Games of Ancient Rome

Nardo, Don. Games of Ancient Rome. Part of The Way People Live series. 2000. 96p. ISBN 1-56006-655-5. Available at 790 HAR on the library shelves.

Known for their bloodthirsty gladiator combats, the games that entertained the ancient Romans actually evolved over centuries, and the practices that we recognize now as brutal and inhuman spanned only four hundred years of Roman history.

From chariot races to the aforementioned gladiator combats, from animal shows to naval battles, wealthy Roman citizens, and later on Emperors, realized that an entertained population is a calm population. Magnificent buildings were erected to celebrate Rome and its Emperors. The Circus Maximus, the largest chariot track in the ancient world, could sit up to a quarter of a million people. Large crowds sat in relative comfort in the Colosseum watching people die for their entertainment.

This book deftly explains how Romans, who were austere and traditionalists in most ways, could be so enamored with violent and dangerous spectacles. Fans of Rome will enjoy this brief story of a time most of us would rather not live in. More information about Rome can also be found in Classical Civilization: Rome.