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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
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In Greek mythology, Χάρων - (Charon or Kharon) is the ferryman of Hades, who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead.
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| Charun at the Killing of a Naked Gladiator |
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| Etruscan Wallpainting - Charon and Naked Executions |
Some authors say that those who could not pay the fee, or those whose bodies were left unburied, had to wander the shores for one hundred years.
The Romans retained the Greek form of the name Charon, which was taken from Charun, an Etruscan god often shown carrying a hammer.
Dead gladiators were escorted by a figure depicting Charon from the arena.
The 'Charon' of the arena also had another duty.
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| Charon © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
Also, gladiators who appeared to be dead, but were perhaps feigning death, were tested with a red hot steel.
If they reacted, they were then finished off, either by having their throat slit, or with the hammer on the skull.
It was the custom in the great public arenas to use two slaves to represent Mercury and Charon.
Mercury is a major Roman god, being one of the Dii Consentes within the ancient Roman pantheon. He is the patron god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence (and thus poetry), messages/communication (including divination), travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery and thieves; he is also the guide of souls to the underworld. He was considered the son of Maia and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is possibly related to the Latin word merx ("merchandise"; compare merchant, commerce, etc.), mercari (to trade), and merces (wages); another possible connection is the Proto-Indo-European root merĝ- for "boundary, boarder" (cf. Old English "mearc", Old Norse "mark", Latin "margō", and Welsh Cymro) and Greek οὖρος (by analogy of Arctūrus/Ἀρκτοῦρος), as the "keeper of boundaries," referring to his role as bridge between the upper and lower worlds. In his earliest forms, he appears to have been related to the Etruscan deity Turms, both of which share characteristics with the Greek god Hermes. In Virgil's Aeneid, Mercury reminds Aeneas of his mission to found the city of Rome. In Ovid's Fasti, Mercury is assigned to escort the nymph Larunda to the underworld. Mercury, however, fell in love with Larunda and made love to her on the way. Larunda thereby became mother to two children, referred to as the Lares, the invisible household gods.
These slaves, who would be dressed in the garb suitable to represent the two deities in question, would supervise the disposal of defeated fighters and those criminals who had been tortured and executed.
In addition they would usually be present during the spectacle in the arena, in order to remind one and all of the probable outcome of such events.
In Gracchus' private arena, he dispensed with the use of two deities, and contented himself with the presence of one arena-slave, who wore a grisly skull mask, and who represented Charon.
This arena-slave, who was always referred to as Charon, regardless of his actual name, held an important position in the arena hierarchy, as he was responsible for much of the organization and running of the events taking place on the arena sands.
PRELUDE
Charon's real problems started with a fight between a very handsome Greek gladiator called Demonax, and a blond Gaul called Vortigern.
The name in Brittonic literally means "Great King" or "Overlord", composed of the elements wor- "over-, super" and tigerno- "king, lord, chief, ruler" (compare Old Breton machtiern, Cornish myghtygern a type of local ruler (literally "pledge chief") in Brittany and Cornwall.
However, the element tigerno- was a regular one in Brittonic personal names (compare St. Kentigern, Catigern, Ritigern, Tigernmaglus, et al.) and, as wortigernos (or derivatives of it) is not attested as a common noun, there is no reason to suppose that it was used as anything other than a personal name (in fact, an Old Irish cognate of it, Foirtchern was not an uncommon personal name in Ireland, further lending credence to the notion that Vortigern was a personal name and not a title).
The crowd particularly like Gallic boys because they were fair, smooth and either had blonde pubic hair, or were completely shaved.
The Gauls emerged around the 5th century BC as the bearers of the La Tène culture north of the Alps. By the 4th century BC, they spread over much of what is now France, Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria. Gaul was never united under a single ruler or government, but the Gallic tribes were capable of uniting their forces in large-scale military operations. They reached the peak of their power in the early 3rd century BC. The rising Roman Republic after the end of the First Punic War increasingly put pressure on the Gallic sphere of influence; the Battle of Telamon of 225 BC heralded a gradual decline of Gallic power over the 2nd century, until the eventual conquest of Gaul in the Gallic Wars of the 50s BC. After this, Gaul became a province of the Roman Empire, and the Gauls were culturally assimilated into a Gallo-Roman culture, losing their tribal identities by the end of the 1st century AD.
