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The Gladiator: The Secret History of Rome's Warrior Slaves
Condemned and yet feared by emperors, almost certain to be slaughtered and yet adored by the masses, the gladiator was the superstar of his day. His existence was invariably short and violent, improved only faintly by the prospect of honor, wealth, and public attention. Yet men gave up their freedom to become gladiators, noblewomen gave up their positions to elope with them, and Emperors risked death to fight them. This thrilling popular history of ancient Rome's gladiators charts the evolution of the games; introduces us to the legendary fighters, trainers, and emperors who participated in the violent sport; and re-creates in gripping detail a day at the bloody games. Alan Baker reveals the techniques of the training school, then sets us ringside to witness the torturous battles between bulls, lions, jaguars, and battle-hardened human beings. With each breathtaking scene, the complex culture of world that created and adored these bloody games between man and beast comes into clear focus. A work of history that reads like fiction, The Gladiator brings to life Spartacus, Commodus, Caligula, and all of the other memorable players of the nearly thousand-year-long gladiatorial era.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 18, 2024
4.5 - Brutal...
April 29, 2011
Non-fiction describing the gladiatorial games and how they changed and developed through Roman times. Covers fights with wild beasts, combats between gladiators, and executions. There's also some incidental information about slaves, but not as much as I expected. Not all gladiators were slaves, so the subtitle 'The Secret History of Rome's Warrior Slaves' is a little misleading.
The book seemed to become more and more graphic as it went on. The section on executions about two-thirds of the way through the book was gruesome enough, but the section 'A day at the games' near the end was almost unreadable for me, I had to skim over the descriptions of men being torn to pieces by animals. I was wondering if I could write a story about gladiator slaves ... after reading this, I think the answer is no. The reality was just too horrible.
The book seemed to become more and more graphic as it went on. The section on executions about two-thirds of the way through the book was gruesome enough, but the section 'A day at the games' near the end was almost unreadable for me, I had to skim over the descriptions of men being torn to pieces by animals. I was wondering if I could write a story about gladiator slaves ... after reading this, I think the answer is no. The reality was just too horrible.
April 22, 2016
A lively, fast-paced, and sometimes brutally descriptive popular history of the ancient Roman gladiator games. Not for the faint of heart!
September 22, 2021
A general overview of gladiator combat in the Roman era.
Things this book does well...
1) Baker incorporates a decent number of primary sources to illustrate his points.
2) He recognizes that a lot of gladiatorial combat went beyond people fighting other people. He includes sections on fighting animals, executions and naval combat.
3) It is generally easy to read and has pretty detailed descriptions of gladiatorial life.
Things this book does not do well.
1) There are multiple. page-long sections, where the author completely goes off the subject of gladiators. He gives rather extensive biographies of the authors of his primary sources and of emperors. It seems like some of that is just to pad the page count.
2) Even though each chapter has a clear focus (Ex. executions, fighting animals, etc.) he often includes information from other sections within those chapters, rendering those divisions kind of pointless.
3) He doesn't really break any new scholarly ground. Even though he states that this book is intended for the general audience, it is still very basic. If you have read anything about gladiators before, or seen a TV show or movie about them, you basically got all of the information that comes in this book. None of this info is, as the title suggests, "secret."
4) He has some very violent depictions of gladiator combat with lots of blood and guts. Yes, that is what gladiator combat involved, but he seems to take it to extremes.
5) He actually spends very little time discussing the life and training of the gladiators.
Things this book does well...
1) Baker incorporates a decent number of primary sources to illustrate his points.
2) He recognizes that a lot of gladiatorial combat went beyond people fighting other people. He includes sections on fighting animals, executions and naval combat.
3) It is generally easy to read and has pretty detailed descriptions of gladiatorial life.
Things this book does not do well.
1) There are multiple. page-long sections, where the author completely goes off the subject of gladiators. He gives rather extensive biographies of the authors of his primary sources and of emperors. It seems like some of that is just to pad the page count.
2) Even though each chapter has a clear focus (Ex. executions, fighting animals, etc.) he often includes information from other sections within those chapters, rendering those divisions kind of pointless.
3) He doesn't really break any new scholarly ground. Even though he states that this book is intended for the general audience, it is still very basic. If you have read anything about gladiators before, or seen a TV show or movie about them, you basically got all of the information that comes in this book. None of this info is, as the title suggests, "secret."
