The Roman Games: A Captivating Guide to the Gladiators, Chariot Races, and Games in Ancient Rome
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Narrated by:
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Jason Zenobia
About this listen
If you want to discover the history of the Roman Games, then pay attention...
What were the Roman games? What was it like for gladiators in the arenas of ancient Rome? How thrilling was it to see chariot races on the Roman race track? Were the condemned really thrown to lions at the Circus Maximus? These are a few of the questions that will be explored in this audiobook. The Romans were known for their extensive civilization, but at the heart of Roman power was a penchant for the Roman games. Immense money and resources were spent constructing circuses, stadiums, and amphitheaters, all in an effort to create incredible spectacles for the Roman masses.
It was said that as long as Roman citizens had “bread and circuses”, they would remain content. The Roman people became so absorbed in the Roman games, in fact, that many other vital aspects of Roman society began to deteriorate. This audiobook explores the nature of the Roman games and their relationship with Roman religion, as well as political and military power. Interestingly enough, it has been said that the games stemmed from religious and funeral rites that used spectacles to appease both the Roman gods and the spirits of the dead. The Roman games were held many centuries ago, yet they still captivate us today. Here in this audiobook, we will explore them in full.
You will learn:
- The origin of the Roman games
- How the Roman games were connected to Roman religion and politics
- The nature of gladiatorial combat
- Chariot races and those who dared to enter these dangerous contests
- Beast hunts in the ring
- Roman theater in the arena
- And more!
Buy this audiobook to learn more about the Roman Games.
©2021 Captivating History (P)2021 Captivating HistoryListeners also enjoyed...
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Roman history, from the very foundation of the city, is replete with people and stories that shock our modern sensibilities. Evil Roman Emperors puts the worst of Rome's rulers in one place and offers a review of their lives and a historical context for what made them into what they became.
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Brisket and nu potato
- By Michael Ayers on 06-27-21
By: Phillip Barlag
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Classical Antiquity
- A Captivating Guide to Ancient Greece and Rome and How These Civilizations Influenced Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard L. Walton
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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From about the ninth to fifth centuries BCE, the population of Greece grew unprecedentedly large, expanding from about 800,000 people to as many as 13 million. About a quarter million of these lived in Athens. The average size of urban households during this period grew considerably, a fact that suggests that food was suddenly available in excesses sufficient to keep larger families healthy and alive much more effectively than just a millennium earlier. Bigger families meant bigger armies and larger communities that would eventually grow into the metropolises of Classical Greece.
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This book was very helpful
- By Micaela James on 11-21-19
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Alexander the Great
- Journey to the End of the Earth
- By: Norman F. Cantor
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In this succinct portrait of Alexander the Great, distinguished scholar and historian Norman Cantor draws on the major writings of Alexander's contemporaries, as well as the most recent psychological and cultural studies to illuminate this most legendary of men - a great figure in the ancient world whose puzzling personality greatly fueled his military accomplishments.
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FIVE STAR BOOK!!!!
- By Fun Lovin Lady on 09-25-12
By: Norman F. Cantor
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Gladiators
- Deadly Arena Sports of Ancient Rome
- By: Christopher Epplett
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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It's hard for modern listeners to truly grasp the spectacle that was arena sports in ancient Rome, which pitted man against man and man against beast in mortal combat. Our modern games of football and hockey, or even boxing and MMA, truly pale in comparison. The Gladiators is a comprehensive survey of these ancient sports, focusing on gladiatorial combat and the beast hunts (venationes).
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A lot drier than the description lets on
- By Jim on 06-13-17
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Nero
- Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome
- By: Anthony Everitt, Roddy Ashworth
- Narrated by: Greg Patmore
- Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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The Roman emperor Nero’s name has long been a byword for cruelty, decadence, and despotism. As the stories go, he set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. He then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. But these stories, left behind by contemporary historians who hated him, are hardly the full picture, and in this nuanced biography, celebrated historian Anthony Everitt and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero
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An amazing 360 degree portrait
- By Cooper A Day on 01-01-23
By: Anthony Everitt, and others
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Dynasty
- The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar
- By: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Author and historian Tom Holland returns to his roots in Roman history and the audience he cultivated with Rubicon—his masterful, witty, brilliantly researched popular history of the fall of the Roman republic—with Dynasty, a luridly fascinating history of the reign of the first five Roman emperors. Dynasty continues Rubicon's story, opening where that book ended: with the murder of Julius Caesar. This is the period of the first and perhaps greatest Roman emperors. It's a colorful story of rule and ruination, from the rise of Augustus to the death of Nero.
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Accessible, enjoyable history
- By Mary on 01-28-16
By: Tom Holland
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The Spartans
- By: Paul Cartledge
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The Spartans of ancient Greece were a powerful and unique people, radically different from any civilization before or since. A society of warrior-heroes, they were living exemplars of self-sacrifice, community endeavor, and achievement against all odds, qualities that today signify the ultimate in heroism. Scholars even believe that Thomas More had Sparta specifically in mind when he coined the term "Utopia".