The fight proceeded as usual, with the young Gaul putting up a good show.
Demonax, however, one of Gracchus' 'darlings of the arena', was expected to win, however, - and he did.
As the two boys grappled, Demonax brought his knee sharply up into Vortigern's groin, instantly crushing the prominent bulge in the lad's skimpy loincloth.
"Shit ! My fuckin' bollocks !", young Vortigern grunted, doubling up with the intense pain.
"Do you 'give'?", Demonax demanded, as Vortigern squirmed.
"But ..... !", and before the poor lad could say any-more Demonax knee jerked up again, catching the young Gaul once again in his unprotected balls.
"Fuck ! ... Yes ! ... No more ! ... My fuckin balls !", Vortigern squealed, as he dropped both his sword and his shield and clutched at his agonised groin.
Demonax then grabbed Vortigern by the neck, turning him round to face the crowd.
"Say it loud, son ! Say you 'giv'e !".
"I give ! .... I give !", the terrified Gaul spluttered, struggling in Demonax' vice-like grip.
And that, really, was the end for young Vortigern.
With Vortigern foolishly surrendering to his obviously more skilful opponent, it was then up to Gracchus to decide the final outcome.
Vortigern, who had just admitted defeat, was then led over to the side of the arena - with difficulty - as he was bent over double, and clutching the huge bulge in his tiny loincloth, having just been kneed twice in the balls.
There, an arena slave was waiting with Gracchus' instructions for Demonax.
With recent fighting taking place in Gaul, there was no shortage of cheap, well muscled and well endowed young Gallic slaves, so Votigern was expendable.
Being muscular and exceptionally 'well-hung', he was a good candidate for a spectacular castration.
As this was the first fight of the afternoon, Gracchus felt that the programme needed to start off with a spectacular 'kill'.
Votigern was ideal for this, being a Gaul, who were seen as Rome's traditional enemies, and being blonde, with no pubic hair, and very 'well-hung', his humiliation, and mutilation (castration) would be clearly visible, even to those in the most distant parts of the arena.
Orders were sent down to Demonax to perform a very slow castration, with Votigern being held by arena-slaves, so that the crowd would get the best possible view of the young Gaul's humiliating, complete emasculation.
Gracchus wanted testicles and the erect penis both removed in one piece, and then placed in Votigern's mouth, to amuse the crowd.
In addition, Gracchus had also been recently told of a Pankration fight in Athens with had ended in the loser having his back broken.
The body was then twisted so that front and back faced in opposite directions when the disabled wrestler was laid out - in other words the unfortunate fighter was prone and supine at the same time.
Gracchus wanted to see this, so he instructed Demonax to sever the Votigern's spine with a spear, and then twist the body.
Gracchus was interested to see just how painful this would be for the defeated gladiator, and how long it would take him to die.
And so Votigern, having lost, was stripped of his skimpy blue loincloth, and most of his armour, by an arena-slave.
"Please don't strip me !" the young Gaul had pleaded, but to no avail.
One cut with the arena slave's knife to the side of the boy's loincloth, and the skimpy bit of cloth fell away, to the cheers of the crowd.
And now they could see the perfect, sweat-drenched globes of the young Gaul's perky buttocks, and his inviting butt-crack while, at the front, Vortigern's plump penis and heavy, hairless balls flopped from the straining pouch that had been supporting them.
And the boy was completely shaved, with not a trace of pubic hair, or of any hair round his arse.
He was then told that, having surrendered, he was to be 'raped' by Demonax.
The crowd were screaming "Fuck the little Gaul !", "Give it to the cunt - up the arse!", and words to that effect, as Vortigern was told to bend over.
"No ! Don't do this !" Votigern groaned, "I've never been fucked !", but his words were belied by his huge cock, which was growing by the second, and jerking up obscenely.
