As a little boy, he must have been told that emperors never bow their heads to anything. Consequently, his pointy chin is always upturned and his regal back as straight as a ramrod. Marcus is as tall as Ali, but he is definitely stiffer and thinner. Marcus is fifteen years of age, but seems slightly younger. A well-proportioned nose, small pink lips constantly wearing a grimace of disgust and short thick blonde curls: this is Marcus at the beginning of our story. He is a tidy, presumptuous, rather good-looking little prince. He’s got an exotic taste for magic, alchemy and a healthy interest for science... had there been eyeglasses in that period, they would have been sitting on his cute little nose. But he’s got an unbearable habit: over-clarification. At the end of any sentence, affirmation or story he always adds: “To tell the truth...” and goes on and on with an infinite series of dull specifications. For someone like Ali, who’s used to “livening up” his stories with odd fibs, that “To tell the truth...” is worse than having a knife driven into his heart. As his association with the gladiators proceeds, Marcus himself begins to let go: his hair grows, his facial expression livens up and his skin has a healthier glow thanks to the sunshine in the arena... An odd muscle even shows up here and there. But, although all he needs to shorten his regal tunic is the clean-cut stroke of Tosca’s scissors (“How can you fight dressed up like an actor on his opening night?!”), something more is needed to soften up his difficult character...

ALI

It’s very clear that Ali is a vagabond: a short black tunic (partially by choice and partially because he’s been wearing it for years and washing it very little!), bare feet and an evident dislike of water. But his dazzling smile, his straight aristocratic nose and those intensely blue eyes that shine on his olive Syrian complexion give away the fact that he’s not just one of the many little slaves who crowd the streets of Antioch. To find a justification for this “anomaly”, to find an explanation for those two brilliant stars he’s got on his face, Ali makes up some far-fetched stories: he’s the son of a princess who came from the north, he’s the victim of a mysterious curse, he’s the offspring of a family that has become extinct... Ali is an enchanter, an irresistible rogue who manages to get whatever he wants thanks to his smile. The little liar is now fourteen, but his body is still that of a thin a lanky young lad. His long legs are always on the move and it’s difficult to see him with his hands sitting still. For this reason, or perhaps since he’s learned how to imitate all animal gestures and movements, his muscles are well-defined, elongated and lithe. When necessary he knows how to run like a gazelle, how to approach his “prey” without making a noise just like a she-lion would and how to climb up a tree just like a monkey. That’s because he grew up with them and, in addition to being fully acquainted with their language (something that makes him dangerous to his foes!), he is also knows their gestures, their tics and their quirks. Ali himself has got a quirk: he’s always playing with his straight raven hair. He keeps his hair gathered up into a long ponytail behind his neck and he’s so very proud of his mane. To those who tell him that it’s not proper to have such a long mane of hair, he answers by shrugging his shoulders: his hair is as free as he is.

MIRINA

Underneath a short boyish-looking tunic, two thin fawn-like legs walk along the city streets with light footsteps. They belong to Mirina, a nimble and clever little elf who appears and disappears leaving behind the wild smell of jasmine. When she was a little girl, someone taught her the art of transvestism. And that someone must have really been good at it because it’s practically impossible to recognize her when (in order to escape, steal or investigate) she dons the attire of a boy with a good background, the rags of an old beggar, the clothes of a soothsaying gypsy or thousands of other disguises. When the Mediterranean sun shines, the long curly hair that frames her thin little face seems to be blue. She has a hard time keeping her unruly hair gathered above her head, but it’s simply rebellious, puts up a fight and then finally crumbles down in front of her emerald-green bright eyes that are as elongated as the eyes of a cat. She’s got a passion for jewels – the bigger and gaudier they are, the more she’s crazy about them... She seems just like a little gypsy with her bare feet and large earrings that peek through her hair. But she’s got a regal stance and a smile that is so cunning as to win everyone over... Sure, she’s quite temperamental. She’s stubborn, proud, sometimes nearly arrogant and doesn’t take no for an answer. When she gets a no from someone she cares for very much, or someone whom she likes a lot (such as Marcus), then she’s capable of anything... Even of... betrayal.

