The Gladiator (Eagles of the Empire 9) (Roman Legion 9)

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Many of the island's troops are either dead or wounded by the earthquake, the local Governor of the Province call on Cato and Macro for their help in suppressing this revolt. This was a romance and so much more. Carla brings us to 81 AD when to be a Christian was a lot more than just a phrase. It was life and death. It was unique to visit this Roman era. The hardcover novel was first published by New York City, New York's Alfred A. Knopf in 1930, with book club editions that same year from Book League Monthly. This was a beautiful book. I have long been wishing to read a Christian romance that delivered such a rich story as this. I loved how the love story was full, and it was as much about the love between Pelonia and Caros, as it was also Pelonia’s love for Christ, and how she was able to come into Caros’ life and to help him to heal and to come to know Christ. Ms. Capshaw did such a great job of showing this without it being preachy. The message of God’s love and how it gave Pelonia strength and how it could heal Caros’ deep emotional wounds was rich. The narrative never came off as pedantic or filled with spiritual public service announcements. It truly was about people of faith living their lives. There weren’t any easy answers. Pelonia had a struggle sometimes to act true to her faith, putting her faith in God to help her and to be her strength, which is the experience of all Christians. She didn’t realize that her actions showed the truth of her message. Caros saw how her faith was her foundation, how it gave her peace, and he came to want to know her God, who had made her such a beautiful, peace-filled person. According to Ellis Award nominee Andrew Salmon, "The writing is edgy, crisp, and fast-paced, with surprising disregard for the conventions and morals of the 30’s. Hugo Danner is no squeaky-clean Superman but rather comes across as gritty as Frank Miller... As an exciting superhero story, Gladiator delivers. As a piece of history, the novel rises above and beyond all expectation." [4] Adaptations [ edit ] Films [ edit ]

Caros was one hot hero. His restrained desire for the heroine made him very heroic and would win the heart of any romance lover. The nice twist on this story that differs from secular fiction was that one of the things that attracted Caros to Pelonia, the heroine, was her love for Jesus and her unshakable faith. It wasn't just her unspoiled status because she was a virgin. While that attracted him at first, it wasn't what won his heart. His initial instinct was to conquer her heart, and he tried many effective tactics, however, it wasn't until his heart was conquered through her love and different perspective on life that things turned around for him. That made for a great story. Disguising herself as a slave, Vita escapes the wedding preparations to watch a performance of one of her favourite stories – Theseus and the Minotaur. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Cato and Macro have one of the best fictional relationships I've ever come across. They are great characters and even though I should feel sorry for the slaves, as their lives are terrible, well not Ajax -he deserves it, because they are against them I just want them to lose. There is lots of drama and excitment in this one as Macro and Julia are taken captive. Cato gets underestimated more than normal in this book which I didn't like, I think he's proved himself by now! What surprised me is that the story did not provide any people to root for. There were no heroes. At the beginning of the book, I was convinced that, of course, the Romans were the good guys as they were the main characters trying to take the chaos in hand. But they weren't so good. They were convinced of their excellence and superiority. If you think of them as occupying Nazis, you get a better view of their sway. In terms of the slave rebellion, you get a view of the systemic subjugation and de-humanization of huge numbers of people - another Nazi quality. The Romans actually believe that slaves are to be used as cogs in a machine, the industrial agricultural machine, for example; that they don't need really to be fed well, etc.; that it doesn't matter if children are taken from mothers. (It all sounds familiar because it was done in this very country just a 150 years ago and not 2000 years ago!) From our point of view, the "heroes" are flawed. At the same time, the members of the slave army elicit our compassion, but they have a desperation that leads to gross violence, acts of revenge, and so forth. I love historical fiction books, so of course, this one I loved for that reason alone. For some reason, I just love this time period and reading about that past. I also thought the author did a great job of writing the story. All around, it was very well written. The only part I didn't like was the fact that it kept changing to a different character without any cues, however, I got used to it after about half way through the book. I really enjoyed reading this book, I just really did not like the few things mentioned above.Instead an earthquake and tidal wave beset them as they are near Crete. It throws the Island into turmoil, seriously hammering the infrastructure and forcing our two Centurions to step up once more. Spartacus, now styling himself Imperator, negotiates a truce with the ruling council of Thurium; the threat of his army coerces the councilors to grant the rebels all of their demands. They commence the building of the "Sun City", a new settlement where everyone is equal in rank, all goods are shared, and all work for the common good. Spartacus enforces new laws with harsh discipline. Fulvius, a former lawyer, commences to write a chronicle of the rebellion (which is never completed), and becomes the main political advisor to Spartacus. I might have enjoyed this book in part because I am Christian and I thoroughly loved reading about Pelonia's faith and how she led Caros to Christ. God uses human beings to do just that, even at times when the believer is in the darkest trial of their own.

