Those Who Are About to Die: A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator
Language: English
Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2026
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.World of Books (was SecondSale)
AbeBooks seller since December 20, 2007
Condition: Used - Good
£ 11.82
Quantity: 4 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 * See ancient Rome through the eyes of a gladiator--from the evening before the games at the Colosseum to the evening after "A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman Amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible." --Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History What did a gladiator feel when he stepped out onto the sand of the Colosseum, his life in the balance? What ran through the minds of the masses there to witness his likely execution? And how did this bloodthirsty ritual come to exist in the first place? In Those Who Are About to Die, Harry Sidebottom pulls us into the arena, and into the homes and forums of ancient Rome, taking the reader on an eye-opening, twenty-four-hour tour through Roman life at the height of the gladiatorial games, from the first century BC to the second century AD. We follow the gladiators through the schools (ludi) where they trained, watch in awe as the massive event unfolds--from the gambling at the pre-festival dinner, to the dawn rush to get a seat in the arena, to the resounding music, the elaborate stage sets, and, yes, the public executions that served as lunch-break entertainment--and we unlearn all the bogus movie tropes (gladiators did not have ripped bods; they were kept fleshy so they'd bleed more). Broken down by time of day--Vesper, Prima Vigilia, Secunda Vigilia, up through the following sunset (Solis Occasus)--Those Who Are About to Die offers illuminating insights into every aspect of Roman life and thought: their social mores and hierarchies, their feelings about death and sex and violence, and the myths and dreams that fueled the spectacle of the Games.…
Seller Inventory # 00109599932
- Title
- Those Who Are About to Die: A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator
- Author
- Harry Sidebottom
- Publisher
- Alfred A. Knopf
- Publication year
- 2026
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Hardback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0593801768
- ISBN 13
- 9780593801765
"A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman Amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible." --Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History
What did a gladiator feel when he stepped out onto the sand of the Colosseum, his life in the balance? What ran through the minds of the masses there to witness his likely execution? And how did this bloodthirsty ritual come to exist in the first place?
In Those Who Are About to Die, Harry Sidebottom--an internationally bestselling novelist and professor of classical history at Oxford--pulls us into the arena, and into the homes and forums of ancient Rome, taking the reader on an eye-opening, twenty-four-hour tour through Roman life at the height of the gladiatorial games, from the first century BC to the second century AD.
We follow the gladiators through the schools (ludi) where they trained, watch in awe as the massive event unfolds--from the gambling at the pre-festival dinner, to the dawn rush to get a seat at the arena, to the resounding music, the elaborate stage sets, and, yes, the public executions that served as lunch-break entertainment--and we unlearn all the bogus movie tropes (no, alas, gladiators did not have ripped bods, they were kept fleshy so they'd bleed more).
Broken down by time of day--Vesper, Prima Vigilia, Secunda Vigilia, up through the following sunset (Solis Occasus)--Those Who Are About to Die offers illuminating insights into every aspect of the life and mind of ancient Romans, their social mores and hierarchies, their thoughts on death and sex and violence, and the myths and dreams that fueled the spectacle.
With wit and authority, Those Who Are About to Die gives us the truth behind a figure we can't stop imagining.
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About the Author
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
World of Books (was SecondSale)
Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since December 20, 2007
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Founded in 2002, World of Books is a leading online destination for buying and selling both preloved and new books, committed to making sustainable reading accessible to all. With a mission to help people read more and waste less, World of Books offers a huge range of affordable, high-quality books — giving both new and preloved titles a second life. The company also operates World of Books – Sell Your Books, an easy-to-use platform that allows customers to trade in unwanted books for cash, helping to keep books in circulation while promoting sustainability. As a Certified B Corp, World of Books is driven by a vision to become the world’s largest and most sustainable dedicated online bookstore. The company measures its success through the positive environmental impact it creates, the value it provides to customers, and its ability to operate profitably while supporting its sustainable mission …
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