In luxury and finery they watched
As the blood and sand congealed
From dead and dying combatants
Gladiators fought for survival
By a bloody code of honor
For freedom or simple anger
But they made games of war
For the audience of citizens
Especially for Caesar and familia
Oh they reveled in the bloodshed
Their entertainment revealed
A heart that loved battle
That lusted for blood
And celebrations of the dead
These Roman values
Rewarded a kind of morality
Where bravery was valued higher
Than sympathy or kindness
The games had many effects
That echo through antiquity
To serve and heighten horror
Of being anything but Roman
Who accentuated their own worth
But some fought
For now and into eternity
