num_pages: 222
description: From gladiatorial combats to beast fights to stylized executions, the ancient Romans killed humans &amp; animals in the arena with efficiency, ingenuity &amp; delectation--&amp; in astonishing numbers. Who were these victims, why were they killed in such brutal &amp; spectacular ways &amp; how did the Romans dispose of the corpses &amp; carcasses? Combining ancient evidence, current scholarship &amp; crosscultural comparisons, this insightful study examines Rome's blood-stained legacy, discussing such issues as attitudes toward life, death &amp; afterlife, &amp; raising fundamental questions about the role of ritualized violence in society.
language: English
title: Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Games
titlecomplete: Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Games
genres: Ancient History, Nonfiction, History
ratings_count: 65
publisher: Barnes & Noble Books (NY)