Elite 246 Gladiators 4th–1st Centuries Bc Paperback

Description

This new study lifts the veil on the high-profile but often misunderstood gladiators ofancient Rome, from their origins to the dawn of the Principate.Originating in funeral rites during the Punic Wars of the 3rd century BC, the Romangladiator games have come to symbolize the spectacle and savagery of Republican andImperial Rome. Increasingly elaborate rules and rituals governed the conduct ofgladiator combat, with an array of specially armed and armoured gladiator types pittedagainst one another, either singly or in groups. While many gladiators met a grisly end,some survived to achieve celebrity and make huge fortunes.Despite the wealth of literary and archaeological evidence, many misconceptions aboutthe gladiators and their violent world remain. Featuring photographs and drawings ofkey items of visual evidence and drawing upon the author’s wealth of experience andresearch, this fully illustrated account recreates the little-known and under-representedgladiators of the centuries leading up to the dawn of the Principate, correcting myths andcasting new light on the roles, lives and legacy of these legendary arena fighters.Sales and Marketing HighlightsFrançois Gilbert reveals the true story of the gladiators of Rome, from theirorigins to the dawn of the Imperial era.Features full-colour reconstructions of the appearance, weaponry andequipment of these legendary arena fighters.The gladiators of Ancient Rome remain a subject of ongoing interest.