Demonax entered the pleading boy, standing and from behind.
Demonax was exceptionally well-hung, but Votigen was able to take the victor's penetration and thrusting, grunting as Demonax's thick cock disappeared inside him.
"Fuck ! You're big !", Vortigern moaned as, having became massively erect, he reached back with his right hand and grabbed Demonax's hand, guiding it to his jerking, dribbling cock.
"If you're gonna fuck me, then 'bring me off - please !", Votigern groaned, as he pleaded with Demonax masturbate him.
Demonax was surprised, but quite willing to oblige, and Grachus, up in his box was more than pleased to see the young Gaul so eagerly co-operating in, what to a Roman, would be his complete humiliation.
The two young, practically naked gladiators jerked about on the sand, fucking and wanking and, in the end, managed to 'cum' at the same time.
Votigen groaned loudly, "I'm fuckin' cumming !", and splattered the sand with his creamy 'boy seed'.
Demonax, a couple of seconds later, 'brought off' by the rhythmic contractions of the young Gaul's tight arse-hole, then pulled out.
"Fuckin' shit !", Demonax groaned, as he held his huge twitching cock, as it pumped his spunk over the naked Gaul's back and gleaming, flexing buttocks, while the crowd cheered.
After the rape, Votigern, who had obligingly put up very little resistance,and in fact had co-operated, then allowed himself to be fully castrated while standing naked, facing the crowd.
Votigern looked up and saw the spear.
"Fuck no ! Don't 'finish' me ! .... Not now", he screamed at Demonax.
As the crowd watched, wondering what was going to happen next, Demonax then plunged the spear into the lower part of Votigen's back - twice.
"Cunt !", the naked, castrated Gaul grunted, as he instantly convulsed, emptied his bowels onto the sand, and then lay still.
The arena slaves the turned the upper part of Votigern's body over onto its back, while the lower part still lay belly down.
As his body was twisted, the naked boy grunted and farted loudly.
The twisted body looked bizarre, but the crowd loved it, cheering wildly.
Votigern's severed genitals were then stuffed, once again, into his dribbling mouth.
His bulging eyes starred up, seemingly unseeing.
Apparently the naked, castrated young Gaul was dead.
ENTER CHARON
It was at this point that Charon entered the arena, having been told that Vortigern had been 'finished off'.
It was the custom in the great public arenas to use two slaves to represent Mercury and Charon.
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| Mercury |
Mercury is a major Roman god, being one of the Dii Consentes within the ancient Roman pantheon. He is the patron god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence (and thus poetry), messages/communication (including divination), travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery and thieves; he is also the guide of souls to the underworld. He was considered the son of Maia and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is possibly related to the Latin word merx ("merchandise"; compare merchant, commerce, etc.), mercari (to trade), and merces (wages); another possible connection is the Proto-Indo-European root merĝ- for "boundary, boarder" (cf. Old English "mearc", Old Norse "mark", Latin "margō", and Welsh Cymro) and Greek οὖρος (by analogy of Arctūrus/Ἀρκτοῦρος), as the "keeper of boundaries," referring to his role as bridge between the upper and lower worlds. In his earliest forms, he appears to have been related to the Etruscan deity Turms, both of which share characteristics with the Greek god Hermes. In Virgil's Aeneid, Mercury reminds Aeneas of his mission to found the city of Rome. In Ovid's Fasti, Mercury is assigned to escort the nymph Larunda to the underworld. Mercury, however, fell in love with Larunda and made love to her on the way. Larunda thereby became mother to two children, referred to as the Lares, the invisible household gods.
In addition they would usually be present during the spectacle in the arena, in order to remind one and all of the probable outcome of such events.
In Gracchus' private arena, he dispensed with the use of two deities, and contented himself with the presence of one arena-slave, who wore a grisly skull mask, and who represented Charon.
This arena-slave, who was always referred to as Charon, regardless of his actual name, held an important position in the arena hierarchy, as he was responsible for much of the organization and running of the events taking place on the arena sands.
