“If I win, Toxaris, we shall go away together, with all that we need; but if I fall, bury me and go back to Scythia.” These were the last words of Sisinnes in the arena at Amastris. “I have lived long enough,” a poor young volunteer in another arena said to the friend he had replaced on the sand. Just two words in Latin ( satis vixi ), concise and powerful, but there was time for more: an explanation of why he was there, a last kiss through his visor, and a second valedictory. “By this my last glimpse of the light, by the celebrated sincerity of our love, do not let my father have to beg; sustain him, help him, give him your affection; if I merit it, be my substitute in caring for him.” Article continues after advertisement Of course, none of these words were actually spoken by gladiators. They were imagined by elite writers. Yet Rome was a culture that put a high value on last words, as well as brief, well-turned phrases delivered at moments of crisis.…