ARE: Cultural Lesson - Roman Games

Roman Games

Romans found many ways to entertain themselves. In fact, it was considered a major goal for Roman leaders to provide entertainment for the people, almost as though entertainment was considered a sacred right. Let's take a look at some of the panis et circenses (bread and circuses - a phrase used to describe how the people were kept entertained) the Romans enjoyed the most.

The Colosseum

The Amphitheatrum Flavium, also known as the Colosseum, opened in 80 CE and held between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. Emperor Titus celebrated the opening with opulent games that lasted more than 100 days. The Roman poet Martial and the Roman historian Suetonius briefly provide descriptions of the ceremonies. Little historical information was documented. The mornings consisted of animal spectacles (see image to the right) followed by midday executions of criminals and prisoners. Combat between gladiators was reserved for the afternoon. Gladiators fought both as single and group combatants. Martial tells us that Titus was the first emperor to allow for a draw and granted freedom to both gladiators competing at the time. Titus appeased the Roman crowd through his gift-giving and generosity; even allowing the crowd to determine a gladiator's fate.

Gladiatores

Suetonius tells us that Titus favored the Thracian gladiators. Some gladiators were slaves; others were captives. Regardless each gladiator trained with specialty weapons and garb. There were many gladiatorial training schools run by a Lanista. Gladiatores trained intensely by learning fighting techniques suitable for each weapon and armor. Research shows that gladiators lived together in barracks and were often well cared for. Every gladiator was bound by a sacred oath to endure the trials of competition in the arena or be killed. View the image below to learn more about the types of gladiators.

Mosaic image depicts gladiators and comes from the Zliten Mosaic (in modern day Libya), from around the 2nd century CE.

Gladiatorial Combat

Gladiatorial combat was very popular among the Romans. Favorites were supported by factions and rivalries were common. Certainly, the crowd must have played a role in determining the outcome of some contests. In Latin the phrase pollice verso means "with a turned thumb". This gesture, possibly used by Roman crowds to communicate judgement on a gladiator, is much debated among scholars as the direction of the turned thumb is unknown. In fact, some scholars claim that it was not even a thumb signal, but a palm up or down from the emperor. No matter what the signal, only one man had the ability to determine the fate of the losing gladiator: the emperor had complete control over life and death. Nevertheless, the Emperor would have certainly taken the crowd's sentiment into consideration since it could bolster his own popularity.

Victors were given a palm branch, a laurel crown, or money. If a gladiator won several matches, or was extremely popular, he might be given a wooden sword representing manumission (a combination of two Latin words: manus - hand and mittere - to send). Titus is known to have freed two equally matched gladiators named Priscus and Verus.

This painting popularized the notion of the thumb signal (note the thumbs down) and served as inspiration for the motion picture Gladiator. The painting, entitled Pollice Verso, was done by Jean-Léon Gérôme in 1872. It also depicts the imperial box.

The following is a podcast from the University of Cincinnati about a day at the arena.

The Flavian Amphitheater

The Flavian Amphitheater contained seating for approximately 45,000 spectators and accommodated an additional 5,000 for standing. Where a spectator sat greatly depended on their social status. The first level of seats was reserved for the emperor, imperial family, Vestal virgins and senators. The emperor and his entourage would recline in the cubiculum (the imperial box) located near the northern part of the amphitheater. The imperial box was the most visible and prominent location allowing the emperor full access to witness the competitions. The remaining levels were reserved for the other social classes: Equites (knights), Cives (Roman citizens, plebeians), Liberti (freed slaves), foreigners and Servi (slaves). Women were expected to sit under the covering at the highest level of seating.

Beneath the wooden floor of the arena existed an elaborate tunnel system leading to various animal holding compartments. The Romans used a system of pulleys, capstans, ramps and platforms to raise animals to the arena floor. Archeologists have uncovered a complex elevator system used to quickly hoist up animals and equipment. Additionally, the use of cables, hoists, counterweights and even canals suggest that gladiatorial contests were more than one-on-one battles but also allowed for re-enactments of larger-scale battles, processions and mythological scenes. Some amphitheaters were capable of being flooded, allowing for mock naval battles, called naumachia, to be performed in the arena. While scholarship varies, the Flavian Amphitheater does appear to have had this capability at some point, though there is no clear evidence that there were ever naumachia in the Colosseum. The underground labyrinth and variety of technology used allowed for multiple entrances to the arena floor, sometimes appearing almost mysteriously, and added to the drama of the spectacle.