The book “Those about to die” by Daniel P. Mannix is a popular science book that describes gladiator fights and other entertainment in ancient Rome. The item was published by Replika publishing house.
Even though the book was written in 1958, it is still very popular around the world and recognized for its accessible style. The position won the hearts of screenwriter Ridley Scott, who wrote scenes in “Gladiator”, and Roland Emmerich for the creation of “Those About to Die”. It should be noted, however, that the consistency of the book’s content with historical sources is rather questionable.
The reader receives over 300 pages of work, divided into 14 chapters. There is a short introduction from the author at the front of the book and a very short bibliography at the back. Unfortunately, there are no footnotes and clear references to the sources used. Even though the author repeatedly mentions ancient writers, my attempts to find selected information were often unsuccessful. It seems to me that the author based loosely on the information obtained, enriching it abundantly with his observations and imagination. The author’s goal was certainly to interest the reader – but this means that we cannot treat the book as a knowledge base about the world of gladiators, chariot races, etc.
The publication itself is very elegant and, apart from a few translation errors, the book was a very pleasant read.
“Those About to Die” is an interesting and well-written book, but its consistency with historical sources is incomplete. It is recommended to treat it as popular science literature and not as an authoritative source of knowledge about ancient Rome. For a complete picture, it is also worth reading more academic studies.
