Gladiators: Myths, Lives, and Combat

In this episode, I chat with Harry Sidebottom. Harry is a Lecturer in Ancient History at Lincoln College, Oxford. He is the bestselling author of fifteen historical novels, and nineteen books in total. His debut trade non-fiction book, The Mad Emperor: Heliogabalus and the Decadence of Rome, was a Book of the Year in the Spectator, the Financial Times and BBC History. His latest book, Those Who Are About to Die: A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator is published in the UK on the 28th Aug, and in the US later next year.

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Highlights

* Gladiators capture the public imagination but what did you want to explore the Roman mindset by focusing on them?

* What does the institution of gladiatorial games tell us about Roman views on life and death?

* What do you think it may surprise your readers to learn about the world of the gladiators?

* What are the differences between the fighting skills of a gladiator and a legionary?

* What were the strangest animals they fought or hunted in the arenas?

* As a historian who has deeply studied the Roman mind, what have you learned about their core values? And how do you think those compare to our modern sensibilities?

* From your research, what can the Romans teach us about resilience in the face of adversity?

Links

* Those Who Are About to Die (Penguin)

* Goodreads Author Profile

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