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PRELUDE
Charon's real problems started with a fight between a very handsome Greek gladiator called Demonax, and a blond Gaul called Vortigern.
The name in Brittonic literally means "Great King" or "Overlord", composed of the elements wor- "over-, super" and tigerno- "king, lord, chief, ruler" (compare Old Breton machtiern, Cornish myghtygern a type of local ruler (literally "pledge chief") in Brittany and Cornwall.
However, the element tigerno- was a regular one in Brittonic personal names (compare St. Kentigern, Catigern, Ritigern, Tigernmaglus, et al.) and, as wortigernos (or derivatives of it) is not attested as a common noun, there is no reason to suppose that it was used as anything other than a personal name (in fact, an Old Irish cognate of it, Foirtchern was not an uncommon personal name in Ireland, further lending credence to the notion that Vortigern was a personal name and not a title).
The crowd particularly like Gallic boys because they were fair, smooth and either had blonde pubic hair, or were completely shaved.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
VOTIGERN - THE GAUL
This 'well-hung' young lad has his first fight in the arena,
which, as it happens, is also his last.
Within thirty minutes the unfortunate lad
is stripped 'bollock-naked', raped, 'jerked-off' and 'cums
over the sand.
He is then castrated (penis and both testicles),
has his spine severed, and finally is 'finished-off' by having his
throat cut.
The Gauls emerged around the 5th century BC as the bearers of the La Tène culture north of the Alps. By the 4th century BC, they spread over much of what is now France, Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria. Gaul was never united under a single ruler or government, but the Gallic tribes were capable of uniting their forces in large-scale military operations. They reached the peak of their power in the early 3rd century BC. The rising Roman Republic after the end of the First Punic War increasingly put pressure on the Gallic sphere of influence; the Battle of Telamon of 225 BC heralded a gradual decline of Gallic power over the 2nd century, until the eventual conquest of Gaul in the Gallic Wars of the 50s BC. After this, Gaul became a province of the Roman Empire, and the Gauls were culturally assimilated into a Gallo-Roman culture, losing their tribal identities by the end of the 1st century AD.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
VORTIGERN - 'PUTTING UP GOOD SHOW'
Demonax, however, one of Gracchus' 'darlings of the arena', was expected to win, however, - and he did.
As the two boys grappled, Demonax brought his knee sharply up into Vortigern's groin, instantly crushing the prominent bulge in the lad's skimpy loincloth.
"Shit ! My fuckin' bollocks !", young Vortigern grunted, doubling up with the intense pain.
"Do you 'give'?", Demonax demanded, as Vortigern squirmed.
"But ..... !", and before the poor lad could say any-more Demonax knee jerked up again, catching the young Gaul once again in his unprotected balls.
"Fuck ! ... Yes ! ... No more ! ... My fuckin balls !", Vortigern squealed, as he dropped both his sword and his shield and clutched at his agonised groin.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
VORTIGERN SURRENDERS
Demonax then grabbed Vortigern by the neck, turning him round to face the crowd.
"Say it loud, son ! Say you 'giv'e !".
"I give ! .... I give !", the terrified Gaul spluttered, struggling in Demonax' vice-like grip.
And that, really, was the end for young Vortigern.
With Vortigern foolishly surrendering to his obviously more skilful opponent, it was then up to Gracchus to decide the final outcome.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 WOUNDED NAKED GLADIATOR |
There, an arena slave was waiting with Gracchus' instructions for Demonax.
With recent fighting taking place in Gaul, there was no shortage of cheap, well muscled and well endowed young Gallic slaves, so Votigern was expendable.
Being muscular and exceptionally 'well-hung', he was a good candidate for a spectacular castration.
As this was the first fight of the afternoon, Gracchus felt that the programme needed to start off with a spectacular 'kill'.
Votigern was ideal for this, being a Gaul, who were seen as Rome's traditional enemies, and being blonde, with no pubic hair, and very 'well-hung', his humiliation, and mutilation (castration) would be clearly visible, even to those in the most distant parts of the arena.
