Babatunji

When Macky arrives in Rome, one of the first people he meets is Babatunji. Like Isaac and Devorah, Babatunji is African, but he’s no Friend of Jesus.

He’s a warrior who was brought to Rome to be a gladiator. He survived the arena and then went to work for Aemelia. Babatunji is her chief trainer, the man who must prepare young slaves for their often-short career in the arena.

Babatunji is tough, almost cruel, but he’s always fair. His philosophy is simple: fight or die. And his belief system is even more simple: he tells Macky he believes only in himself, his sword and his will to fight.