In the Year 106 AD the Roman Empire is in terrible decline. After the untimely death of the much-loved Emperor Trajan, the despotic Emperor Arruntius has bled the once powerful Rome to its knees. Poorly fought wars, famine, and plague are rife in all corners of the Empire, whilst the Emperor and his elite enjoy every excess and vice that the emptying coffers can afford. As herald to this age of degeneration, Arruntius has destroyed large portions of the city of Rome to create the battleground for the bloodiest gladiator event ever staged.