Description

Bestselling author Harry Sidebottom takes readers on a thrilling journey through a day in the life of the most iconic figure of the ancient world: the Roman gladiator

‘Wonderfully panoramic … endlessly informative, rich with unexpected detail but never heavy to read’ Literary Review

‘Blends extensive research with a talent for vivid storytelling to distil 700 years of gladiator history into the 24 hours around match day, from eve-of-fight rituals to stripping the corpses’
The Times

‘Grippingly original’ Tom Holland, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dominion
‘Thrilling… every page sizzles’ Alice Loxton, Sunday Times bestselling author of Eighteen
‘Fascinating’ Matthew Kneale, Sunday Times bestselling author of Rome

Dressed in armour and clutching a bloody sword, the Roman gladiator is the most iconic figure of the ancient world. Both fascinating and repulsive to us now, he was in his own time a deeply controversial character, by turns hated and idealized – and always at the heart of Roman culture. But what did he really mean to the Romans? What did they see in the gladiator and the spectacle of the games? And what does he reveal to us today about the Roman way of life?

Brilliantly written and meticulously researched, this book tells the stories of the gladiators and those who observed them – from grand emperors to lowly slaves – illuminating and analysing the all-consuming passion of the Roman Empire for the spectacle of mortal combat. In doing so, it reveals Roman ideas about everything from freedom and servitude to sex and desire, from courage and cowardice to death and the afterlife.

Taking readers on an unforgettable twenty-four-hour adventure – beginning the night before the games and ending the evening after – Those Who Are About To Die gives a blow-by-blow account of what life was really like in the brutally unforgiving arena of the ancient world.

Publisher Review

A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible * Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History and Sunday Times bestselling author of Rubicon * A most enjoyable book. Ingeniously, Sidebottom uses twenty-four hours in the life of a gladiator as a springboard for a fascinating exploration of Roman ways and the Roman mind * Matthew Kneale, Sunday Times bestselling author of Rome: A History in Seven Sackings * Prepare yourselves to enter the arena! Once again, Sidebottom brings the ancient world vividly and dazzlingly to life. A thrilling book… every page sizzles * Alice Loxton, Sunday Times bestselling author of Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives * A masterful journey which takes the reader into the heart of Roman culture by exploring the lives of its gladiators. Sidebottom combines meticulous scholarship with electrifying storytelling, revealing how the arenas shaped Roman ideals of courage and freedom. A vivid window into the ancient mind * Donald J. Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius * Buy the book; it’s very entertaining — David Aaronovitch * The Times on The Mad Emperor * The decadence, debauchery and sexual promiscuity that marked the adolescent’s time on the imperial throne make for a rollicking read. * Daily Mail on The Mad Emperor * Ancient history was never less dry than in Harry Sidebottom’s superbly entertaining and always scholarly account of the reign of Heliogabalus… There is something for every reader: sex, politics, scandals and a compelling portrait of imperial society and culture * Financial Times on The Mad Emperor *