4) He has some very violent depictions of gladiator combat with lots of blood and guts. Yes, that is what gladiator combat involved, but he seems to take it to extremes.
5) He actually spends very little time discussing the life and training of the gladiators.
November 23, 2021
After re-watching the movie Gladiator, I was looking for a non-fiction book about real gladiators. I was hoping for better than what I found in this book. It is neither scholarly nor a particularly good narrative, often given to excessive descriptions of gore and violence, almost as if the author himself was enjoying the sadism. And while the book sets gladiatorial fights in a social and historical context, it never really describes what individual gladiators' live must have been like. Look harder than I did for a better account.
January 4, 2024
Decently written, but overall a mediocre book. Baker's research felt superficial--he quoted a few of the Roman biggies like Suetonius a bit, but I doubt he went very deep into other sources. The overall effect of this is that the book felt padded. Every time he'd mention a notable person or Emperor, he'd give a background on him even if it was superfluous to the topic of gladiators.
In the end, I learned very little. There must be plenty of scholarship out there on gladiators, like diet, physical appearance, etc. that would have significantly improved this effort.
In the end, I learned very little. There must be plenty of scholarship out there on gladiators, like diet, physical appearance, etc. that would have significantly improved this effort.
June 24, 2024
Although a well-documented book on all things surrounding the gladiatorial contests as they reached the height of their popularity during the Roman Empire, it also sheds light on the depth of depravity the people of the Roman Empire had reached with their penchant thirst for displays of blood, executions, and gruesome deaths.
The descriptions of some of the ways that people died in the arenas almost defy belief. The utter disregard for life by both the Republic and the thronging crowds of spectators is on full display.
The descriptions of some of the ways that people died in the arenas almost defy belief. The utter disregard for life by both the Republic and the thronging crowds of spectators is on full display.
August 18, 2017
Simple but informative book about the rise, fall and all in between on gladiators, venationes, human executions and slaughter of animals during munus. Also enjoyed some bits about Emperors and thier attitude torwards the games. Other historical facts helped me fill some gaps in my education. Would recommend reading. Did it by the pool during my summer vacations in Italy :-)
If English is your second language this book will broaden you vocabulary.
If English is your second language this book will broaden you vocabulary.
March 15, 2018
More of a 3.5.
Author starts it out a little slow. He tells of the political aspects of gladiators and whatnot but when he starts to describe the action. Well he definitely doesn't hold back and he does a pretty good job of taking you back to that era.
Author starts it out a little slow. He tells of the political aspects of gladiators and whatnot but when he starts to describe the action. Well he definitely doesn't hold back and he does a pretty good job of taking you back to that era.
March 7, 2019
Good-sized (small) book with well-written, interesting material. Good Read.
Best chapter: "A Day at the Games," makes the reader as bloodthirsty as the Roman audience in the amphitheater: always expecting more and more.
Best chapter: "A Day at the Games," makes the reader as bloodthirsty as the Roman audience in the amphitheater: always expecting more and more.
September 2, 2021
Reading this as part of my research for a novel I am writing. Fast read, but that's partly because it is a mostly surface level treatment of the subject. I started to wonder if this was a history book for kids as I read it.
March 4, 2019
Very informative and quite shocking. (I may have ranted to my friend about the Romans for awhile afterwards.)
March 31, 2020
Reading some of the descriptions was gruesome, but it provided an interesting and easy to read narrative. I give it a B-.
May 4, 2021
Good. Especially the chapter ' Day in the games'
July 15, 2015
The Romans were a bloodthirsty lot. The Romans rejoiced in the death and dying in the arenas, where gladiators fought to the death, where criminals were executed and Christians were thrown to the lions.
The games began as a vampire like way of honouring the dead. The “sacrifices had served the purpose of nourishing the dead with the blood of the living“.
There were schools for gladiators, to hone their skills before meeting an almost inevitable death in the arena. Before the gladiatorial combat, there would be the venationes (or “hunts”), pitting men against beasts. There would follow some executions and then the gladiatorial duels. Gladiators were paradoxically revered and looked down on with contempt.
The best most gladiators could hope for was a quick death.
