"The Author as Editor: Examining the Role of the Gladiator and the Amphitheater in Nineteenth-Century Historical Novels."

The French Revolution and the establishment of the Napoleonic Empire were major influences in every British intellectual endeavor, literature being no exception. This manifested in radical new ideals, including the unease of the idea of an empire. George Whyte-Melville in his novel The Gladiators: A Tale of Rome and Judaea and Edward Bulwer-Lytton in The Last Days of Pompeii tailor their versions of the Roman empire to reflect contemporary issues brought on by this social and political upheaval instead of creating an accurate portrayal of the past. They specifically highlight gladiators and the events in the amphitheater to address issues of othering, gender and sexuality, and religion.