The gladiator. The secret history of Rome's warrior slaves, 2002, 216 p., br. -

Condemned and yet feared by emperors, almost certain to the 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 honour, 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 of the training school, then sets up ringside to witness the torturous battles between bulls, lions, jaguars, and battle-hardened human beings. With each breathtaking scene, the complex culture of a 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 1000-year-long gladiatorial era.