Enter the main stands [2 denarii]

You enter the main stands, pressing in among the crowds as they stream into the Coliseum. You take a seat and watch as the games begin. You've no great afficionado of bloodsports, but then, they are a part of Roman life. You watch the combatants square off with interest and, once you have a sense of who'll be fighting that day, decide to go place some bets.

The current bout of fights goes well - the crowd roars with excitement as men and beasts are slaughtered. It's always slightly disorienting to be in the crush of the common people like this; they seem almost bestial to you in their cheers for bloodshed and the way they get swept up in the passion of the games. But they do love to gamble, and at the end of the bouts, as the blood is soaking into the dust, you collect your winnings: 5 denarii, earning you a tidy profit of 3 denarii over your entrance fee!