*The author forgets himself. Earlier in the book he
describes an audience of 100,000 as Brinnaria tells
the emperor how she felt down on the sand in her
shift, with "two hundred thousand eyes" (implying
one hundred thousand people) staring at her. In fact,
the Colosseum could handle an audience of about
45 to 50 thousand. -- GB ed.


During that second day of gladiatorial fighting Manlia had several
times said to Brinnaria:

"Is there anything wrong? Are you ill? You do not seem yourself!"
Each time Brinnaria had positively denied that anything was wrong
and had asserted that she was entirely herself.

About the middle of the afternoon, the arena was filled with pairs
of gladiators, all the couples fighting simultaneously. Each pair had
with it a trainer, called a lanista, who watched, guided or checked
the fighting.

The contending pairs were of a kind much liked by the Romans,
because of the excitement they afforded, each pair consisting of a
light-built, light-armed, nimble expert pitted against a heavily built,
heavily armed ruffian, the two supposed to be equally matched, the
strength and weapons of the one fully balanced by the skill and
agility of the other.

Viewing fights of this kind Manlia felt rather than heard or saw
a change in Brinnaria next her, felt her stiffen and grow silent,