- Taschenbuch: 224 Seiten
- Verlag: Ebury Press; Auflage: New edition (1. August 2002)
- Sprache: Englisch
- ISBN-10: 0091886546
- ISBN-13: 978-0091886547
- Größe und/oder Gewicht: 19,4 x 12,6 x 2,2 cm
- Amazon Bestseller-Rang: Nr. 583.694 in Englische Bücher (Siehe Top 100 in Englische Bücher)
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The Gladiator: The Secret History of Rome's Warrior Slaves
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From Booklist
Baker doesn't relate much that has been secret about gladiators, but the recent hit movie will surely bring him readers who don't know it, whether secret or not. He pulls together in one compact volume the basic history of Roman gladiatorial combats, from their origins in human sacrifice to their gradual suppression by successive Christian regimes--a period of not much less than 1,000 years--and a good summary of the training and techniques of gladiators. He emphasizes that although gladiators were legally slaves, they had some of the charisma of rock stars, and he discusses the sacrifice of condemned criminals to wild beasts as well as the occasional dabblings of emperors in the arena (Commodus really was a slimy character). Fictionalized portions constitute a minor drawback, while a strong point of the book is the background it furnishes, which makes it useful to readers only minimally acquainted with Roman history. Good choice for popular history collections. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
From Library Journal
Baker (Invisible Eagle: The History of Nazi Occultism) apparently hopes to benefit from the success of Hollywood's blockbuster movie Gladiator with this popular account of Rome's gladiator tradition. His claim that this book is "an attempt to chart the history of the Roman games without succumbing to the anachronism of imposing our own early 21st Century moral attitudes upon them" is, of course, hyperbole, for classical historians are rarely guilty of this historiographical failing. Baker often tells unsubstantiated and irrelevant stories about various emperors in an effort to stimulate the reader. In the chapter titled, "Curio's Swiveling Amphitheater," his muddled theory about the model for the games' venue rests upon a tale of Pliny the Elder that distinguished historian Michael Grant has called spurious. This is a terribly unfocused work, especially the chapter titled "A Day at the Games," which is supposed to give readers an idea of the bloody spectacles by presenting the events in a novelistic manner. Readers who are actually curious about the roots of the games will be far better served by Alison Futrell's Blood in the Arena: The Spectacle of Roman Power (Univ. of Texas, 2001). Not recommended. Clay Williams, Hunter Coll., New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
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Hundreds of thousands of people were sent to their deaths in the amphitheatres of ancient Rome. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
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Hundreds of thousands of people were sent to their deaths in the amphitheatres of ancient Rome. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
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12 von 13 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Sand and blood in ancient Rome
11. Februar 2004
Format:Taschenbuch|Von Amazon bestätigter Kauf
Since I was in my teens, movie pictures like "Spartacus", "Demetrius the gladiator" and "Quo Vadis?" inspired me with an inextinguishable thirst to know facts about Gladiators & Roman Circus. I was able to find more than one book about Spartacus and his revolt, but on gladiator's everyday life, origins, evolution among other issues, I was unsuccessful. Worst of all, the recent movie "Gladiator", renew my interest.
Finally I found this book at Amazon's Store (where else?).
It is at the same time an oasis for my thirst and a let down in some aspects.
First the bright side: Mr. Baker has done a very interesting research and show his findings in a very amenable way.
All the main issues are addressed: origin of gladiatorial institution, organization, evolution and extinction. Weaponry, different kinds of fights, ceremonies, circus emplacement, glossary of terms. A vivid reconstruction of "A day at the Circus" and some other interesting items about these ancient warriors.
The shadowy side: the edition and typography of the book is poor, it looks as it was given to press in a hurry (trying to catch with film success?). Some side stories are well known, other are not directly related with the main object of the book. Bibliography is scarce and no reproductions are shown.
Balancing pros & cons the book is fairly good read for anyone interested in this particular subject.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Finally I found this book at Amazon's Store (where else?).
It is at the same time an oasis for my thirst and a let down in some aspects.
First the bright side: Mr. Baker has done a very interesting research and show his findings in a very amenable way.
All the main issues are addressed: origin of gladiatorial institution, organization, evolution and extinction. Weaponry, different kinds of fights, ceremonies, circus emplacement, glossary of terms. A vivid reconstruction of "A day at the Circus" and some other interesting items about these ancient warriors.
The shadowy side: the edition and typography of the book is poor, it looks as it was given to press in a hurry (trying to catch with film success?). Some side stories are well known, other are not directly related with the main object of the book. Bibliography is scarce and no reproductions are shown.
Balancing pros & cons the book is fairly good read for anyone interested in this particular subject.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
10 von 11 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Not a Good History, but Might be a Good Read
5. Januar 2005
Format:Taschenbuch
I was really disappointed by this book. I confess to being something of a classics nerd, so I was hoping for a proper historical look at the gladiatorial games. And while it's true that Baker does look at most aspects of the phenomenon, he doesn't do so with a good historian's perspective.