The book gives a clear picture of the times but the continual descriptions of cruelty, particularly with cruel and crazy emperors like Caligula and Commodus (“he took the greatest delight in causing pain and suffering to those around him“), gets a little wearing.
Condemned criminals were called bestiarii, it was their fate to do battle with wild beasts without the benefit of weapons or armour. Their fate was a foregone conclusion. The punishment called ad bestias (to the beasts) was considered along with crucifixion the most shameful of all punishments.
Sometimes the entertainment didn’t feature any human fighters, bear was matched against bull or lion against tiger, frequently two animals would be chained together, in a combination of panic at being brought into the arena and frustration at being unable to escape, the poor beasts would attack each other causing horrendous injuries.
Sometimes emperors, keen to take part in the action, would take to the ring, but they were assured a victory against a prepared lion barely able to stand or a gladiator with just a wooden sword…
If you are interested in the details of what happened in the arena this book gives a good account although it seems at times repetitive, I found the cruelty of the supposedly civilised Romans, a little much.
The games began as a vampire like way of honouring the dead. The “sacrifices had served the purpose of nourishing the dead with the blood of the living“.
There were schools for gladiators, to hone their skills before meeting an almost inevitable death in the arena. Before the gladiatorial combat, there would be the venationes (or “hunts”), pitting men against beasts. There would follow some executions and then the gladiatorial duels. Gladiators were paradoxically revered and looked down on with contempt.
The best most gladiators could hope for was a quick death.
The book gives a clear picture of the times but the continual descriptions of cruelty, particularly with cruel and crazy emperors like Caligula and Commodus (“he took the greatest delight in causing pain and suffering to those around him“), gets a little wearing.
Condemned criminals were called bestiarii, it was their fate to do battle with wild beasts without the benefit of weapons or armour. Their fate was a foregone conclusion. The punishment called ad bestias (to the beasts) was considered along with crucifixion the most shameful of all punishments.
Sometimes the entertainment didn’t feature any human fighters, bear was matched against bull or lion against tiger, frequently two animals would be chained together, in a combination of panic at being brought into the arena and frustration at being unable to escape, the poor beasts would attack each other causing horrendous injuries.
Sometimes emperors, keen to take part in the action, would take to the ring, but they were assured a victory against a prepared lion barely able to stand or a gladiator with just a wooden sword…
If you are interested in the details of what happened in the arena this book gives a good account although it seems at times repetitive, I found the cruelty of the supposedly civilised Romans, a little much.
November 5, 2021
I brought this book because I was expecting amazing stories of various gladiators winning in the arena and killing their opponents with swords and knives and nets, but I what I have found in this book shocked me completely. Unlike in stories and books that I would normally see this one showed gladiators as warriors who were treated more like football players are today then the warrior slave race I was expecting to read about.
This book takes you into the lives of gladiators, but does not just focus on their winnings in the arena, but also mentions the wins they have off the arena and what their family lives look like. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially considering how knowledgeable the author is on the topic and how easy they find it to be able to write about it. The author takes you through their lives as though you are the spectator rather then someone who is reading a book whilst their lives and those around them are long gone.
"The games! Go there for the ultimate scandal, Looking at Gracchus who fights, but not with the arms of a swordsman, Not with a dagger or shield, Nor does a helmet hide his face. What he holds is a trident, What he hurls is a net, and he misses, of course, and we see him look up at the seats, then run for his life, all around the arena, easy for all to know and identify. Look at his tunic, golden cord and fringe, and that queer conspicuous arm guard!"
This book takes you into the lives of gladiators, but does not just focus on their winnings in the arena, but also mentions the wins they have off the arena and what their family lives look like. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially considering how knowledgeable the author is on the topic and how easy they find it to be able to write about it. The author takes you through their lives as though you are the spectator rather then someone who is reading a book whilst their lives and those around them are long gone.
"The games! Go there for the ultimate scandal, Looking at Gracchus who fights, but not with the arms of a swordsman, Not with a dagger or shield, Nor does a helmet hide his face. What he holds is a trident, What he hurls is a net, and he misses, of course, and we see him look up at the seats, then run for his life, all around the arena, easy for all to know and identify. Look at his tunic, golden cord and fringe, and that queer conspicuous arm guard!"
