Spectacle entertainments of early imperial Rome

by Richard C. Beacham

"The presentations in the theater, gladiatorial combats, chariot races in the circus, animal hunts, triumphal processions, and other public entertainments of early imperial Rome served as tangible expressions of Roman ideology and power. This book describes these lavish spectacles, traces their evolution under Rome's political masters from Caesar to Nero, and discusses their social and political significance."--BOOK JACKET.