20. The Third Century Crisis, Gladiators

Honestiores vs Humiliores 

• How classes were divided 

• Honestiores= wealthy elite > more gentle punishments

• Humilores = commoners > harsher punishments

What is a diploma? 

• A method of getting a citizenship 

How could you get direct citizenship?

• If enlisted as a legionary

Was there a decline in the value of Roman citizenship? 

• Yes, because a certain law was passed that gave every roman inhabitant a roman citizenship (except slaves)

Mid 3rd Century 

• The germanic people invade rome 

• Sasanians replace Parthians as the dominant power in the east 

What is this image of? 

• Sasanian king w/ roman emperors kneeling infront 

• Depicts instability of the roman empire as they were being harassed by external powers

What does village mean? 

• Group of people who decided to live roundabout a wealthy roman villa 

How does Aurelian reunite the eastern and western half of the roman empire?

• By introducing Monotheism 

• Encourages worship of the sun to promote common roman identity

What is this?

• The aurelian wall 

What about the emperors says in this era proves that roman empire was really unstable?

• Before Aurelian, there were 4 emperors in 80 years 

• During the 3rd century crisis, there were about 65 emperors in 50 years 

What is tetrarchy?

• Rule by 4 people 

• 2 augustuses and 2 caesars

What is this depicting? 

Tetrarchy

What is the great persecution?

• Diocletian tried to eliminate christianity by forcing christians to abandon their faith 

What is this?

• Sculpture of diaceletian trampling his opponents 

Why did civil war ensue 

• Because children of the new augustes wanted to be part of the tetrarchy 

What was the image of the emperor like?

• Symbols like a crown and halo 

• Consistorium 

• Must kiss the hem of his outfit 

Border vs Imperial troops 

• Border = armed but not elite troops at the border 

• Imperial = elite troops in the center of the empire 

How did Diocletian finance the doubling of his military and civil servants?

• Became a state run business (takes over businesses)

• Basically, if you create armor or weapons, your business will be owned by the government 

How did Diocletian reorganize the empire? 

• Instead of all provinces, he reorganized it by creating… 

• 4 prefectures 

• 10 Dioceses 

• 150 provinces 

What was the slang word for amphitheater?

• Sand, because you needed sand to soak up the blood 

What did it cost to get into the coliseum amphitheater? 

• Always free 

• Games were held for public attention and popularity 

 How was the seating arranged?

• 5 levels, each segregated by social status 

• Bottom: aristocrat

• Top: Woman 

What was underneath the coliseum?

• A hypogeum 

• Used as storage

Who produces/organizes gladiatorial combat?

• An Editor 

What would happen the night before the gladiatorial games?

• A gladiator banquet 

• People who come watch gladiators eat

What is Munera? 

• Gladiatorial combat 

Why is Gladiatorial combat called Munera?

• Munera means funeral 

• Gladiatorial combat used to happen when an important person would die, their slaves would fight each other in his honour which became super popular 

What is this?

• Animal displays and tricks 

What is this? 

• Animal hunts

• Animals hunting each other or humans hunting animals 

What is the most common animal a gladiator would hunt?

• Sheep 

What did Romans believe about justice?

• Retributive justice aka revenge 

• Believed they should be held in public to be humiliating 

What was an important method of execution in Rome?

• Having to participate in the gladiator games 

What is this? 

• Method of execution using a beast 

What are gladiator schools?

• Businesses that would recruit slaves, train them to be gladiators and then put on a gladiator show 

What were the four sources of gladiators that would be trained in the gladiator schools? 

1. POW (prisoners of war) 

2. Criminals

3. Slaves 

4. Free men

What is infames?

• Means unspeakable 

• Referred to a category of people who would give entertainment to people for money

• You would be considered lower class 

What is this?

• Ludus magnus 

• Most famous gladiator school that was attached to the coliseum through a tunnel 

What is “by the numbers”?

• Type of gladiator training 

• Trainer would give a set of numbers to each sword stroke

• The trainer would name a number and get you to do that particular stroke 

What is this?

• Gladiators 

• Fights would be one on one 

What is a pompa?

• Parade and music 

What is Prolusio?

• Opening bout where two retired gladiators would have harmless fights with wooden sticks 

What does this depict?

• Gladiator sticking up his finger indicating he wants to surrender

What is ‘turning of thumbs’ and missio?

• The crowd would vote at the end of the fight if they thought the gladiators fought well

• They would give a thumbs up if they thought they did not fight well and then would be executed 

• Missio was a thumb pointed down which meant mercy 

What were prizes if you won a gladiator match?

• If a gladiator won about 5 matches, he could buy himself freedom from slavery 

• Palm branch

• Wreath 

• Rudis (a wooden sword) 

Who got final say if a gladiator would die? 

• The editor 

• Because they would buy these slaves from people so they couldn't just kill them off 

How frequent was death in gladitorial games?

• About 19 of 200 people died 

• Games were not till death, but until one surrendered 

• High chance of survival 

What does this depict?

• Gladiator and the god of fertility next to him 

What is this? 

• Leg armor for gladiators 

What is this? What was the point of it?

• Gladiator helmet 

• Made to protect every part of gladiator head 

• Made them anonymous 

What does this depict?

• How gladiators fought w/ their bare chest

• They did it because:  Seemed “sensual” 

What is this?

• Gladius 

• Gladiator sword (small) 

• Slang for male genitals 

Gladiatorial Categories: 

Essedarius 

• Fought from a chariot 

• Had matching equipment 

2. Equites (horsemen) 

• Colourful tunics 

• Had helmet with 2 feathers 

3. Murmillo 

• Fish on helmet 

• Would fight a thraex /thracian 

• Large shield small sword 

4. Thracian (thraex)

• Would fight mumillo 

• Helmet with griffin 

• Large sword small shield

5. Retiarius 

• ‘Net fighter’ 

• No helmet and No sword 

• Only had net and trident 

5. Secutor 

• ‘The pursuer’

• Opponent of retiarius 

• Completely close helmet

What is happening in this image? 

• Cannot be determined 

• Referees are stopping the game but we don't know why 

What is this?

• Female gladiators