In 1st century AD, Rome, the world's largest city, opens the Colosseum - the largest amphitheater in the ancient world. Emperor Titus, a war hero, presides over the empire that started as a city-state in 753 BC and conquered much of Western Europe by 80 AD. Titus organizes a gladiator fight to mark the Colosseum's opening, featuring Rome's champion, Verus, and the barbarian, Priscus. Martial, a Roman poet, provides the only surviving eyewitness account of the epic battle.