Transcript Roman Entertainment

Roman Entertainment
Gladiators
First Games: 264 BC
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The word gladiator comes from the Latin
word for swordsman. Gladius = sword
Image reference: huehueteotl.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/gladiatorgerome.jpg
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Gladiatorial combat began as a religious
ritual to help the deceased cross “to the
other side”.
Picture Reference: bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/images/gladiators_animai
The Coliseum:
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Built by Vespasian but completed by his
son Titus.
Roman Spectacles:
This brutal form of entertainment led to
the deaths of over 800,000 people and
tens of thousands of animals.
 Whole species of animals were taken from
their natural habitats.
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Image reference: 3.bp.blogspot.com/_0-eb0tkH-k8/STXGQ1e8G9I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/GE3aeMQKumA/s400/roman-gladiators-4
Gladiators were:
Criminals
 Disobedient slaves
 Prisoners of war
 Volunteers from the military
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They fought with bare torsos to show their
readiness for death.
Image Reference: xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=3500&pid=10308
Greece and Roman Comparison:
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Sports in Ancient Greece:
– Were grounded in mythology
– Linked to religious beliefs
– Gender specific (left out married women)
– Were frequently violent
– Free from measurement and record keeping
Sports/Entertainment in Rome:
– Were an emphasized spectacle
– Combat based
– Were a display of the power of the leaders
– A diversion of the people
– Excluded women athletes
– No record keeping
Question:
With a partner respond to and pass in the
following question:
“ The moral issues of the gladitorial
games are obvious to us as citizens in
a modern world. What moral issues
need to be addressed in today’s
athletics and professional sports?”
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Circus Maximus:
Chariot Racing:
Held on an oval track, a race was 7 laps
around.
 As many as 24 races were held in a day.
 Could hold 300,000 spectators.
 To start a race, a white cloth was dropped.
 Brass dolphins were used
to count laps.
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Horses
Special techniques were used for training
as horses had to go longer distances at
higher speeds.
 Teams of horses trained together as
horses raced in teams of one, two or four.
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