DORA

No, she never reveals her legs. It’s easy for Tosca to say that it’s difficult to run with your dress between your feet: well-to-do girls should wear their tunics down to their ankles. And, above all, well-to-do girls have no need to run! They spend their time at court, waited upon hand-and-foot and not roaming around the world as they are chased by a band of dangerous conspirators! They are pale, thin and would never allow even one lock of their very well-coiffed hair slip out of their complicated hairdos. Dora clings to the perfection of her hairstyle and her pale complexion as if they were the last remnants of her previous life, when she was living in Rome. Despite the dust, wind – despite everything – her appearance is always impeccable. She speaks with what would nowadays be defined as a French “r” and eats ever so little... She simply picks at her food because well-to-do girls are never hungry... Except when she hides in the kitchen and devours half of the pantry contents when no one’s in sight! No one, not even Ali who’s got a kind of crush on her, would expect this fragile little human being, this elegant and refined Greek girl to be in reality an extremely talented archer. They discover this talent by chance, during one of the challenges that Mirina continuously dares her to... Dora would have never dreamed that her ability might prove to be useful: she learned to use her bow as a child in Greece because her family was dedicated to the cult of Diana, goddess of the hunt... She is a true miracle of nature as she holds her bow and arrow... All in all, it’s not necessary to bare your legs to be an ancestor of Robin Hood!

DRUDO

Scantily dressed in a bear-hide, Drudo is the strongest amongst the strong, the Thracian barbarian as big and generous as the legendary Hercules. Drudo grew up in the thick of the forest and he doesn’t need any weapons to fight: he uses his bare hands. His hands are big, strong and capable of beating anyone. He can’t stand injustice, the little acts of arrogance delivered by those “in command” and for this reason it’s difficult to stroll along with him... Should a master beat his little slave, should a circus-owner whip one of his animals, should a soldier insult a beggar – he just can help himself: he has to do something about it. Drudo is brave, loyal to the end but, like all giants, he is clumsy... He trips, drops things, shatters precious objects and destroys the setting of elegant banquets. In other words, he’s a public enemy. Not to speak of when he talks to a woman – his clumsiness grows to the extent that he turns into a complete oaf. For this reason, despite his good looks, he is still all alone. Or better yet a “bachelor”, as defined by Tosca who does her best to find him a girlfriend.

MILONE & CABRIA

Milone and Cabria are identical twins, two peas in a pod. They’re small, lithe, athletic and before becoming gladiators they used to be acrobats. They run at an incredible speed and weave into each other’s paths so as to confuse the enemy. They act as each other’s springboard during their leaps, accomplishing spectacular acrobatic feats. Their winning weapon is their shrewdness, rather than their strength. They are so undividable as to be unable to end off a sentence on their own: Milone begins to speak and Cabria finishes off the conversation. Their greatest dream, the one for which they would willingly sacrifice their lives, is that of lifting themselves off the ground... and flying.

PILADE

Pilades is short, has an early baldness and seems like anything except a gladiator. In fact he’s an actor, or as he would say, the greatest actor of all times. Wherever they go, in whatever city, island, beach or forest – he’s already been there. Whoever they talk about, be it a prince, philosopher, poet or magician – he was his best and closest friend. To make a long story short, Pilade likes telling tall stories. But he’s so good at it and he’s so convincing that no one feels like contradicting or stopping him. He loves to show off his culture and enjoys speaking in a refined way. But (as Marcus points out to him) he often talks rubbish, gets his words wrong, makes a mess of his verbs and mixes up the meanings. Each time he makes his way into the arena, it seems as if he’s about to give a performance: he puts on his makeup and even gargles to clear up his voice... Luckily Tosca is in the arena with him. Along with her, and underneath his great bald head, the dramatic actor turns into a skilled and brave warrior...

CATILIUS SEVERO

His face, stretched into a strained smile, would be handsome if it weren’t for the dark shadows that cloud his expression. Catilius is thirty and behind his elegant manners of a Roman nobleman, behind his erudite and rigorous education, is hidden a heart as cold as ice, boundless ambition and a dangerous lust for power. His head is clean-shaven and as shiny as Yul Brynner’s. This makes his sculpted harsh features stand out. His lean and quick build demonstrates his ability for battle and for command. His gestures betray a bellicose and violent disposition. Catilius is head of the Praetorian guards. He is feared by all, especially by his men who are acquainted with his violent outbursts. He is elegant and well-groomed. He always has two large Great Danes at his side, who fear and respect him. If they dare take one step without his permission, Catilius gets a hold of the whip that is always tied at his belt and beats down on them pitilessly. This outburst on innocent animals and this explicit violence should put Hadrian on guard... Catilius, who seems to be completely insensitive to feelings, has one sole weakness: Domitia. He loves her totally and deeply, so much so as to risk his plans for power just to have her...

