The Gladiators: History's Most Deadly Sport - Hardcover

Meijer, Fik; Waters, Liz

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312348746 ISBN 13: 9780312348748

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2005

Synopsis

Superfit, muscled, and macho, gladiators were hero-worshipped for their skills and courage as they fought to the death, yet despised for their humble status. For over six cruel centuries, tens of thousands died in the blood soaked arenas of Rome and its colonies, watched by enthralled crowds screaming for violence. Professor Fik Meijer has ingeniously pieced together their true stories from contemporary evidence, describing the gladiators' origins, daily life, training, and the odds of their survival pitted against their legions of fans' lust for blood and spectacle.

About this title

Review:

"A fascinating and accessible guide to the history of Rome's
gladiators." -- 'The Teacher'

"A fascinating insight into Ancient Rome's gladiators... the
sport's origins, the gladiators' daily routines." -- 'The Big Issue'

"As accurate a picture of gladiatorial games as he can...
A very readable and comprehensive account of a topic of enduring
fascination." -- 'Journal of Classics Training'

"The aspect of the Roman Empire that every schoolboy wants to know
about is the gladiatorial fights in the Colosseum. Meijer obligingly fills
in the grisly details." -- 'The Times'

"The author has pieced together thousands of documents, eyewitness
testimonies and engravings to tell in vivid detail the story of the
gladiators." -- 'Daily Mail'

About the Author:

FIK MEIJER is a Professor of Ancient History at the University of Amsterdam and is the author of Emperors Don't Die in Bed. His next book will be a study of Rome's charioteers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0312348746
• ISBN 13: 9780312348748
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 265