 Trade In this Item for up to £3.40
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £3.40, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The games comprised gladiatorial fights, staged animal hunts (venationes) and the executions of convicted criminals and prisoners of war. Besides entertaining the crowd, the games delivered a powerful message of Roman power: as a reminder of the wars in which Rome had acquired its empire, the distant regions of its far-flung empire (from where they had obtained wild beasts for the venatio), and the inevitability of Roman justice for criminals and those foreigners who had dared to challenge the empire's authority. Though we might see these games as bloodthirsty, cruel and reprehensible condemning any alien culture out of hand for a sport that offends our sensibilities smacks of cultural chauvinism. Instead one should judge an ancient sport by the standards of its contemporary cultural context. This book offers a fascinating, and fair historical appraisal of gladiatorial combat, which will bring the games alive to the reader and help them see them through the eyes of the ancient Romans.
It will answer questions about gladiatorial combat such as: What were its origins? Why did it disappear? Who were gladiators? How did they become gladiators? What was there training like? How did the Romans view gladiators? How were gladiator shows produced and advertised? What were the different styles of gladiatorial fighting? Did gladiator matches have referees? Did every match end in the death of at least one gladiator? Were gladiator games mere entertainment or did they play a larger role in Roman society? What was their political significance?
From the Back Cover
"Roger Dunkle’s book is singular in its mix of clear, lucid and approachable writing with a meticulous presentation of classical sources and scholarship. This is a thorough and well-organized study of the history of the gladiatorial games from early Republic to Empire; and of the popular role of these games, including their advertisement and how the life or death of combatants was decided. Fascinating and engrossing!"
Patrice D. Rankine, Associate Professor of Classics, Purdue University
Roger Dunkle here shows us the games through Roman eyes – both those who watched and those who fought. He gives a fascinating insight into the lives of the gladiators and the spectators, while also discussing their wider political significance and their changing role as the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire. Anyone who is interested in the Roman psyche will find this book essential and gripping reading.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
I always go straight to the bibliography/notes/index (comprises 93 pages listing sources in this book). Do not let that put you off. A scholarly job, highly readable. Along with Barry Strauss and M J Trow, Roger Dunkle has done a great job in bringing the subject matter to a wider audience.
A must have for any serious minded person. I believe it will become one of the more noted books on the genre.
Simon Casson (co-author, Riding The Outlaw Trail, in the Footsteps of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid)
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
