Emperors and Gladiators - Hardcover

Wiedemann, Thomas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 041500005X ISBN 13: 9780415000055

Publisher: Routledge, 1992

Synopsis

Of all aspects of Roman culture, the gladiatorial contests for which the Romans built their amphitheatres are at once the most fascinating and the most difficult for us to come to terms with. They have been seen variously as sacrifices to the gods or, at funerals, to the souls of the deceased; as a mechanism for introducing young Romans to the horrors of fighting; and as a direct substitute for warfare after the imposition of peace.
In this original and authoritative study, Thomas Wiedemann argues that gladiators were part of the mythical struggle of order and civilisation against the forces of nature, barbarism and law breaking, representing the possibility of a return to new life from the point of death; that Christian Romans rejected gladiatorial games not on humanitarian grounds, but because they were a rival representation of a possible resurrection.

About this title

Review:

"Dr. Ryan-Morgan draws on her vast knowledge of the legal, clinical and ethical issues involved in this burgeoning area. The book provides guidance on the empirical literature yet at the same time highlights the dangers of relying solely on data in a reductionist way. The book places the client at the forefront and provides an invaluable "route map" for those working within this field. As a consequence, this should be an invaluable text for practitioners, expert witnesses and those in the legal profession seeking guidance in this complex and often challenging area." - Dr. Chris L Hamilton, Cons. Clinical Psychologist "The case studies in this book are admirably knotty, requiring the precise level of detailed assessment and consideration demanded of practitioners on the ground. The author is to be heartily congratulated on undertaking an important contribution to the field of mental capacity." - Alex Ruck Keene, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers "Clinicians and lawyers alike are certain to welcome this book which weaves together the complexity of clinical presentation, legal definition and case law. The assessment of mental capacity is a complex area where the fields of neuropsychology, mental health and the law overlap. This unique volume sets out guidance on how to structure complex capacity assessments with real examples set within the legal framework. An excellent, practical introduction for those new to the field but also of great value to those who regularly work within medico-legal settings." - Dr Sal Connolly, Head of Clinical and Neuropsychology, Ascot Rehabilitation

Synopsis:

Of all aspects of Roman culture, the gladiatorial contests for which the Romans built their amphitheatres are at once the most fascinating and the most difficult for us to come to terms with. Since antiquity, a number of theories have been put forward to explain their importance. They have been seen as sacrifices to the gods or, at funerals, to the souls of the deceased; as a mechanism for introducing and inuring young Romans to the horrors of fighting; and as a substitute for the warfare which the Roman people were no longer directly invoved in after the emperors imposed peace in the first two centuries A.D. Thomas Wiedemann considers why these theories cannot by themselves explain the importance of the Games', their association with the emperors, and their decline as the Roman world became Christian.

He begins by examining the role of public ceremonies in the context of competition with the Roman elite, as public demonstrations both of the power of the Roman community as a whole, and of the virtue' of a particular public figure; and it ends by examining how emperors, often seeking to identify themselves with the civilising hero Hercules, used the games in the amphitheatre to advertise the legitimacy of their government. In between, gladiatorial duels are considered in the context of the destruction of wild beasts and of criminals in the arena; in comparison with the Romans' natural and human enemies, gladiators symbolised the possibility of re-integration into Roman society by proving that they possessed the most crucial Roman virtue, fighting ability. Gladiators were marginal' ambivalent figures, and therefore heavily criticised by many ancient writers. But these objections were not humanitarian in any modern sense.

When Christian Romans rejected gladiatorial games, it was because they were a rival representation of the possibility of resurrection: Easter and Christmas replaced gladiators Emperors and Gladiators is fully illustrated and it draws on the latest epigraphical evidence in order to present an original and comprehensive study of the changing significance of gladiatorial contests to Roman culture.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 041500005X
• ISBN 13: 9780415000055
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264