Of all aspects of Roman culture, the gladiatorial contests for which the Romans built their amphitheatres are at once the most fascinating and the most difficult for us to come to terms with. They have been seen variously as sacrifices to the gods or, at funerals, to the souls of the deceased; as a mechanism for introducing young Romans to the horrors of fighting; and as a direct substitute for warfare after the imposition of peace.
In this original and authoritative study, Thomas Wiedemann argues that gladiators were part of the mythical struggle of order and civilisation against the forces of nature, barbarism and law breaking, representing the possibility of a return to new life from the point of death; that Christian Romans rejected gladiatorial games not on humanitarian grounds, but because they were a rival representation of a possible resurrection.
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Thomas Wiedemann is an author with an outstanding track record in and out of Routledge
Latest epigraphical evidence to trace the development of imperial control over the games
Of all aspects of Roman culture, the gladiatorial contests for which the Romans built their amphitheatres are at once the most fascinating and the most difficult for us to come to terms with. They have been seen variously as sacrifices to the gods or, at funerals, to the souls of the deceased; as a mechanism for introducing young Romans to the horrors of fighting; and as a direct substitute for warfare after the imposition of peace.In this original and authoritative study, Thomas Wiedemann argues that gladiators were part of the mythical struggle of order and civilisation against the forces of nature, barbarism and law breaking, representing the possibility of a return to new life from the point of death; that Christian Romans rejected gladiatorial games not on humanitarian grounds, but because they were a rival representation of a possible resurrection.
Introduction List of Illustrations Dates Abbreviations 1. Gladiators and Roman Identity 2. The Context 3. The Gladiators: Background and Status 4. Opposition and Abolition? 5. Conclusion: Imperial Sovereignty and Popular Sovereignty Bibliography Glossary
Wiedemann presents an original and comprehensive study of the changing significance of gladiatoral contests to Roman culture.
`... the best book in English on the subject. It is interesting, thoughtful and well-informed' - Journal of Roman Studies
Über den Autor
Thomas Wiedemann
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction List of Illustrations Dates Abbreviations 1. Gladiators and Roman Identity 2. The Context 3. The Gladiators: Background and Status 4. Opposition and Abolition? 5. Conclusion: Imperial Sovereignty and Popular Sovereignty Bibliography Glossary
Klappentext
Looks at the changing significance of gladiatoral contests to Roman culture. The book examines the role of public ceremonies in the context of competition with the Roman elite, as public demonstrations of the power of the Roman community and of the "virtue" of a particular public figure.
