A Street Brawl

In “The Bodyguard,” a novelette in the latest Miriam bat Isaac book, The Deadliest Returns, Binyamin, Miriam’s twin brother and erstwhile gladiator, explains how, after a street brawl in Rome, he secured the position of bodyguard that eventually brought him back to Alexandria:

This hunchbacked street philosopher was preaching the end of slavery. What an asshole! Anyways, he caused this traffic jam. Wheels clattered to a stop, whips cracked, men shouted and cursed. So there I was standing under the portico of The Hestia, my favorite brothel near the Circus Maximus, waiting for a brawl to break out. It always does with those guys, you know? That’s when I like to knock out a few teeth just to show those sissies how to fight.

The streets of ancient Rome were vibrant spaces for social and cultural exchange, where the diverse layers of Roman society intersected and interacted, communicated and debated. Orators, poets, politicians, and street philosophers often used the public areas to deliver speeches and rally supporters.

And so, as these plazas attracted crowds, they also drew pickpockets, thugs, and street gangs, especially in the poor districts like Subura. Several entities were responsible for maintaining order, such as the Urban Cohorts, which acted as a police force to quell such riots, but the severity of Roman law, its strict enforcement and punishment, was the deterrent against major crimes.

Binyamin’s work as a bodyguard brought him to Alexandria. I hope The Deadliest Returns brings you to that most splendid city in the ancient world, second only to Rome and the latest Miriam bat Isaac book. To start your adventure, click here.