Spartacus and Crixus work to turn the mob into a proper army, knowing that the Roman Senate will not tolerate their insurrection. They eventually retire to a more defensible position on Mount Vesuvius and obtain a major victory when they defeat a sizeable force of Roman militia sent to crush them. Still largely directionless, they move south into the Campania region, looting numerous towns to support themselves. This devastation is the result of an earthquake, and not long after its aftermath the island's slaves begin a revolt, while at the same time local bandits, lead by a gladiator, are taking advantage of the slave rebellion, and urging the Cretans to overthrow the Romans. Besides that, I wasn’t rooting for the main heroes. Instead, I was in support of the antagonists. I mean, Cato and Macro are fighting against a slave revolt. Am I supposed to side with the slave masters? Hell nope. I know the presence of slavery in the story was just indicative of the times and I get that. But I don’t understand how the author expected me to root for characters that are fighting against freedom? Wie immer ist die Geschichte nicht die Originellste und Spannenste, die man jemals gehört hat, aber das muss sie auch nicht sein. Die Bücher leben ja schließlich vom Setting und den mittlerweile ans Herz gewachsenen Charakteren Macro und Cato. Jones, Gerard. Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book. New York: Basic Books, 2004 ( ISBN 0465036562), pg. 346: Wylie threatened to sue Siegel for plagiarism in 1940, but there is no evidence he carried through with the litigation. Historian Jones writes that, "Siegel flatly denied that Wylie's novel had influenced him in any way."

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Read this book in 2009, and its the 9th volume of the wonderful "Eagle" series, featuring Cato & Macro. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The lesson of the book (the theme) is based on Romans 8:28, which the author stated in her "Dear Reader" after the end of the story. All Christians likely know this verse by heart: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Pelonia's trial, her darkest days, witnessed to a man who did eventually turn his life around to serve God just as Pelonia did. This is an inspirational handbook for personal achievement and positive living. THE GLADIATOR MINDSET will inspire you to find and develop your talent and have the confidence to believe in yourself. The Gladiators (1939) is the first novel by the author Arthur Koestler; it portrays the effects of the Spartacus revolt in the Roman Republic. Published in 1939, it was later reprinted in other editions.

Pelonia has lost everything but her life and her God; if it were known that she was one of "the deviants," they would take her life as well. As it stands, she is a slave to the infamous Caros Viriathos, head of the gladiator training school and x-gladiator himself. When he first sees her, he is drawn to her instantly. He buys her from the slave trader, hoping to win her heart. She also feels for him, but vows she will not be a slave forever. He wants only to keep her near, while she wants her freedom. Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was so good! I loved the unique storyline and the setting, in ancient Rome. The story had great descriptions and atmosphere. There was the horror and tension of the Christian slaves being murdered in the arena. Caros, trying to understand Pelonia’s devotion to Christ. The building trust and love between Pelonia and Caros. I also liked the secondary characters, some who have their own stories in other books in this series, which I look forward to reading. Salmon, Andrew. "Unsung Hero". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011 . Retrieved April 17, 2022. We are all capable of locating greatness within us and achieving hitherto unimaginable feats. Whether you are old and wise or young and bursting with energy, there are limits you are imposing on yourself that this book will help you reconsider.Caros, a former gladiator who won his freedom, buys Pelonia from the caravan for a ridiculous price because he does not want to see her sold to a brothel. Of course, as you can guess, Pelonia's fiesty and surprising behavior draws Caros to her. I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of her character. Caros had the traits that I love in a good hero: he was strong, but gentle, loving, possessive. He was very masculine, and he was a good man, even if he had lived a rough life, and done things he couldn’t forgive himself for. I could easily see why Pelonia fell in love with him. I could also see how the Lord had brought those two together. The book then concludes with some specific diet and exercise tips, we also hear from Peaty's coach Melanie Marshall and Peaty discusses his wider views on society.