- Paperback: 128 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (1 Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140299343
- ISBN-13: 978-0140299342
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11.2 x 1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 448,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
The Roman Empire produced countless achievements in the arts, literature, philosophy, law and government, without which much of our civilization today would not exist. Yet at it's heart was also unbelievable cruelty, epitomized by the bloody history of the gladiators: human beings set in an arena to fight to the death, watched by crowds of thousands. "Gladiators" is an introduction to understanding this disturbing and brutal phenomenon. The bloodthirsty spectacle of gladiatorial combat has inspired countless films and fictions, yet here Michael Grant shows that the truth is no less strange and savage. He tells us who the gladiators were, how they fought and died, how they were idolized by their public and feared by emperors, and how the most barbaric blood sport ever invented finally came to an end.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was first published in 1967 revised and updated in 1971. It shows its age, since research has moved on since then. For a better and more modern overview I would recommend the
British Museum publication "Gladiators and Caesars" For me the book is also spoiled because the author projects his modern sense of values onto ancient Roman society.
British Museum publication "Gladiators and Caesars" For me the book is also spoiled because the author projects his modern sense of values onto ancient Roman society.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My only complaint about this book is that it is too short! At only 199 pages it is a very brief (though apparently comprehensive)summary of all that is known of the origins, lives,(deaths of course), institutions and eventual abolition of gladiators. I would have appreciated some references for further reading and perhaps more background on such issues as why living conditions in Imperial Rome were so intolerable that large numbers of free men (and some women) as well as slaves volunteered to fight in the arena. Nevertheless, this is an extremely informative little book which is a good overview of the subject.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Very Good Introduction to the Topic
3 Jan 2010
Format:Hardcover
This book provides a very good short introduction that covers the topic in about 160 pages (about 2 and a half to three hours of reading). Despite its short length it answers all the major questions surrounding the topic. This includes the typical backgrounds of these men, training, how they were viewed by Roman society (same status as actors and prostitutes), Roman cultural and historical roots of the institution, the historical development of the institution, how these events were typically held and Roman fears (and the actual dangers) surrounding the gladiators. All these topics are covered by a leading professor of Roman history who adds his considerable knowledge of the subject and sources of antiquity to the subject. There are recent books on the topic (i.e., "Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome") but few cover the institution from as many angles and as well as Dr. Grant's book does.
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