Gladiatrix (Paperback)

by Amy Zoll (Author) "Who was the mystery woman buried in an unmarked grave on the outskirts of Roman London?..." (more)
Key Phrases: gladiator schools, arena floor, gladiatorial contests, Great Dover Street, Museum of London, Julius Caesar (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
It was discovered in London, 1996-the burial ground of a first-century Roman gladiator. Even more amazing, the remains were that of a female. The finding not only made history, but changed it, giving a new understanding of the role of women in Roman society and the spectacle of the blood sport.

A fascinating celebration of ancient sisters-in-arms and a revealing look at a never-before-told chapter in history, Gladiatrix also explores the legend of the Amazons and the true story of Boudica, the real warrior queen who almost brought Rome to its knees.

About the Author
Amy Zoll has a Masters Degree in Roman Archaeology from the University of Durham, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked at Roman sites in England and France, in addition to two summers in Pompeii. She is the author of several articles for academic journals, and Gladiatrix is her first full-length work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425186105
• ISBN-13: 978-0425186107
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,299,743 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pop for the Masses, March 14, 2004

By	jrmspnc (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

For what it is, this is not a bad work. It's clearly intended as popular history, no more and no less. And on that level it succeeds. Anybody who already has more than passing knowledge of Ancient Rome would do well to skip it, however. "As seen on the Discovery Channel" sums it up - you can hear the narrative voice-over just before each commercial break: "Coming up next, the life of a gladiator was a cruel one. Could this woman found outside London have voluntarily subjected herself to it, or was she a slave captive forced to fight to entertain her captors? Find out after this word from Avon."

Strike two is the lack of photographs. So much of this book depends on the items found in the tomb of the mystery woman, yet nowhere are we shown what they look like. Whether this is the fault of the author, the editor, or the publisher is unknown, but it rankles, regardless of where the blame lies.

Strike three: the conclusion that the mystery woman was a "gladiatrix" is almost ludicrous. The evidence does not even rise to the level of probable cause; it's a scintilla at most. There was an object depicting a gladiator in her tomb. There were lots of other things in the tomb. Ergo, a gladiator! Balderdash. (And how convenient that the pelvic bones have been "lost," preventing an accurate, independent analysis of the body's gender. No, I don't blame the author, but it seems like somebody's trying to make a quick buck at the expense of an unsuspecting public.)

Three strikes, it's out.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great balance of fact and entertainment!, September 16, 2002

By	S. Johnston (Bowie, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a professional archaeologist, I am always happy to find books where a factual account based on evidence is also a really entertaining read. This book provides both. While it takes one particular point of view, it does offer alternatives, allowing the reader to make their own choices. The fictionalization provides depth to the story, while the information about Rome, Romans, and gladiators gives the readers the facts to back it up. My only complaint was the lack of illustrations to accompany the text. Archaeology is a stongly visual discipline, making this an inexplicable editorial decision to say the least! Still, a nicely done book I would recommend to anyone interested in archaeology who doesn't want to wade through jargon. Nice job!

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accessible history, October 18, 2002

By A Customer

Fans of Classical history will find this a fast, enjoyable read.
The "popularizing" element of a wraparound fictional story to explain the possible events leading up to the Great Dover Street Woman's death is well-realized. The only criticism I can level at the book is the utter lack of illustrations. By the end of the work, I was ready to voluteer to draw the illustrations myself! The author tries to make up for this lack of pictures with lucid and clear explanations, but even with my extensive art history library, I could not find many of the examples mentioned in the text. I most definitely would have enjoyed photos of the grave goods, the site and maybe some conceptual drawings. If the work is re-published, it would be good to wait until the access or copyright is granted to publish pictures from the site.