CAIUS THE FAT

Caio the Fat, a shrewd and cruel governor who starves his people while living in luxury, is as slippery as an eel in the swamps and as fat as an American raccoon. He has a bad habit: he drools. While he eats (and he does so continuously, considering his colossal gluttony) pieces of lamb, pheasant or rice pudding end up on his expensive tunic, which is therefore always unmistakably stained. Considering his bulk, he doesn’t walk but waddles. He smiles at everybody (if you can call that small opening between his massive cheeks a smile!) and waves his arms about in exaggerated greetings and excessive praise. It’s obvious that he’s deceitful, but this doesn’t bother his accomplice Catilius. The thing that really gets on his nerves is Caius’s clumsiness, his lack of taste, his total absence of moderation and elegance. Caius exaggerates in everything: his food, his jewels, the color of his clothes, the red shade of his hair, his tone of voice and his most fastidious laughter. He’s short, fat and greasy-looking, the complete opposite of Catilius. He doesn’t fight for power but for money, jewels and refined food. Caius is not capable of abstract considerations: all that counts for him is what can be touched or, better yet, eaten.

CANIDIA

Frightful. This is the adjective that best defines Gutta. Tall, with his pale skin stretched over powerful muscles, Gutta is the champion of the Praetorian team. His eyes are small and cold, of such a pale color as to seem white. He’s also got short silver-colored hair that apparently belongs to an Albino. He speaks very little, with brief and harsh sentences. He never smiles. No one can say he’s Gutta’s friend and no one knows anything of his life outside the military barracks. Therefore no one suspects that he’s the secret son of Canidia, the sorceress, the high priestess of the god Anubi. She’s the one who provides him with the terrible weapons that he uses during the battle; she’s the one who pulls the strings of his feats and of his crimes. When Gutta is in the company of his mother, he changes radically. He turns into a sweet little lamb... Everyone fears him, including Catilius, who knows that he cannot trust that strange and mysterious creature...

GUTTA

Frightful. This is the adjective that best defines Gutta. Tall, with his pale skin stretched over powerful muscles, Gutta is the champion of the Praetorian team. His eyes are small and cold, of such a pale color as to seem white. He’s also got short silver-colored hair that apparently belongs to an Albino. He speaks very little, with brief and harsh sentences. He never smiles. No one can say he’s Gutta’s friend and no one knows anything of his life outside the military barracks. Therefore no one suspects that he’s the secret son of Canidia, the sorceress, the high priestess of the god Anubi. She’s the one who provides him with the terrible weapons that he uses during the battle; she’s the one who pulls the strings of his feats and of his crimes. When Gutta is in the company of his mother, he changes radically. He turns into a sweet little lamb... Everyone fears him, including Catilius, who knows that he cannot trust that strange and mysterious creature...

    THE ROMANS

HADRIAN

His body is still lean and powerful. His voice is warm, deep and imperious. At the age of fifty-five, Hadrian is an exhausted emperor – worn out by the battle against his disease, but not yet defeated by it. Just like another famous character in a popular cartoon, namely Heidi’s grandfather, he hides his wrinkles and his age under a thick and well-kept grey beard. Despite the years that go by, he’s still the greatest, the strongest, the most loved and respected emperor. Just one word from him is enough to put a stop to all fighting at court; a nod of his head is enough to calm down any attempt at rebellion. He is brusque and sometimes even harsh. But once he ordains punishment, once he gives an order, it’s never unfair. Everyone respects him, many fear him, but only a few truly love him... He yields a daily battle against his disease and will not surrender. But he’s getting worse and worse... Each day his heart grows more exhausted, more worn out... Hadrian doesn’t realize that it’s his own personal doctor, his “friend” Canidia who’s poisoning him slowly in order not to arouse any suspects. She wants his death to befall at the right moment...

ANTONIUS

Antoninus is one of the few Romans of healthy disposition who have never held a weapon in their hands. He refuses to do so because he believes that violence is the cause, and not the solution, of evil. Antoninus is calm, quiet, loyal and Hadrian’s right-hand man. He guesses his every thought even before the old Emperor has the chance to say it out loud. He would give his life for his Emperor and for Rome. He is a classic “lieutenant” and should resemble the British actor Anthony Quayle... He is calm and apparently modest. But he is actually a skilled politician and knows all the ins-and-outs, the obscure scheming that goes on in Rome. To a greater extent than Hadrian, his dream is that of granting citizenship to all the people of the Empire and to bring peace and laws to all corners of the land. That’s the reason why he has entered into an alliance with Heliodorus...