Early in the book, he warns against applying modern sensibilities to ancient intitutions. This is a wise and reasonable approach. It is therefore a pity that he utterly abondons it, making countless judgements throughout the book. Some of these are explicit, but most are implicit in his choice of phrasing and other subtler aspects of his writing. While I agree that, to my modern morals, these games were barbaric, I find his judgements annoying and out of place in a historical work.
Another great flaw of this book is that the author takes every historical account as true. Seutonius, for example, is full of racey tales of the dark sides of the early emperors. (Plus Caesar who, despite Baker's assertions, is not considered an emporor. This isn't the only minor inaccuracy I noticed, incidentally.) However, it's doubtful that all of it, or even necessarily most of it is true. But Baker relies on Seutonius and others as literal fact upon which to base his "history". It's difficult to know how much of Baker to trust given his apparent inability to be skeptical.
Finally, the chapter on the Emperor-Gladiators is a wretched peice of work. The account of Caligula is just a transcribed Seutonius. (Why not just read the original in the first place, then?). And the overwelming majority of the chapter has nothing to do with these emperors' behavior in the arena, it's just a long liteny of how these men were depraved. This isn't the only case where Baker shows a poor ability to stay focused on his topic, but it's the most vexing.
Overall, I get the sense that Baker lacks a solid background in history. (Which may not be correct, but that's the impression this book conveys.) Instead, I get the impression of an author who is out to titillate the audience more than to provided a careful historical look at the gladiatorial games. On the one hand, this makes the book more interesting and approachable for a broad audience. On the other hand, it makes it a poor read for anyone seeking real understanding,
Early in the book, he warns against applying modern sensibilities to ancient intitutions. This is a wise and reasonable approach. It is therefore a pity that he utterly abondons it, making countless judgements throughout the book. Some of these are explicit, but most are implicit in his choice of phrasing and other subtler aspects of his writing. While I agree that, to my modern morals, these games were barbaric, I find his judgements annoying and out of place in a historical work.
Another great flaw of this book is that the author takes every historical account as true. Seutonius, for example, is full of racey tales of the dark sides of the early emperors. (Plus Caesar who, despite Baker's assertions, is not considered an emporor. This isn't the only minor inaccuracy I noticed, incidentally.) However, it's doubtful that all of it, or even necessarily most of it is true. But Baker relies on Seutonius and others as literal fact upon which to base his "history". It's difficult to know how much of Baker to trust given his apparent inability to be skeptical.
Finally, the chapter on the Emperor-Gladiators is a wretched peice of work. The account of Caligula is just a transcribed Seutonius. (Why not just read the original in the first place, then?). And the overwelming majority of the chapter has nothing to do with these emperors' behavior in the arena, it's just a long liteny of how these men were depraved. This isn't the only case where Baker shows a poor ability to stay focused on his topic, but it's the most vexing.
Overall, I get the sense that Baker lacks a solid background in history. (Which may not be correct, but that's the impression this book conveys.) Instead, I get the impression of an author who is out to titillate the audience more than to provided a careful historical look at the gladiatorial games. On the one hand, this makes the book more interesting and approachable for a broad audience. On the other hand, it makes it a poor read for anyone seeking real understanding,
9 von 10 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
A Lurid Introduction to the Roman Games
16. Mai 2004
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe|Von Amazon bestätigter Kauf
"The Gladiator" is a readable and sometimes melodramatic account of the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome. The book is not a systematic, chronological history of the arena--rather, it offers an impression of what the contests would have been like at various points in the development of the Republic and the Empire.
The games started as sword fights between slaves at funeral ceremonies--sometimes to the death, sometimes not. Over time, successful Romans undertook to display their wealth by producing increasingly elaborate spectacles. The cost and complexity of the enterprise eventually became so great that the state became involved in staging the proceedings.
Baker describes (sometimes in upsetting detail) the different contests that a Roman could expect to see at the arena: battles between warriors armed with various types of weapons and armor, fights to the death between "hunters" and terrified animals, naval battles between fleets manned by doomed slaves, and brutal executions. Occasionally, an Emperor would step into the arena to display his fighting prowess (or to indulge his taste for sadism)--of course, his guard always made sure that his opponents were armed with wooden swords and doomed to die at the Emperor's hand.
Baker's book culminates in a chapter called "A Day at the Games." The account is lurid and unsettling, and Baker brings home the terror and pain of the men, women and animals who died in the arena to the cheers of the crowd.
The cruelty of the games simply staggers the imagination, to say nothing of the fact that this went on for hundreds of years. It makes you think that the term "Roman civilization" is a bit of an oxymoron.
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