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Naked statues, fat gladiators, and war elephants : frequently asked questions about the ancient Greeks and Romans / Garrett Ryan.

by Ryan, Garrett, 1986-

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Prometheus Books, 2021.

Civilization, Classical -- Miscellanea.

9781633887022 (pbk.)

vii, 280 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why didn't the Greeks or Romans wear pants? -- How did they shave? -- What kinds of pets did they have? -- Did they use any form of birth control? -- How likely were they to survive surgery? -- What were the greatest delicacies? -- How much wine did they drink? -- How did they keep track of time? -- How long did they live? -- How tall were they? -- How much money did they make? -- How dangerous were their cities? -- How often were slaves freed? -- Was divorce common? -- Were relationships between men and boys controversial? -- Why are so many of their statues naked? -- Did they believe their myths? -- Did they believe in ghosts, monsters, and/or aliens? -- Did they practice magic? -- Did they practice human sacrifice? -- Was the Oracle of Delphi high on fumes? -- How long did paganism survive? -- Were there professional athletes? -- How did they exercise? Did they jog or lift weights? -- Did they travel for pleasure? -- How was the Colosseum built in less than a decade? -- How were animals captured for the Colosseum? -- Were gladiators fat? How deadly was gladiatorial combat? -- How were war elephants used in battle? -- How were fortified cities captured? -- Were there secret police, spies, or assassins? -- Why didn't the Romans conquer Germany or Ireland? -- What happened to the city of Rome after the Empire collapsed? -- What happened to the body of Alexander the Great? Has the tomb of any Roman ruler been discovered intact? -- Why did Latin evolve into multiple languages? Why didn't Greek? -- Can any families trace their ancestry back to the Greeks or Romans?

Most books on the Roman Empire deal with famous figures or events, but 'Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants' focuses on things that seldom appear in history books: myths and magic, barbers and birth control, fine wine and the daily grind. This book, based on questions Roman historian Garrett Ryan, PhD, gets asked most often on Quora and the popular Reddit forum AskHistorians, reveals the nitty gritty details on how Romans and Greeks lived in a series of short and engaging essays, organized into six categories: daily life, society, beliefs, sports and leisure, and legacies.

Questions and answers.

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