A Brief History of the Gladiators tells of how strapping war prisoners, fugitives, or criminals learned the techniques of fighting in the "Ludi" (gladiator schools), wrapped themselves in samnite, secutor, retiarius, or thracian armament, and jumped into the sandy ring to either triumph or die. The book also reveals the history of the Roman Coliseum, which was constructed by Vespasian with an impressive seating capacity for 50,000 spectators made up of Roman citizens, patriarchs, and plebeians, all looking to cheer their favorite gladiators.
