Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome

by Eckart Köhne, Cornelia Ewigleben, Eckart Kohne

Bread and circuses were what the Romans demanded of their emperors, and for more than 500 years spectacular events in amphitheaters, circuses, and theaters were the most important leisure activities of the masses in all parts of the Roman empire. In Rome itself, public holidays featuring magnificent and costly shows occupied more than half the year. Comedies and tragedies, pantomimes and bawdy folk plays were staged in the theaters, while in the arena of the Colosseum, opened in a.d. 80, gladiators fought in pairs or with wild animals to satisfy the blood lust of the crowd, and hundreds of thousands of race-goers packed the stands of the Circus Maximus to enjoy the thrills of chariot racing.

The organization of games came to be part and parcel of electioneering in towns and cities and was increasingly used as a means to consolidate the power of the reigning emperor. Like the sports stars of today, the top gladiators, charioteers, and actors were folk heroes, and the power of their universal appeal was recognized and exploited by politicians and emperors alike.

Two thousand years later, the Roman games may seem remote, but, as this superbly illustrated book shows, they satisfied the same need for excitement and hero-worship that gives rise to the intense media coverage of sports in our own time.

Genres: History, Ancient History

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book alongside Wiedemann's Emperors and Gladiators mostly out of my curiosity to understand how gladiatorial games were financed and how much public games and entertainments cost in ancient Rome. Köhne's book serves as a nice guidebook to gladiator as a cultural and societal phenomenon, but not much as an economic issue. So choose to read this if you are primarily interested in familiarizing yourself with the basic process of a gladiatorial game, the contemporary cultural reception of public spectacle, and the technicalities of gladiatorial combat as an art form. If you are seeking to dive deeper into the financial and administrative aspects of gladiators, there might be better places to look for.

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book as great writing and is filled with fascinating information. The images are well chosen and the book brings up lots of interesting points. A very good book for both a student and just an lay person interested in the Roman World.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

research book

[Ann Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although much of our knowledge of classic Roman culture comes from artifacts, statues, friezes, mosaics and sculpture, even these provide us with a tantalizing view of this great age of civilization. In Gladiators and Caesars, the authors first lay the groundwork for the adventure, surrounding the reader in the Caesarian succession, the rise of Roman aristocracy and public games, leading to the first gladiatorial games.

The authors also go into exquisite detail of each type of gladiator, his or her weapons and manner of fighting, as well as the use of beasts in the arena, naval contests and other variations designed to pique the crowd’s interest. Although becoming a gladiator was frequently a death sentence, some succeeded in winning their freedom, continuing on in a life filled with honor.

These well trained men and women were some of the first extreme athletes. The gladiatorial games were the foundations for our modern marathons, Olympic Games and wrestling matches. This book, with its incredible photographs, provides brief glimpses into this beautiful and brutal time in human history.

[Sean Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice array of pictures and commentary, but written without verve. Also, the conclusion is an esoteric rant on what is wrong with sports today, which the author sees as partially coming from our return to Roman values of entertainment. It is a very strange and cynical collection of paragraphs.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book with exquisite images that detail the full spectrum of gladiators -- their armor, weapons, and fighting style. It also explores the role of spectacle in Roman culture, relating it to modern times.