Ancient Sport and Spectacle Final

Phersu

Phersu is an Etruscan deity. Phersu is connected with Etruscan sports. Phersu is important because he may have connection to Roman gladiatorial contests; mainly because it is said gladiatorial contests may have originated from Etruscan regions.

Tarquinius Priscus

Tarquinius Priscus was one of the original seven kings of Rome. It is believed that Tarquinius Priscus is Etruscan. Tarquinius Priscus was the ruler of Rome who ordered the Circus Maximus to be built.

Cloaca Maxima

The cloaca maxima was a sewage system in Rome. It was used to carry off storm water at first. It is important because it is said to be one of the earliest major sewage systems in history.

Carcares

The carcares are a starting gate. It was used to separate horses into 12 different stalls. It is important because it shows the advancements the Romans placed on Greek horse racing.

Triumph

It was a military parade for generals who did really well in war/battle. Generals and their armies would usually trot through Rome with their prisoners from conquered regions. It is important because it was quite a spectacle for people to watch; it also demonstrated the wealth and power of these generals.

Cursus Honorum

The cursus honorum is a Roman political ladder used in the Republic era. Once you got into office, you started as a career politician and had to work your way up from there; had to hit each rung on the ladder. It is important we know this because it shows how Rome's political system worked during the Republic, and how hard it was

Populares

The populares is like a Roman political group. They were more concerned about getting the people into office; however, they cared more about their own power than anything else. It is important we look at this because it shows the power politicians had over the people.

Aedile

An aedile was a benefactor of public entertainment and sports. While the aedile had to do this, they had to use money from their own pockets. It is important we know this because it shows how much influence the government had on the games, using the games to manipulate the masses.

Spartacus

Spartacus was a gladiator and a part of the third Roman slave wars. He led 70,000 runaway slaves but ended up maybe being made a spectacle along with 6,000 other captured slaves. It is important we know this because Hollywood has taken Spartacus way out of context mainly because we do not know much about him in the first place.

Theater of Pompey

The Theater of Pompey was a spectacle venue. It was largely used for theatrical performances. It is important we know about it because it was the first permanent spectacle venue in Rome.

Maeniana

A balcony for the wealthy elite. Caesar had the balconies installed to gain money to pay back debts. It is important to know this because it shows that, though a lot of the games were largely free to the mass public, the games were also constantly reminding people of the differences in status.

Naumachiae

The naumachiae were naval mock battles. They were mainly performed between highly trained gladiators and captured prisoners who had been sentenced to death. It is important we know about the naumachiae because it shows the ingenuity of the Romans being able to flood stadiums for naumachiae and drain them for gladiatorial contests.

Gladiatrix

Gladiatricies are the female version of gladiators. Gladiatrix, like the gladiators, could either be slaves or free women, but they were only allowed to fight other gladiatricies. It is important we learn about gladiatricies because they are heavily misused in Hollywood's context.

Retiarius

A gladiator class that bore a trident and net. They would often use their net to hook onto their opponents and draw them in; usually fought the murmillo class because it was like a fish versus a fisherman.

Hypogeum

They were cells used to hold animals and gladiators in a subterranean area. They were like a kind of special effect for the games; trap doors opening up and letting out animals/gladiators during the games. It is important we know what this is because it shows the level of craftsmanship the Romans had.

Lex Iulia Theatralis

They were rules employed by Augustus on theater sitting. The highest ranks got orchestra sitting, the middle ranks were in the cavea, and the lowest ranks (women and slaves) had to sit in the way back, but rich women most likely did not have to sit in the back. It is important we know about this because the main reason why these rules were employed was to keep prostitution away from the theater.

Spina

It was a line of monuments placed in the middle of a racing track. It is used to separate the front stretch from the backstretch. It is important we know this because it shows an improvement between the Roman games and the Greek games.

Pulvinar

It was box seating. It was most likely used by wealthier people, although, no one is for sure where it was located. It is important we know this because it shows a connection between ancient games and the modern games.

Cavea

The seating area for most theaters. The middle class took up most of this area. It is important we know this because it shows us how seating worked in ancient theaters.

Velarium

It was a large type of awning covering amphitheaters. It was used to protect spectators from the sun. It is important we know that because it connects ancient stadiums with stadiums of today; think baseball stands that have those sun covers over them.

Ludus Gladiatorius

A training school for gladiators. It was used to train gladiators for competition, though, it is unclear whether or not all of the gladiators there were free-born or slaves and whether or not they were allowed to bring their families with them. It is important we know this because it shows how much effort owners put into making sure they had the best gladiator out there; all of the gladiators were adequately healthy.

