Using the latest research, photos and reconstructions, the author of Ancient And Medieval Siege Weapons describes Ancient Rome’s love affair with gladiators.
These warriors came from almost every walk of Roman life, from slaves and prisoners forced to fight to volunteers, and even nobles, who relished the opportunity to test their martial skills. This fully-illustrated volume covers all of the different types of gladiator and paints an intimate portrait of the evolution of gladiatorial combat.
As well as detailing the intricacies of Roman spectacles, it also reveals gladiators’:
• methods of combat
• equipment
• social status
• way of life
• opponents, including wild beasts
• and more.

Excerpt:
"Fighting with gladiators in the arena, [Roman emperor] Commodus gained about 1,100 victories ... He enjoyed killing retiarii (a shieldless gladiator armed with a net, trident and dagger): playing the part of a secutor (the retiarus' opponent) ...
Despite his love of gladiatorial combat, Commodus was killed at home, not on the arena as shown in the well-known Hollywood movie Gladiator. – Extract from Gladiator