Gilbert, Francois/Riva, Guiseppe Gladiators 1st-5th centuries AD

At the beginning of the principality in 27 BC, gladiatorial games were an integral part of the social and political life of Rome and its extensive empire. In the course of the reforms implemented by Augustus, the games continued to be at the centre of Roman culture and politics in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. While prominent citizens used the opportunities offered by gladiatorial games to enhance their own reputations and reward their clients, the emperors soon assumed a near monopoly on organising games; some even entered the arena themselves, most notoriously Commodus. In search of something new, prisoners, criminals and women also took part in this cruel "sport". It was only after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion in 380 AD that armed combat between gladiators declined, and even then there were still animal hunts until the 6th century AD. Although there is much literary and archaeological evidence, gladiators and their world are still misunderstood. This book contains full-colour reconstructions of these legendary arena fighters and draws on the latest research and the author's own findings to shed new light on these formidable arena fighters and their legacy.