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"Cruelty and Civilization" offers an in-depth look at the Roman
games as a force vital to the functioning of an Empire.
Gladiatorial combats, chariot races and other spectacles were a
kind of public opiate for the citizens of Ancient Rome. These rites
gave rhythm and excitement to daily life in the Empire. From one
year to the next, the Roman citizen lived in anticipation of the
next games; through them he was able to forget the mediocrity of
his own condition as well as his political enslavement. The most
minutely organized productions were staged at vast expense, and
Rome developed cults for arena champions, who were simultaneously
idols and outcasts, doomed to a bloody death.
Roland Auguet not only reconstructs in detail the conduct of these
spectacles (gladiatorial combats, the sacrifice of prisoners to
wild beasts, the chariot races, the combats between man and beast
or beast and beast), but also analyzes the feelings of the crowd
and the calculations ofits rulers. He explains why the games
dominated the life of the city. Examining the games in the context
of a broader study of Roman customs, this book provides a
synthesized view of how Roman civilization was to a large degree
based on the games.
Roland Auguet examines the Roman taste for blood and considers what the games, that strange combination of Cruelty and Civilization, reveal about the Roman mentality. He shows how the great spectacles became a part of city life - they were awaited with impatience, everyone discussed them, some applauded the action in the arena, while others booed frantically. This book provides an exciting history of gladiators, chariot racing and other games as well as an investigation of their function and significance within society. It is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the Romans' violent form of entertainment.
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