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Slide 1
"We who are about to die salute you! Games of Ancient Rome
Slide 2
Contents Origins of games Height of popularity Culture of
Violence Gladiators and associated roles Amphitheatres and arenas
Decline in popularity
Slide 3
Map of Roman Republic Italy and its colonies
Slide 4
Origins of Games First gladiatorial contest took place at Rome
in 264BC. The original Gladiatorial contest was called a munus
meaning a duty or munera meaning duties. They originated as funeral
games for families to pay duty to the dead. Gladiatorial games
gradually lost their exclusive connection with the funerals of
individuals and became an important part of the public spectacles
staged by politicians and emperors and became known as ludi
(games). The popularity of gladiatorial games is indicated by the
large number of wall paintings and mosaics depicting
gladiators.
Slide 5
Floor mosaic in a Roman villa in Nennig Mosaic found in Pompeii
Why do the people get angry at gladiators and so nastily that they
think it an injury because [the gladiators] do not perish
willingly? [The people] believe that they have been scorned and in
facial expression, gesture, and passion are turned from a spectator
into an opponent. - Seneca -...we despise gladiators if they are
willing to do anything to preserve their life; we favour them, if
they give evidence of their contempt for it. - Seneca -
Slide 6
Height of popularity Gladiatorial contests were highly popular
during the late Roman Republic (80-30 BCE) and throughout the Roman
Empire (30 BCE- 350 CE) Often used by individuals for
self-promotion. Games were often used to please the population and
to gain support for election to public office. Ownership of
gladiators or a gladiator school gave muscle and flair to Roman
politics. Generous Imperial ludi (games) might cost no less than
180,000 denarii ($3.6 million).
Slide 7
Culture of Violence Attending gladiatorial contests in the
amphitheatre was an essential part of being a Roman. Rome was a
warrior state that had achieved its large empire by military
violence: Italian Wars, Samnite Wars, Pyrrhic Wars, Punic Wars,
Wars/Invasion in Gaul, Iberia, Britain etc etc...the list goes
on...Not to mention that Rome was founded on the back of Roman
rebellion and violence against the Etruscans AND it collapsed into
civil war thirteen times between 133-30BCE!
Slide 8
War was a high-stakes proposition, both for the Romans and
their opponents. Thousands of Roman soldiers died in Italy and
abroad in countless battles. Roman treatment of the enemy could be
very harsh, sometimes even involving the slaughter of civilians. In
Spain, during the second Punic War, Scipio Africanus the Elder
attacked the city of Iliturgi, which had gone over to the enemy,
and his soldiers killed all armed and unarmed citizens alike,
including women and infants (Livy Roman Historian) In Rome,
prisoners of war were often executed in public. In order to ensure
military discipline, Roman soldiers could be very harsh on their
own kind, as is evident in the practice of decimation, in which one
soldier out of every ten guilty of cowardice or dereliction of duty
was chosen by lot to be bludgeoned to death by his fellow
soldiers.
Slide 9
Gladiators and associated roles There are many different types
of Gladiator, however listed below are some well known types that
were popular: Equites (cavalryman) lance and short sword Thrax
(Thracians) curved swords, curve rimmed helmet Retiarri Fought with
net, trident and dagger Bestiarri Beast/animal fighter Venator
(hunter) specialised in live animal hunts and entertainment (circus
performers) Lanista (owner/trainer) owned and traded in slaves
which were trained as Gladiators Editor (producer) Sponsor who
helped finance spectacles
Slide 10
Mosaic showing a retiarius (net-fighter) named Kalendio
fighting a secutor named Astyanax In the bottom image, the secutor
is covered in the retiarius's net, but doesn't seem to be hindered.
In the later image, Kalendio is on the ground, wounded, and raises
his dagger to surrender. The arena employees await his fate from
the editor, not pictured. The inscription above it shows the sign
for "null" and the name of Kalendio, implying that he was
killed.
Slide 11
A retiarius gladiator stabs at his secutor opponent with his
trident. Mosaic from the villa at Nennig.
Slide 12
The Zliten mosaic is a Roman floor mosaic from about the 2nd
century CE (between 100-199), found in the town of Zliten in Libya.
The mosaic depicts different types of games: 1.Referees/musicians
and combat between equites 2.a retiarius and secutor, a Thraex and
murmillo, a hoplomachus and murmillo in battle 3.Venationes (animal
hunts) 4.Damnatio ad bestias (condemnation to beasts)
Slide 13
Zliten mosaic (full version) You can see the images from the
previous slide around the edge of the mosaic. Much of the mosaic is
damaged however it does give us (as historians) an insight into the
attitude of Romans about Gladiatorial combat and games. They
enjoyed it so much that they honoured their sporting heroes in
mosaics throughout their homes.
Slide 14
Amphitheatres and arenas There are numerous examples of Roman
arenas and amphitheatres most famously the Colosseum (Flavian
Amphitheatre) in Rome. The Colosseum represents an important aspect
of Roman society public entertainment and more importantly Imperial
respect for the power of the public. The Colosseum is built to
entertain the people and promote Imperial leadership. However,
there are many arenas, larage and small, throughout the Roman
Empire. The amphitheatre was a microcosm of Roman society. The
seating arrangements reflected the stratification of Roman society:
the seating was divided between Senators, the wealthy and poor,
slaves and freedmen. Of course the Emperor had his own seating
area.
Slide 15
Slide 16
Slide 17
The order of the day The Colosseum Morning Wild Animal Hunts
also known as Venationes Midday (noon) Public Executions Afternoon
Gladiatorial Contests In the noon time event, condemned criminals
fought each other as if they were gladiators. Each combat was
literally a "sudden death" contest, the winner of which had to
fight other criminals until he himself was killed. In this way the
condemned executed each other. What happened to the ultimate winner
is not known; perhaps he was pardoned or at least allowed to live
to fight another day. Seneca took a practical and judicial view of
these contests: [The purpose of executing criminals in public] is
that they serve as a warning to all, and because in life they did
not wish to be useful citizens, certainly the state benefits by
their death.
Slide 18
An interesting case study: Riot at Pompeii 59CE About this time
[AD 59] there was a serious fight between the inhabitants of two
Roman settlements, Nuceria and Pompeii. It arose out of a trifling
incident at a gladiatorial show....During an exchange of taunts
characteristic of these disorderly country townsabuse led to
stone-throwing, and then swords were drawn. The people of Pompeii,
where the show was held, came off best. Many wounded and mutilated
Nucerians were taken to the capital. Many bereavements, too, were
suffered by parents and children. The emperor instructed the senate
to investigate the affair. The senate passed it to the consuls.
When they reported back, the senate debarred Pompeii from holding
any similar gathering for ten years. Illegal associations in the
town were dissolved; and the sponsor of the show and his fellow-
instigators of the disorders were exiled. - Tacitus -
Slide 19
Riot at Pompeii The riot at Pompeii indicates the passion
people had for games. However, it is unlikely that the riot was
provoked simply by the games that day. During the Social War (91-88
BCE), a century and a half earlier, Rome's Italian allies had
fought to acquire the benefits of citizenship. Pompeii joined the
revolt but fell to Sulla (Dictator), who settled a colony of
legionary veterans there. The amphitheatre, itself, was constructed
about 70 BCE for the benefit of these new colonists, both because
of its association with the Roman military and as a monumental
reminder of their dominance over the local Samnite population.
Nuceria had not rebelled and subsequently was awarded territory
confiscated from a neighbouring town that had been destroyed during
the fighting. Less than two years before the riot, Nero settled a
veteran colony at Nuceria (Annals), which no doubt inflamed old
resentments, especially if assigned lands were disputed by the
Pompeians.
Slide 20
Decline in popularity Started to become a financial burden on
the Empire and Imperial purse. The spreading of Christianity
throughout the Empire (encouraged by Emperor Constantine I Edict of
Milan in 313 promoting religious tolerance) changed the populations
attitude to public killings and pagan human sacrifice. According to
Christians at the time the combats were murder, their witnessing
spiritually and morally harmful and the gladiator an instrument of
pagan human sacrifice. However, it was not until 4 th and 5 th
Century CE that ludi and munus were made illegal and were phased
out, at least in the Western Roman Empire.