The history of the Colosseum--chockfull of romantic but erroneous myths--is, in reality, much stranger than the legend. In this engaging book, we learn the details of how the arena was built and at what cost; we are introduced to the emperors who sometimes fought in gladiatorial games staged at the Colosseum; and we take measure of the audience who reveled in, or opposed, these games. The authors also trace the strange afterlife of the monument--as fortress, shrine of martyrs, church, and glue factory.