Orders were sent down to Demonax to perform a very slow castration, with Votigern being held by arena-slaves, so that the crowd would get the best possible view of the young Gaul's humiliating, complete emasculation.
Gracchus wanted testicles and the erect penis both removed in one piece, and then placed in Votigern's mouth, to amuse the crowd.
In addition, Gracchus had also been recently told of a Pankration fight in Athens with had ended in the loser having his back broken.
The body was then twisted so that front and back faced in opposite directions when the disabled wrestler was laid out - in other words the unfortunate fighter was prone and supine at the same time.
Gracchus wanted to see this, so he instructed Demonax to sever the Votigern's spine with a spear, and then twist the body.
Gracchus was interested to see just how painful this would be for the defeated gladiator, and how long it would take him to die.
And so Votigern, having lost, was stripped of his skimpy blue loincloth, and most of his armour, by an arena-slave.
"Please don't strip me !" the young Gaul had pleaded, but to no avail.
One cut with the arena slave's knife to the side of the boy's loincloth, and the skimpy bit of cloth fell away, to the cheers of the crowd.
And now they could see the perfect, sweat-drenched globes of the young Gaul's perky buttocks, and his inviting butt-crack while, at the front, Vortigern's plump penis and heavy, hairless balls flopped from the straining pouch that had been supporting them.
And the boy was completely shaved, with not a trace of pubic hair, or of any hair round his arse.
He was then told that, having surrendered, he was to be 'raped' by Demonax.
The crowd were screaming "Fuck the little Gaul !", "Give it to the cunt - up the arse!", and words to that effect, as Vortigern was told to bend over.
"No ! Don't do this !" Votigern groaned, "I've never been fucked !", but his words were belied by his huge cock, which was growing by the second, and jerking up obscenely.
Demonax entered the pleading boy, standing and from behind.
Demonax was exceptionally well-hung, but Votigen was able to take the victor's penetration and thrusting, grunting as Demonax's thick cock disappeared inside him.
"Fuck ! You're big !", Vortigern moaned as, having became massively erect, he reached back with his right hand and grabbed Demonax's hand, guiding it to his jerking, dribbling cock.
"If you're gonna fuck me, then 'bring me off - please !", Votigern groaned, as he pleaded with Demonax masturbate him.
Demonax was surprised, but quite willing to oblige, and Grachus, up in his box was more than pleased to see the young Gaul so eagerly co-operating in, what to a Roman, would be his complete humiliation.
The two young, practically naked gladiators jerked about on the sand, fucking and wanking and, in the end, managed to 'cum' at the same time.
Votigen groaned loudly, "I'm fuckin' cumming !", and splattered the sand with his creamy 'boy seed'.
Demonax, a couple of seconds later, 'brought off' by the rhythmic contractions of the young Gaul's tight arse-hole, then pulled out.
"Fuckin' shit !", Demonax groaned, as he held his huge twitching cock, as it pumped his spunk over the naked Gaul's back and gleaming, flexing buttocks, while the crowd cheered.
After the rape, Votigern, who had obligingly put up very little resistance,and in fact had co-operated, then allowed himself to be fully castrated while standing naked, facing the crowd.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
"Fuck ! He's cuttin' off my cock and balls !"
CASTRATED NAKED GLADIATOR
Naked, Gallic gladiator Vortigern, still pissing and shitting,
is lifted off the sand, and held by a young arena slave,
while his Greek opponent, Demonax,
slowly saws off the squealing Gaul's penis and testicles.
Demonax, however, following Gracchus instruction, castrated the blonde boy very slowly with a sword.
"Oh fuck ! No !", Votigern screamed, and was immediately in agony as the sword blade slowly sawed its way through the thick, hairless 'root' of his massive genitals.
Eventually the bulky cock, which was still erect, with the well filled ball-sack still attached, came away in Demonax's hand.
"Shit ! - My fuckin' bollocks ! My cock !", Votigern groaned, as Demonax showed the naked boy his severed genitals.