October 28, 2020
Having read Roland Auguet's 'Cruelty and Civilization', I picked up this volume at the Park Ridge Public Library sale in order to obtain a second perspective on the matter of the games of ancient Rome. Auguet, while quite accessible, is the more scholarly of the two. Baker's book is rather luridly written with a wide readership in mind, particularly his long chapter representing a fictionalized day at the games.
Baker tries to get at the psychology and sociology behind the popularity of the more violent games and public executions. Rome was, as he notes, a militaristic empire and the games in the late Republic and during the Empire represent the Roman idea of virtue (attributes befitting a man), both as regards the individual contenders and as regards the State as a whole. He also notes that the humane values of today have not always been held and points out that even the early Christians did not object to the games because of their objective content. Rather, they objected to the passions that the games inspired in their viewers. Personally, I wish he had concentrated more on this kind of interpretative speculation so as to help readers like me obtain some insight into the Roman mentality. As it is, such remarks as he does make have the appearance of incidental to the main, descriptive narrative.
Baker tries to get at the psychology and sociology behind the popularity of the more violent games and public executions. Rome was, as he notes, a militaristic empire and the games in the late Republic and during the Empire represent the Roman idea of virtue (attributes befitting a man), both as regards the individual contenders and as regards the State as a whole. He also notes that the humane values of today have not always been held and points out that even the early Christians did not object to the games because of their objective content. Rather, they objected to the passions that the games inspired in their viewers. Personally, I wish he had concentrated more on this kind of interpretative speculation so as to help readers like me obtain some insight into the Roman mentality. As it is, such remarks as he does make have the appearance of incidental to the main, descriptive narrative.
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March 14, 2016Fascinating look into the gladiators
As I am drawn in by the histories surrounding the Roman Empire, this book provides both a stunning and at times, harrowing, depiction of what it meant to be a slave in ancient Rome. The last chapter detailing a day at the games is as compelling as it is cruel. To know that Roman society embraced such atrocities as a matter of course is frightening. I have yet to visit the Colosseum in Italy, but should I get the chance, I will not be reflecting on the stunning architecture. I will think of all those poor souls condemned to death in that circle of screaming specators.
As I am drawn in by the histories surrounding the Roman Empire, this book provides both a stunning and at times, harrowing, depiction of what it meant to be a slave in ancient Rome. The last chapter detailing a day at the games is as compelling as it is cruel. To know that Roman society embraced such atrocities as a matter of course is frightening. I have yet to visit the Colosseum in Italy, but should I get the chance, I will not be reflecting on the stunning architecture. I will think of all those poor souls condemned to death in that circle of screaming specators.
July 4, 2013
Good introduction to the subject matter though anyone familiar with Roman history might find elements frustrating. The constant allusion to the idea that Gladiator fights were primarily to the death is inaccurate. The centre piece is essentially a non fiction short story detailing a typical day during the games. Theres also an interesting perspective as to why Gladiatorial combat fell out of favour.
November 9, 2016
A solid work about a group of people both loathed and revered at the same time. it is scholarly but not too scholarly as it had a bibliography but it doesn't footnote every source.
The last chapter is written in narrative form which can be tough to read because of how brutal it is. Otherwise, this is a good book if you just watched the movie and you want to know if it is true or not.
The last chapter is written in narrative form which can be tough to read because of how brutal it is. Otherwise, this is a good book if you just watched the movie and you want to know if it is true or not.
October 14, 2016
Decent little book especially if you only know the arena from watching Gladiator or Spartacus. Best part is probably the fictional account of a day at the coliseum. More for elementary readers on the subject.
July 31, 2009
Read it about a billion years ago ... as I recall it reads like a 1st century edition of People magazine.
August 6, 2011
Interesting history read. Gets repetitive, though. Good morbid details.
September 30, 2011
By far not one of the best books I've ever read but it served it's purpose.
August 3, 2013
Interesting. At times repetitive. Best chapters was twelve "A Day at the Games." Left some questions.
November 14, 2012
Great historical account of what went on. I have a huge love for Roman history though lots of it was lost to time.
February 19, 2013
This book was quite informative, but not that great. It had a good bit of information, before it got bogged down with long, descriptive fight scenes. Could have trimmed 40 pages from it.
June 7, 2016
Good history and story-telling, but the writing was somewhat uneven.
May 8, 2016
Es war recht unterhaltsam und bat Einblicke in dieses Jahrhundert.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews