A "Trium" on the Colosseum

Sorry for the title - I was a little desperate for a wordplay. I don't feel too bad: "trium" is a form of the word "three" in Latin (the genitive plural, if you must know!).

So after taking on five books by Don Nardo, I am trying to be a little more restrained this time and only looking at three books about the Colosseum by various authors. Two are from the children's section and one is from the YA department, but they all have slightly different takes on their very well-worn subject, as you will discover below. I was rather amazed at the number of books that the Allen County Public Library owns on the Colosseum; I certainly could have gone for more, even without leaving the main branch. I don't know what's more surprising to me: the depth of the ACPL's collection or why people feel that they need to write another book about the Colosseum. I'm guessing that it's not so much a compelling passion to describe the world's most famous amphitheater for children as it is a necessary box to check if you're publishing a series of nonfiction history books for youth. But perhaps I am underestimating the authors' love for the building. It is a pretty impressive one.

The Roman Colosseum by Fiona Macdonald and Mark Bergin; 48 pages

part of the "Inside Story" series; reading age = 9-12; grade level = 4th and up

So let's get some Colosseum trivia out of the way: it was completed in 96 CE, it is 187 feet high and it is about one-third of a mile in circumference (p. 5). It could seat around 45,000 with standing room for 5,000 more (p. 28). Just as a point of reference, the Fort Wayne Coliseum seats 13,000 and the Market Square Arena in Indy seats around 16,000 (a couple hundred more for basketball, just a few less for ice hockey). The point is: the Roman Colosseum is freaking huge.

After a one page introduction about the Colosseum, this book devotes six chapters (ten pages) to filling in its readers about life in ancient Rome. The two different systems of government (republic and empire) under which Rome grew into a superpower, the way that average people lived, and the expectation that the ruling class would keep those average people fed and happy ("bread and circuses") are all briefly covered before Macdonald and Bergin dive into the awesome building itself and the games it famously showcased. The chapters on the planning and construction of the Colosseum are quite detailed and illustrations are used effectively to break down some of the complexities of building such a massive structure in a time before power tools and modern construction materials. Of course, several chapters describe the more action-packed aspect of the Colosseum: the games themselves. The book explains the training of gladiators, the massive importation of animals from around the Roman world for the "hunts," and the cruel executions of criminals that were a typical "opening act" before the more dramatic fights between the highly skilled gladiators. Macdonald and Bergin wrap up with a look at how the Colosseum was used after the Roman empire fell (mostly as a performance venue and source of building materials) and how it has remained a tourist attraction right up to the present day (pp. 42-43). There is a chronology and a glossary to help readers put it all together.

I was a little surprised that there was no works cited list even though Roman writers such as Martial (p. 8) and Juvenal (p. 14) were directly quoted and the book seems well-researched. This is certainly a work that a younger student could use as a source for a report, so I would have expected the authors to set a better example by crediting the other books that theirs is based on. In spite of this shortcoming, I would definitely consider this a great introduction to the topic, even if it's not a thrilling read.

Macdonald, Fiona, and Mark Bergin. The Roman Colosseum. Peter Bedrick Books, 1996.

Roman Colosseum by Rhiannon Ash; 32 pages

part of the "Mystery History" series; reading age = 9-12; grade level = 4-6

This next book on the Colosseum takes a very different approach and, to be blunt, one that didn't really appeal to me. It's part of a series that seeks to engage young readers by embedding information about various historical topics (medieval castles, pirate ships, a pharaoh's tomb, and, confusingly, the Trojan Horse [NOT historical!]) within a kind of "Where's Waldo" meets a game of Clue format. There's a lot going on in this book, and I'm not sure it's an effective way to get the information across, even though it might be a fun puzzle book for kids who enjoy those. The author seems to acknowledge that it's a little complicated as she gives a one-page guide on how to use the book (p. 3) right after the intro.

So let's break down a typical two page spread: the one that deals with the imperial forum. There is a colorful title and a short paragraph describing the supremacy of the emperor topping the layout. The highly detailed illustration that covers most of the two pages is a complex scene showing construction of some sort (bonus points for the inclusion of a sign in grammatically correct Latin!), a procession, senators standing around gesturing, and firefighters trying to stop flames from consuming what looks like a marble building (not too flammable, in general). There are two questions at the top of the page (Why is the Colosseum built? and What is the Golden Milestone?) which are answered in a text box at the bottom of the page. There is also a true or false statement (Women can become senators.) which readers need to flip to the back of the book to verify (or falsify, I guess, in this particular case). But that's not all! There is the "Hidden History" senator (?) asking readers to find several items and decide which don't belong in ancient Rome, a math puzzle involving Roman coins, and the first installment of the "Spot the Plotter" questions. These questions, with answers also found in the back of the book, help budding detectives figure out who is scheming to kill the Emperor Domitian. Strangely, although Domitian was actually assassinated, none of the characters in the book who are potential plotters were involved. Odd. 

This very busy format might appeal to children (I remember lovingly examining every tiny detail in the Richard Scary books), but I found it unnecessarily distracting. Pick a lane! Is it a mystery? Is it a find the out-of-place item search? Is it a puzzle book? There is a good amount of information about the Roman empire and, of course, the Colosseum to be found in the very chock-full pages, but even that seems a bit all over the place. There are sections on life in the Roman countryside, a battle in Germany, and Roman baths mixed into the more predictable material on gladiators, wild beast "hunts," etc. Not too surprisingly, there is no glossary, works cited or other supporting material, but there is an index. 

Ash, Rhiannon. Roman Colosseum. Copper Beech Books, 1997.

The Roman Colosseum by Adam Woog

part of the "History's Great Structures" series; reading age = 12-17; grade level = 7-9

This was the one book from the "trium" (no, I am not letting that go) that came from the Young Adult section and, predictably, is much more substantive. A quick glance at the table of contents lets you know that there are longer chapters (about 15 pages each), notes on sources, an index, and resources for further research. Flipping to those "Source Notes," we find a lot of websites and online articles from reputable sources (the Guardian, PBS, and Smithsonian magazine) along with some 100% legit book-length entries such as Mary Beard and Keith Hopkins' book on the Colosseum and Fik Meijer's book on gladiators. Not the most scholarly works you have ever come across, but definitely reliable sources. (I am personally infatuated with Mary Beard, so her book was really all I needed to see.)

The content of the chapters is clearly written, enlivened with the occasional photo, illustration or artwork, and more difficult words are pulled out to the side and defined. There are text boxes every few pages that delve a little deeper into a particular topic. The author has given readers enough background on Rome--its history and culture--to make sense of the Colosseum in context, he has provided enough of the racy bits to keep them interested, and he even wraps it all up with chapters on the decline of the Colosseum and its legacy today. All in all, a very useful work for high school students which will take them well beyond the basics but in an understandable way. I especially appreciated the "For Further Research" section at the end of the book which listed some great websites and a few books by my guy Don Nardo (see the previous post here). Woog has written a great little book that I will certainly be pointing my students to in the near future.

Woog, Adam. The Roman Colosseum. ReferencePoint Press, Incorporated, 2013.