From the origins of the gladiatorial games in the third century BCE
through their demise more than six centuries later, this colorful,
accessible study explores the ancient world's famous warrior
entertainers: the Roman gladiators.**
With their origins as blood rites staged at the funerals of rich
aristocrats, gladiatorial combat is one of the defining images of
ancient Rome. For more than 600 years, people flocked to arenas to watch
these highly trained warriors participate in a blood-soaked spectacle
that was part sport, part theater, and part cold-blooded murder. From
Spartacus's slave revolt to the true story of Emperor Commodus (of
Gladiator fame), from female fighters to the great battles involving
hundreds of exotic animals, this engaging history looks at service in
the Roman arenas. It explores the lives of the prisoners of war,
criminals, slaves, and volunteers who became gladiators; their training;
and the more than 20 types of gladiator they could become, fighting with
different types of weapons. Covering everything from weaponry to
celebrity, this expertly written book includes 200 color and
black-and-white photographs, artworks, and maps.
New format