We thought we knew everything about gladiators, especially through cinema (Spartacus or Gladiator ...), but misconceptions and clichés die hard. With "The Gladiators", discover a realistic image of gladiatorialism thanks to the numerous illustrations from all over the Roman Empire (reliefs, frescoes, mosaics ...), and to a series of original plates with great precision on the different categories of fighters. This book describes the genesis and the evolutions of this unique phenomenon in the history of humanity. It also tells the story of these men and women, both hated and adored by Roman society for nearly a millennium, and particularly focuses on detailing their weaponry.