Aug 12, 2026
What was it actually like to be a gladiator in ancient Rome?
Not the Hollywood version.
Not the sanitized version.
And not simply the image of two muscular men entering an arena with swords.
What did a gladiator eat? Where did he sleep? What happened before a fight? How were gladiators trained, disciplined, rewarded—and sometimes exploited? What did freedom mean to someone who was technically enslaved but could become famous, wealthy, and even beloved by the Roman public?
Today, we're stepping inside that world with historian and author Harry Sidebottom, whose new book, Those Who Are About to Die: A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator, reconstructs an entire twenty-four hours in the life of a gladiator.
Drawing on archaeology, ancient texts, sculptures, art, and modern scholarship, Harry takes us behind the spectacle to explore not only gladiatorial combat, but the Roman ideas surrounding freedom and slavery, sex and desire, status and honor, crime and punishment, civilization and barbarity, and humanity's relationship with the gods.
And along the way, he proves that ancient history can be both serious scholarship and enormous fun.