Immediately an arena-slave cauterised the severed end of the still stiff penis, in order to maintain the Gaul's last erection.
Then, while Votigern pathetically looked on, Demonax held the bloody 'sex-parts' above his head for the cheering crowd.
Meanwhile, Votigern had sunk to his knees, squealing and clutching at his mutilated groin.
"You cunts ! I got no fuckin' bollocks ! - no fuckin cock !", he screamed at Demonax and the arena-slave.
When Demonax was finished showing the castrated lad's genitals to the crowd he handed them to an arena-slave, who immediately stuffed the severed genitals were into Votigern's mouth.
"Oh fuck ! No !", Votigern screamed, and was immediately in agony as the sword blade slowly sawed its way through the thick, hairless 'root' of his massive genitals.
Eventually the bulky cock, which was still erect, with the well filled ball-sack still attached, came away in Demonax's hand.
"Shit ! - My fuckin' bollocks ! My cock !", Votigern groaned, as Demonax showed the naked boy his severed genitals.
Immediately an arena-slave cauterised the severed end of the still stiff penis, in order to maintain the Gaul's last erection.
Then, while Votigern pathetically looked on, Demonax held the bloody 'sex-parts' above his head for the cheering crowd.
Meanwhile, Votigern had sunk to his knees, squealing and clutching at his mutilated groin.
"You cunts ! I got no fuckin' bollocks ! - no fuckin cock !", he screamed at Demonax and the arena-slave.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
'Shit ! - I got no fuckin' bollocks !'
CASTRATED NAKED GLADIATOR
Demonax holds Votigern's penis and testicles high for the
cheering crowd to see, while the naked castrated Gaul
squeals for his 'bollocks' as he clutches at his bloody
mutilated groin.
When Demonax was finished showing the castrated lad's genitals to the crowd he handed them to an arena-slave, who immediately stuffed the severed genitals were into Votigern's mouth.
Dribbling the last of the castrated boy's spunk, the huge, stiff cock poked obscenely from the groaning gladiator's mouth.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
ON DISPLAY - NAKED IN THE ARENA
After the Gallic gladiator, Vortigern, has been castrated,
his cauterised erect penis and testicles are stuffed into his mouth,
and he is led round the arena.
While the crowd cheered, poor Votigern, with his still stiff cock poking out of his mouth, was then led round the arena, by Demonax's favourite arena slave, so that all the crowd could get a good look at the totally humiliated, castrated, practically naked Gaul.
He was then stripped completely naked, had his genitals removed from his mouth, and was laid out on the sand on his belly.
"Please - no more ! ..... I can't take any more !", Votigen pleaded as he lay on the sand.
"Please - no more ! ..... I can't take any more !", Votigen pleaded as he lay on the sand.
Votigen, of course, had no idea of what was going to happen to him, although if he had any sense he would realize that having been completely castrated, his career as a fighter was over, and it was unlikely that he would leave the arena alive.
Demonax was then handed a spear with the very wide spear-tip.
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| © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2014 |
SPEARED NAKED GLADIATOR
Naked, Gallic gladiator Vortigern is laid on his belly
as his Greek opponent, Demonax,
spears him through his spine.
Votigern looked up and saw the spear.
"Fuck no ! Don't 'finish' me ! .... Not now", he screamed at Demonax.
As the crowd watched, wondering what was going to happen next, Demonax then plunged the spear into the lower part of Votigen's back - twice.
"Cunt !", the naked, castrated Gaul grunted, as he instantly convulsed, emptied his bowels onto the sand, and then lay still.
The arena slaves the turned the upper part of Votigern's body over onto its back, while the lower part still lay belly down.
As his body was twisted, the naked boy grunted and farted loudly.
The twisted body looked bizarre, but the crowd loved it, cheering wildly.
Votigern's severed genitals were then stuffed, once again, into his dribbling mouth.
His bulging eyes starred up, seemingly unseeing.
Apparently the naked, castrated young Gaul was dead.
ENTER CHARON
It was at this point that Charon entered the arena, having been told that Vortigern had been 'finished off'.
to be continued ......
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