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Described as 'a brilliant book on the evolution of the amphitheater from its beginnings up to the Colosseum' - referenced when discussing how the Colosseum towered over the Roman cityscape like cathedrals towered over medieval towns

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Explicitly described as 'a novel written by Petronius, who was the most stylish man at Nero's court' - referenced for a passage about wild animals being hunted and brought to Rome for spectacles

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Referenced when discussing Augustine's account of his friend Alypius being drawn into the bloodlust of gladiatorial games - Tom notes Augustine was 'writing this in his confessions' and suggests Augustine was writing about himself

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Referenced when discussing Emperor Claudius's love of executions - Tom says 'if you just read I, Claudius, you'd never have that sense' that Claudius adored watching executions, contrasting the novel's portrayal with Suetonius's account