Because when Henry finds himself travelling back to Ancient Rome, he soon realises that sibling rivalry can take a much darker turn. However, it works well and in doing so corrects the inevitable inaccuracies of the film and uses that as a platform to give a very readable description of the Roman Army, the Emperors, and indeed potential role models for Maximus Decimus Meridius, the eponymous Gladiator.

One thought had been kept Maximus alive: that he would finally meet and kill the man he had hated the most - the new Emperor, Commodus. Part of me died when Andy Whitfield did, so this story in its own way is a road back to what was the absolute best, and worst, depending on your perspective, of the decadence and brutality that was Ancient Rome. It is totally different than Maximus dreamed, he wanted came back for his home in Spain for his farm and lived with his family. I was a master of make-believe by age ten, and when the time was right, both passions fused into my debut novel, also set in Ancient Rome.When high-born Vita’s father is murdered in Roman Londinium, Vita is forced to disguise herself as a slave at the gladiator’s arena. I must admit I read this when I was in a very fragile state of mind having just suffered a terrible tragedy of my own, so it’s possible that affected my reading of A Day of Fire and how I responded to it, but I know it was extremely well written and I was so glad to have read it.

I want to experience Ancient Rome vicariously through powerful characters that linger in my memory long after the last page.

Obsessed with unlocking genetic potential, Danner experiments with a tadpole (which breaks through the bowl he's keeping it in), and a pregnant cat, whose kitten displays incredible strength and speed, managing to maul larger animals. He spends summers and free time trying to find uses for his strength, becoming a professional fighter and strongman at a boardwalk. Director Ridley Scott ( Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Alien) brings the glorious battles of the ancient Roman arena back to the big screen. The Emperor Marcus Aurelius wanted to change the way of government of Rome for republic, and Maximus will be the protector for Rome. Topics in this book include: Family life, the bloody arena, a trip to the baths, worship and sacrifice, a dinner party, and much more.

In this entertaining and enlightening guide, bestselling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to 24 characters who lived and worked there.As she scanned the neat lines of verse that sloped across the papyrus’s creamy-yellow surface, her chest filled with a warm glow of pride.

It did downplay the weird relationship between Commodus and his sister, which was much more disturbing in the film, but overall it was a close representation of the same story.

It was exactly as described by the seller and was packaged well to prevent any damage during transit. It is a scene so poignant that I always wish it would have been saved until later on in the film, thereby giving it even more weight.