Archaeologists have just uncovered a rare piece of Roman-era history in the ancient town of Mastaura in western Turkey: a nearly perfectly-preserved gladiator arena that could seat upwards of ...

T o mark the opening of the Colosseum in 80 C.E., the Roman emperor Titus staged a staggering spectacle, flooding the arena with water and bringing in “horses and bulls and some other ...

Bloody, brutal but popular, gladiatorial contests are often seen as the dark side of Roman civilization ... Gladiators would be sent to the arena – named after the sand which covered the ...

Across the Roman Empire around 8000 people died in the arena every year. Gladiator battles were held at huge venues called amphitheatres. “Arena”, the word we use for this type of building ...

With Mercury's help we visit different arenas for Roman 'entertainment'. Poetry and drama are performed in special half-circle theatres built of stone. The song 'Into the arena' reflects the ...