Of Ben Hur and Spartacus (with a nod to Gladiator…..)

The box art

The contents - the rules for both games are in one booklet.

A close up of the gladiator figures - identical to the AH version as I recall. Note the white plastic stands for the figures.

The map is double sided with the chariot circuit on one side….

….and a rather more serious looking side for the arena. I shall be getting this laminated.

Back in the days of the Newham Wargames Club, located in the cellar of Eric Knowles shop - New Model Army Limited, I picked up a copy of an Avalon Hill Game called Gladiator. This was all about man to man combat in Ancient Rome in the arena. It was enormous fun and was released with a separate game called Circus Maximus which covered chariot races. I never played the latter but certainly did the former!

I did not know until fairly recently that these were originally published by Battleline in a combined set - you got both games in one box.

Anyway, I happened across a copy for sale on eBay (which is where I first became aware of the ‘twin set’)  so immediately snapped it up!

For a game from 1979 it is in pretty good condition with only some of the chariot counters punched. 

I seem to remember an expansion set for gladiator being published which included some other types and also some wild animals so I will keep a look out for it. 

The arena seems to be a lot larger than the AH version but I would have to check but in any event it is huge compared to the hexagonal game I purchased from Lidl a while back - which may be turned into a small provincial style arena with the addition of some bits and pieces and a paint job. 

“Nos morituri te salutamus!”

(We who are about to die, salute you…..sorry, couldn’t resist….)