Legitimatizing: simply put; to make legal.

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 110- 120

In these chapters, it seems to get more intense, there is now a fight between gladiators, in the coliseum, before it starts, the coach/ person who brings the gladiators out, talks to Maximus. He quotes, "All you do is kill, kill, kill!", through the bars. "you make it look too easy." This crowd wants a hero,not a butcher." "We want them to keep coming back. Don't just hack them up so quickly, stretch it out!" As they got closer to the arena, they heard the cheers of the crowd get "Give them an adventure to remember". Once they were all the way in, him, and the other gladiators saw six opponents at the end of the ring. The coach gave an example of what he should do, like dropping to the floor, and making the crowd think that he's done for, but he gets back up, and is victorious. He lastly says,"Remember, your an entertainer!" Once the battle started, he sized them all up, and went for the biggest, strongest guy, and took him out first, he was fully successful, and the giant fell to his knees, while the others took care of the rest. The crowd was excited screaming, and all the sudden, it all just went silent, the remaining gladiators, the crowd, everything. "Are you not entertained?" Yelled Maximus. "Is this not why you came?" Then he left the ring, and entered the tunnel gates.
I think he did what his instincts told him to do. I didn't explain that the people called Maximus a Spaniard, but ever since he was captured, everyone called him a Spaniard. The last thing the crowd said after the battle, was just that! They were all chanting him: Spaniard, Spaniard, Spaniard! The reason they called him that was because he was unbeatable, and of course, an extreme expert with his sword, and fighting styles. I think that it's actually pretty funny that they call him a Spaniard, because he's really a Roman, and everybody, and I mean everybody, even Juba called him a Spaniard in the caravan. I thought it was pretty funny. Well, that's pretty much all I have to blog about.

Impotency: Lacking physical strength or power; helpless.

Gladiator, by David Franzoni; fiction, pgs. 105- 110

In this section of the book, Marcus, the main character of the book, has been waiting in the cages of the arena, While the representatives of Praetorian territory, and its senators are discussing what they should do to attract more people to the coliseum. Now that they have Marcus, the previous commander, and 2nd hand leader of one of the Roman bases protecting the city of Rome captured, they now have the ability to do that. They were all fighting about how to improve the entertainment of the fights. Commodus was the guy who was supposedly Marcus's friend, but turned him in to the Praetorian officers instead. He is also now the main senate for Rome. During the most recent meeting, they talked about how to attract more people to the stadium. It also states that the Commodus's lieutenants met with the key senators of Rome, and reaffirmed their action in coming missions, it does not talk about the missions, that's just what it says.
I think that this whole paragraph is just starting the real action. It really doesn't explain much. It does give good details on how powerful their army is, that I didn't explain, such as: THE MOST POWERFUL LEGIONARY ARMY IN THE WORLD!, obviously. I don't think that the arena thing is going to work out for Praetorians, I'm guessing that Maximus is going to stir up chaos, or something, but I know he doesn't want to escape, even though he wants his family back. The reason I say that is because Juba, his teammate, and pretty much friend saved him on the way to enemy territory inside of the caravan. He had a big slash on his arm, and there were maggots on his arm. he was going to wipe them off, but Juba stopped him, and that's what saved him, because the maggots were taking out the infection from the slash of a sword. that's what cut his arm. Anyways, since there's not much more to reflect on, I will just end there, and one more thing, I think Maximus is AWESOME!

Pristinely:(pg. 105) New, not messed up, and nearly untouched.

Regal:(pg. 105) simply means; of royalty.