The Story of the Roman Amphitheatre

Book excerpt: The Roman amphitheatre was a site both of bloody combat and marvellous spectacle, symbolic of the might of Empire; to understand the importance of the amphitheatre is to understand a key element in the social and political life of the Roman ruling classes. Generously illustrated with 141 plans and photographs, The Story of the Roman Amphitheatre offers a comprehensive picture of the origins, development, and eventual decline of the most typical and evocative of Roman monuments. With a detailed examination of the Colosseum, as well as case studies of significant sites from Italy, Gaul, Spain and Roman North Africa, the book is a fascinating gazetteer for the general reader as well as a valuable tool for students and academics.