Before the games begin the captured rebel gladiators are introduced to their fate on the cross. During intermission they will be dispatched by the emperor's archers to the delight of the crowd. They will miss the second half of the games.
So hot that the entertainment has to enter the colosseum lashed to their own crossbeams. It appears to be a well-planned show: At regular intervals a new victim is ordered in for hoisting on an upright. As expired entertainment meat is removed from a post, he’s replaced by a fresh sufferer. The throng is provided with continuous entertainment. Hell, I’d buy a season pass.