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Not a place to go to learn about the Spartans
- By James on 10-22-07
By: Paul Cartledge
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Norse Mythology
- Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: JD Kelly
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Though the world came to know of the Norse and their legends through Roman interaction at about the time of Christ, most of what we came to know were handed-down from folk tales gathered by native writers like Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179 - 1241). This was from a time when the Norse had already been converted to Christianity.
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Very interesting
- By E. Allison on 04-30-18
By: Matt Clayton
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Norse Paganism
- A Comprehensive Guide to Viking History and Culture - Gods, Rituals, Runes & Magic, Afterlife, and the Nine Realms of Norse Mythology
- By: Erik Hansen
- Narrated by: Aries Studio
- Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Committed to a life of learning and teaching, author Erik Hansen shares his knowledge and passion in this book. As a recognized expert in Norse history and mythology, his interest in this fascinating culture was sparked by his Norwegian ancestry. If you share that passion for ancient history and religion, this book is for you.
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A great introduction to Norse Paganism
- By L.B. on 12-04-22
By: Erik Hansen
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Celtic Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Gods, Sagas and Beliefs
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: Dryw McArthur
- Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The Celts were a people who lived throughout central Europe from about the 500s BC to the AD 700s. In this audiobook, you will discover the various aspects of Celtic beliefs, gods, and sagas, gaining a general overall picture of their culture. Their stories will be brought to life so all the details are more than merely a bunch of dry facts. We will enter their world and recreate it in as much detail as possible, from the little bit we know for certain, combined with ancillary facts from the various sciences.
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Absolutely terrible pronunciation throughout
- By Lanea on 04-17-18
By: Matt Clayton
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Jerusalem’s Traitor
- Josephus, Masada, and the Fall of Judea
- By: Desmond Seward
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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When the Jews revolted against Rome in 66 CE, Josephus, a Jerusalem aristocrat, was made a general in his nation’s army. Captured by the Romans, he saved his skin by finding favor with the emperor Vespasian. He then served as an adviser to the Roman legions, running a network of spies inside Jerusalem, in the belief that the Jews’ only hope of survival lay in surrender to Rome.
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A retelling of Josephus's "The Jewish War"
- By DAG on 10-09-16
By: Desmond Seward
What listeners say about The Roman Games: A Captivating Guide to the Gladiators, Chariot Races, and Games in Ancient Rome
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-05-22
Appreciate the quality but want more details
I was surprised by the fact the book is a little over 3 hours long. That says lack of detail to me. I appreciate the quality of the narration, the details regarding the Roman games, which gladiators were apart, but I found myself desiring more gore. More gory detail. It’s a book about Gladiators yet there were no details regarding the training, weapons, armor, tactics, and battles that must have been apart of so many of the gladiators stories given the far reach of the Roman Empire, were they all came from, kidnapped or arrested from many different cultures all over the known world. I was especially disappointed with the lack of info when it came to the female gladiators. There must have been some names, possible backgrounds? Man I was excited when I saw the fact that there were female gladiators but then there was no real detail as to who they were. How did they get to be gladiators in a time of everything being male dominated, especially an institution like that. I want to know stories about different gladiators, what they used, what they ate, what was their day like, how old were most of them when they first took part in the games, and what average age did they live to? I felt disappointed in the book within the first few chapters but Amazon apparently is punishing me and won’t let me return this book. Amazon is starting to suck to,
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- Kindle Customer
- 11-22-21
loved it
loved it. very informative and kept me captivated th whole time. such a great narration
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- P. A. Martin
- 01-08-22
Fascinating!
Another fascinating retelling of Roman History. I love these books. Keep them coming. They are great!
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1 person found this helpful
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- evelyn sill
- 11-23-21
the roman games
excellent book. I have never listened to a book by captivating history that I didn't enjoy and learn something. these are my favorite books
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- TnT
- 11-28-21
Fab book on some very twisted games!
This audiobook is well done and thorough. I knew these games were gross and devalued life for sport, but the extent was greater than I ever imagined. To learn more of the religious persecution, pitting animals against humans as well as animals on animals (how in the world did they obtain all these), their theater twist, roles of women, and even the games being a venue for romance was just too much for words. Listen and be engrossed. How the Romans embraced law and order, and are infamously known for well built roads, yet succumbed to this grotesque entertainment leaves one speechless. The games as a "public religion" really presses on the impact of them to everyone. It seems no one was unaffected. I enjoyed learning more of these games through this book.
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- Jason Koontz
- 08-20-24
not history
Its billed as a history of the games of ancient Rome, but this book is more of a 20th century Christians moralization of Rome. I was looking for historical information, possibly insights into things I hadn't read, or sources I didn't know of. I was sorely disappionted. The writer uses the Christian Bible as reference material more than any other source. This book seems more from a sunday school classroom than anything. If you're looking for history, I'd skip this one
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