Gladiator: The Roman Fighter's (Unofficial) Manual

You want to be a gladiator? This book has everything you need to know before you step out to fight for your life in front of a roaring crowd!

Find out how to get thousands to idolize you as the strongest, meanest fighter in the Roman empire. Win fame and fortune in one of Rome’s most glamorous locations, in the presence of the emperor himself. Wouldn’t you kill for a job like that?

This handy guide tells you everything you need to know before you make that fateful step. Experience at first hand the spectacular, brutal life and savage death of the most iconic figure of ancient Rome. Learn how to take the first faltering steps over the threshold of gladiator school, and through training to become a ‘man of the sword’. Learn why you should become a gladiator, how to join the profession, who will try to kill you (and what with), which arena of the empire is right for you, when and how often you will fight and what happens before, during and after the bout.

Combining the latest research with modern reconstructions, the author of the bestselling Legionary and Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day helps you experience at first hand the spectacular, brutal life and savage death of The Gladiator.

'Offers tongue-in-cheek advice on how to cut it in the amphitheatre … brings home the horror of the spectacles'
Current Archaeology

Contents List

Becoming a Gladiator • How Did We Get Here? • Arenas of the Empire • Ludus Life • The Making of a Gladiator • Gladiators Outside the Arena • Preliminaries to a Bout • Death at the Colosseum • Death and Other Alternatives to Retirement • Map of the Roman Empire • Glossary • Further Reading • Sources of Quotations • Sources of Illustrations • Index

About the Author

Philip Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St John's College, Oxford. He is the author of many books on classical civilization, including Chronicle of the Roman Republic, The Enemies of Rome, The Sons of Caesar, Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day, Ancient Athens on Five Drachmas a Day, Lives of the Romans (with Joanne Berry) and Legionary.