"Damned bastard, I'm going to kill you," Curius exclaimed angrily as he lunged at the gladiator who had spoken.
The gladiator who was laughing also confronted Curius without hesitation.
Seeing them fight, the other gladiators began to mock them and gather around both men.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Of course it's Ascalon. How could that newcomer possibly be a match for him?"
"How about we make a bet? I bet one dinar that Ascalon will win."
"I'm also betting on his victory."
As expected, Ascalon's strength and experience far surpassed Curius's abilities. Seeing the great disadvantage Curius was suffering, Spartacus was about to leap into the attack, but two burly gladiators stopped him.
"Don't interfere, or you will face the consequences," said a fierce-looking gladiator.
Spartacus then noticed that several gladiators were looking at him threateningly; it was evident that they would not be kind if he interfered in the fight.
"He is my friend," Spartacus said with a serious expression as he kicked the man in the groin.
Taking advantage of the opening created by the man in pain, Spartacus advanced and kicked Ascalon.
"How dare you ruin our bet! Thracian trash!"
"Beat him up!"
"..."
Shortly afterward, several gladiators lunged at Spartacus and began beating him with punches and kicks.
The tumult among the gladiators started a disorganized brawl that quickly spread.
A dozen guards with wooden staffs stepped forward and began separating the gladiators who were fighting.
The skilled guards struck all the gladiators with precision as they advanced.
Spartacus, Curius, and three gladiators were subdued and locked in a dark cell as punishment for starting the conflict.
Due to the butterfly effect caused by Septimus throughout the region of Campania.
The Batiatus family did not exist, and even less did Quintus from the original history exist.
Spartacus was not as highly valued as in the original history, and consequently, his status as a deserter limited him.
In the original history, the lanista Batiatus was very tolerant of Spartacus because his ludus was facing bankruptcy and lacked star gladiators.
Although Quintus escaped the massacre in the region of Campania, Spartacus's fate of being a slave was sealed because of his personality.
The current Spartacus received the usual treatment of an imprisoned gladiator without favoritism.
---
In a mansion within the city of Amisus, Septimus analyzed the results of the pacification of the Kingdom of Pontus.
During the final days of the war, nearly 50,000 prisoners were captured.
The large number of prisoners would be sold as slaves throughout Rome.
Slaves throughout the region had a very cheap price that increased when they were transported to Rome.
Many of the prisoners captured during the siege of the city of Amisus were of Greek ancestry, and their price when sold as slaves in Rome was higher.
The Greeks, as representatives of the pinnacle of ancient civilization, had great cultural influence in Rome, and as a result, their prices among the upper class were high.
Originally, the city of Amisus was a Greek colony, so it was not surprising that there were a large number of Greeks there.
Centuries ago, the Greeks established colonies throughout the Mediterranean, including Asia (in present-day Turkey), the Roman coast, Sicily, and even Marseille in France.
Even Naples and Cumae, where Sulla died in the original history, were Greek colonies.
On the other hand, the amount of seized treasures was also enormous.
The copper coins, gold, and silver alone had an approximate value of 10 million drachmas, not including the gold and silver ornaments, collections of antiquities, and a large number of properties.
When an enemy rebelled against Rome, the Roman army naturally appropriated all of its wealth. That was why many Romans were willing to serve in the army for long periods.
Septimus planned to auction off the large amount of land acquired from the Roman nobles.
Much of the land required a large investment and effort to develop.
While Septimus contemplated the results of the fall of Amisus, he also looked at the letter from Mithridates's son.
Mithridates's son was named Macarius, and he was the governor of the Bosporus.
Macaris sent a large number of gifts, including a crown valued at 1,000 gold coins, with the intention of ingratiating himself with Rome and showing that he would not seek revenge.
Septimus showed no surprise at the actions of Mithridates's son.
The families of kings or emperors are known for being ruthless.
Macarias watched from a distance the defeat of his father and the fall of his kingdom without intending to help.
It is very likely that he never intended to help.
Septimus was not interested in Mithridates's family relationship with his son and agreed in exchange for a large amount of provisions.
Although in the original history the Kingdom of Armenia was defeated, Septimus did not plan to underestimate the enemy.
History is full of powerful nations that were defeated by underestimating the enemy on the battlefield.
Faced with the formidable enemy of Armenia, Septimus decided to act cautiously.
Although the normal practice of Rome's allies required them to provide soldiers, Septimus did not trust Macarius and preferred that he provide him with food.
---
With the fall of the city of Amisus, the Pontic War came to an end, and Septimus decided to turn Pontus into a Roman province.
The news quickly reached Rome, causing a great commotion.
The Pontic War, which had lasted for decades, finally ended under Septimus's command, and although Mithridates was still at large, it was a great achievement.
What provoked the jealousy of Crassus and other nobles was that Septimus had gained a great reputation throughout Rome.
The malicious rumors that had discreetly arisen around Septimus were overshadowed by the arrival of news of the great victory in Pontus.
Conquering Pontus is an achievement that many rulers could not accomplish in their entire lifetime; however, Septimus achieved it.