This sourcebook presents a wealth of material relating to everyaspect of Roman spectacles, especially gladiatorial combat andchariot racing. Draws on the words of eye-witnesses and participants, as wellas depictions of the games in mosaics and other works of art. Offers snapshots of “a day at the games” and“the life of a gladiator”. Includes numerous illustrations. Covers chariot-races, water pageants, naval battles and wildanimal fights, as well as gladiatorial combat. Combines political, social, religious and archaeologicalperspectives. Facilitates an in-depth understanding of this important featureof ancient life.

Roland Auguet examines the Roman taste for blood and considers what the games, that strange combination of Cruelty and Civilization, reveal about the Roman mentality. He shows how the great spectacles became a part of city life - they were awaited with impatience, everyone discussed them, some applauded the action in the arena, while others booed frantically. This book provides an exciting history of gladiators, chariot racing and other games as well as an investigation of their function and significance within society. It is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the Romans' violent form of entertainment.

If you want to discover the history of the Roman Games, then keep reading... What were the Roman games? What was it like for gladiators in the arenas of ancient Rome? How thrilling was it to see chariot races on the Roman race track? Were the condemned really thrown to lions at the Circus Maximus? These are a few of the questions that will be explored in this book. The Romans were known for their extensive civilization, but at the heart of Roman power was a penchant for the Roman games. Immense money and resources were spent constructing circuses, stadiums, and amphitheaters, all in an effort to create incredible spectacles for the Roman masses. It was said that as long as Roman citizens had "bread and circuses," they would remain content. The Roman people became so absorbed in the Roman games, in fact, that many other vital aspects of Roman society began to deteriorate. This book explores the nature of the Roman games and their relationship with Roman religion, as well as political and military power. Interestingly enough, it has been said that the games stemmed from religious and funeral rites that used spectacles to appease both the Roman gods and the spirits of the dead. The Roman games were held many centuries ago, yet they still captivate us today. Here in this book, we will explore them in full. You will learn: The origin of the Roman games How the Roman games were connected to Roman religion and politics The nature of gladiatorial combat Chariot races and those who dared to enter these dangerous contests Beast hunts in the ring Roman theater in the arena And more! Scroll up and click the "add to cart" button to learn more about the Roman Games.

A crime novel set in Ancient Rome. A city under the thrall of a tyrant, where deceit and death walk hand-in-hand. DECEIT, TYRANNY, DEATH. Games the Romans play best. Sextus Ingentius Verpa, imperial senator, notorious informer and scheming minion of the despotic Emperor Domitian, has been butchered in the night. The Emperor has decreed that punishment will be swift and has commissioned Gaius Plinius Secundus – better known as Pliny the Younger – to investigate. Pliny is no detective, but unless he can find the murderer by the close of the 'Ludi Romani', or Roman Games, all Verpa's slaves – forty men and women – will be burned alive in the arena. That gives Pliny just fifteen days. Fifteen days that will threaten Pliny's conscience, his life and the stability of Rome itself.

Were the Romans who watched brutal gladiatorial games all that different from us? This book argues they were not.

Although Nemesis was already revered in Archaic Greece, the main evidence for worship comes from the Roman Principate. During this period two important facets of the cult were the association of the goddess with the state, and her presence in agonistic contexts. Nemesis, the Roman State and the Games explores these aspects, discerning a possible connection between them. The author begins by discussing the origin and background of the goddess. He then clarifies the ways in which the goddess was enlisted into the service of the Roman emperor and state. Finally, he explains the presence of the goddess almost exclusively at the Roman Munus and Venatio as derived from the function of such games to express the proper order of society. Nemesis represents a significant re-evaluation of the place of Nemesis in the Roman World. The book also provides an invaluable corpus of epigraphic, literary, and iconographic evidence for the goddess.

The Roman Emperor Commodus wanted to kill a rhinoceros with a bow and arrow, and he wanted to do it in the Colosseum. For fourteen days near the end of AD 192, the emperor mounted one of the most lavish gladiatorial games Rome had ever seen. People rushed from all over Italy to witness the spectacle. Why did Roman rulers spend vast resources on such over-the-top displays? Why did the Roman rabble enjoy watching the slaughter of animals and the sight of men fighting to the death? In this book, Jerry Toner set out to answer these questions by describing what it would have been like to attend Commodus' fantastic shows.