I decided to reread Gladiators, a book by Michael Grant, last night. I wanted to see how the recent film “Gladiator” stood up to a little historical accuracy.
It seems the Roman Emperor Commodus actually was well versed in gladiatorial combat. He studied and trained, and had many victories in the arena. My friend Lea Dize (who is studying for a PH.D. in medieval history) assures me that no emperor would enter the coliseum without proper “assurances” of victory. Nevertheless, Comodus is purported to be quite formidable in combat. He was indeed killed by a gladiator, but not in a fight. He was strangled to death in his sleep.
The movie’s main character Maximus was modeled after the historical figure Spartacus, and also had a fair amount of accuracy. Spartacus was a solder who deserted, was captured and punished by being made a gladiator. There the similarities end. The real Spartacus escaped Rome, gathered an army and caused all sorts of trouble for the Roman troops.
As far as sexuality went, I’ll quote directly from the book:
“There is, sometimes, a hint or analogy of homosexual exhibitions; and in this connection it can be remarked that some gladiators assumed the names of famous pretty boys of the mythology, Hylas, Narcissus and Hyacinthys, and that some of the admiring inscriptions set up in honour of gladiators seem to refer to male passions.”
Some have remarked they found similar homoerotic elements in the film. I never noticed them.
Overall book is engaging, but a little preachy. Yes, I KNOW its evil to make humans fight each other to the death (and I won’t ever do it again, I promise). I don’t need to be constantly reminded. I would have preferred the author just lay out the facts and lay off the psychoanalysis.
The Gladiators
by Michael Grant
Written in 1967
Published in 1995 by Barnes & Noble