HELIODORUS/NINURTA

Ninurta is a very mysterious wise old man. He dresses in rags. But despite his threadbare cloak and worn-out sandals, his tall and thin figure has somewhat of a noble flair. Beneath his dark cloak shine cobalt-colored eyes that possess an intelligent, attentive and deep light. Just like someone who has seen a lot and would have lots of stories to tell... Ninurta knows the questions before they are asked and knows the answers before anybody else. He speaks an infinite amount of languages, knows all the arts and manages to make his way out of the most difficult predicaments. Ali feels that there’s something about him that’s strange and ambiguous... But he trusts him. He instinctively trusts him from the very first moment they met. That old thin man keeps up with him in every physical trial when those bony legs seem to possess superhuman strength... He is acquainted with the martial arts; when he removes his cloak, his body proves to be lean, used to strain and to oriental discipline. Ali is doubtful, he investigates but never manages to reach the truth... On the other hand, the truth is so far-fetched that the vagabond from Antioch will only be able to discover it at the end of the story... Ninurta and Heliodorus, the powerful god Mithras, are one and the same person. Covered with his golden mask and hidden beneath his scarlet cloak, Heliodorus urges Ali to accompany Marcus towards Rome. In order to accompany our heroes in their journey without arousing suspicions, Heliodorus disguises himself as a beggar... As a matter of fact, Mithraism is not very appreciated within the Empire. And even less so is its high priest, Heliodorus. He can only make himself visible during the secret reunions with a small number of followers. For the rest of the time, he has to “turn into” Ninurta. By doing so he can remain at Ali’s side and accompany him during his difficult initiation. Only at the end will Ali discover the reason for all Heliodorus’s interest in him: Heliodorus is his grandfather.

DOMITIA LUCILLA

Se nell’antica Roma esistessero le femministe allora Domizia sarebbe il loro capo. Bella, i lunghi capelli biondi perennemente scomposti incorniciano un viso giovane, vivace, intelligente. In un mondo comandato dagli uomini, lei ha imparato a farsi rispettare e amare. Passionale, coraggiosa, non si tira indietro di fronte a niente. Con i suoi modi diretti, informali, ha dato più volte scandalo a corte. Perché parla senza metafore, dice quello che pensa e agisce quando ce ne è bisogno. Per Adriano è la figlia che non ha mai avuto. Condivide con lui la passione per i cavalli, che galoppa alla maniera degli uomini, scoprendo le belle gambe.Ai lavori domestici preferisce la “politica”. Quando gli impegni di corte glielo permettono smette i panni della principessa, abbandona le tuniche eleganti e indossa i calzari da schiava. Scivola fuori villa di Tivoli e si confonde tra la gente di Roma. E’ lei la miglior informatrice di Adriano. Lei va tra il popolo e capisce i suoi bisogni, le sue necessità, le sue sofferenze. Svela i politici corrotti, le trame ordite contro lo stato e l’Imperatore. Per questo in molti a corte la temono e la odiano. Per questo il popolo la ama. Lei e suo figlio, il futuro imperatore: Marcus. Di lei è follemente innamorato Catilio, che però non ha nessuna speranza... A meno che Canidia non riesca a farla entrare nella sua schiera di schiave, nel folto gruppo di giovani donne assoggettate al volere di Anubi... .

MAMI - THE SHE-LION

Mami is a beautiful white she-lion. She’s dignified, elegant and uses her strength only when it’s absolutely necessary. Her powerful muscles and her mighty jaws are an excellent deterrent, without having to resort to violence. Instinct has taught her that puppies should be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and therefore, despite Ali’s protests, she grabs him by the pigtail when necessary and loads him onto her back. She and Ali sleep together and are never apart. Mami has an infallible instinct in scenting danger and she especially understands people’s souls. There’s no way out for those who lie to her...

CIRCE - MAGPIE

Circe and Marcus are plainly made for one another. They’ve got the same presumption, the same officiousness, the same upturned snout. The little shiny magpie also knows how to speak. She repeats the prince’s last word over and over which, by the way, is a specification... The effect is an amplification of the annoyance that Ali feels for the presumptuous Marcus and for the mischievous magpie. Behind her elegant and dignified appearance, Circe hides a bad habit: she steals. If something shines, even kilometres away, she just can’t help but take it home with her. This causes continuous trouble for Ali and his friends. So much so that more than once they are forced stuff her into a knapsack with her beak and her legs tied up...

BRUTUS & BELLUS - GREAT DANES

One of them is white and the other one is black. The Great Danes belonging to Catilius are enormous. They’re as tall as horses, as strong as bulls and frighten anyone who comes within their range. Catilius doesn’t love them since he’s not capable of loving anyone. He commands them with his threats and with the use of his strength. Consequently even Bellus and Brutus do not love him. Quite the contrary, they despise him. As soon as their master turns his head, their serious snouts undergo a transformation; their expressions become irreverent and hilarious faces. Quite stupid, they always end up banging against something, often even against each other... This makes Catilius fly off the handle as he tries in vain to train them for battle.