THE LURE OF THE ARENA by Garrett G. Fagan ( 9780521185967 ) - Books & Audio Books at Pickabook.co.uk

Item Details

Title:

THE LURE OF THE ARENA
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND THE CROWD AT THE ROMAN GAMES

By:

Garrett G. Fagan

Format:

Paperback

List price:

£41.00

Our price:

£35.88

Discount:

12.5% off

You save:

£5.12

ISBN 10:

0521185963

ISBN 13:

9780521185967

Availability:

Usually dispatched within 1-3 weeks.

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Stock:

Currently 0 available

Publisher:

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Pub. date:

17 February, 2011

Pages:

376

Description:

Were the Romans who watched brutal gladiatorial games all that different from us? This book argues they were not.

Synopsis:

Why did the Romans turn out in their tens of thousands to watch brutal gladiatorial games? Previous studies have tried to explain the attraction of the arena by theorizing about its cultural function in Roman society. The games have been seen as celebrations of the violence of empire or of Rome's martial heritage, or as manifestations of the emperor's power. The desire to watch has therefore been limited to the Roman context and rendered alien to modern sensibilities. Yet the historical record reveals that people living in quite different times and circumstances (including our own) have regularly come out in large numbers to watch public rituals of violence such as executions, floggings, animal-baiting, cudgeling, pugilism and so on. Appreciating the social-psychological dynamics at work in attracting people to watch such events not only deepens our understanding of the spectator at the Roman games but also suggests something important about ourselves.

Illustrations:

10 b/w illus.

Publication:

Imprint:

Cambridge University Press

Returns:

Returnable

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BATHING IN PUBLIC IN THE ROMAN WORLD (PB)

FROM AUGUSTUS TO NERO (HB)