Bestiarii

People who captured and brought animals back for beast hunts. They would often antagonize the animals to get them to kill humans. It is important we know about them because it shows how organized the games were, giving jobs to people for specific tasks.

Venatores

A class of fighters and gladiators. Their job was to kill the animals in the beast hunts. It is important we know about them because these people were often captives who were being led to their deaths.

Do you agree with the following statement?

“Conquered Greece took her uncultivated conqueror captive and invaded rustic Latium
with the arts” (Horace, Epistles 2.1.156-7).

Why or why not? Provide three specific examples from Roman sport and spectacle in your essay.

No, I do not agree with this statement because nothing is ever wholly original. While the Romans did take quite a lot of inspiration from the Greeks, inspiration is quite different from completely copying. The Romans did a lot to ensure that the games they took inspiration from were improved drastically. Looking at the horse/chariot racing, the Romans completely changed how the games acted. The Romans made the spina at a little curve to give the horses more space. The Romans also had carcares that acted as starting gates for the racers, going against the formation sequence the Greeks had. On top of that, the Romans also changed how the games were watched quite significantly. Pompeii, under the Romans, built the first amphitheater. Later, in 80-81 AD, the Flavian Amphitheater was completed. The Flavian Amphitheater was not only huge, but it also had the ability to flood and drain water for naumachiae battles and gladiatorial contests. There is also a huge difference of participants between the Greeks and the Romans. The Greeks forbid women from participating in sports (except for chariot racing), but Romans allowed women to compete in sports such as gladiatorial combat. While a big percentage of them were slaves, there was also a percentage of them that were free-born; most likely trying to make a name for themselves. Women were kept adequately healthy to fight in gladiatorial combat, and they could even win prizes and riches from competing and winning. Despite what Horace says, the Romans simply took inspiration from the Greeks and made their sports into even bigger spectacles.

The Roman aristocratic tendency to manipulate sport and spectacle for political gain was witnessed
on numerous accounts throughout the Republic and Empire of Rome’s history. In fact, it was an
extremely problematic practice. As Cicero stated,

“If therefore, such entertainment is demanded by the people, men of right judgment must
at least consent to furnish it, even if they do not like the idea. But in so doing they should
keep within their means, as I myself did.” - Off. 2.57-58

Choose three specific examples from the Republic and Empire where political manipulation of sport
and/or spectacle is demonstrated. You may choose to focus on one sport or spectacle to tie all of your
examples and discussions together (e.g. chariot racing, gladiatorial contest, naumachiae, triumphal
processions, theatrical displays, beast hunts, etc.). You may choose to incorporate the Regal Period as
well if you deem it necessary, but be sure to provide at least one example from the Republic and
Empire in order to fully survey the timeframe. Does this ultimately corrupt Roman games and
spectacles? Why or why not?

Politics and sport went hand-in-hand throughout the lifespan of the Roman period. Nero, for instance, decided to make a spectacle out of the Christians to divert attention away from himself. During the fire of 64, Nero was incredibly negligent in everything that was going on. He would even go on to build a palace and continue to ignore the problems that were going on within Rome. When people started pointing fingers at Nero, Nero decided to use the Christians as scapegoats. He made them into a spectacle, burning them so that all could see. Caesar also used the games as a way to gain political favor. He would have temporary amphitheaters built in the Roman Forum, not only shutting down business but politics as well. He even put himself into some serious debt just to try and control the masses using the games. The Triumphal Processions many generals put on were also seen as very manipulative. The army would go around parading everything that they conquered, and the general would even have themselves placed as if they were the emperor of Rome. While a lot of this is manipulative, I still do not think it tarnishes the name of the Romans' sports and spectacles. Politics is everywhere, especially nowadays, and modern-day sports cannot hide from politics either.

Comment on the following statement from Donald Kyle’s Sport and Spectacle, 2015 (253).

“...the beast shows were not a perverse Roman invention. New in neither principle nor
iconography, they were not without precedent or purpose. First, we should recognize our
ideological baggage or urban illusion about animals, and not impose our sensitivities
upon the Romans...As we play with our pets, attend a circus or rodeo, reduce habitats, go
hunting, or eat a steak, perhaps we should ask ourselves: ‘Were the Romans so unique?’
or ‘Why does taxidermy persist?’”

Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? You may wish to comment on aspects of Roman
sport that go beyond the beast hunts. You may also wish to discuss how Roman sport and spectacle
has been characterized in the 20th and 21st centuries. In the end, are we so different from the ancient
Romans? Why or why not? Provide three specific examples from ancient Rome to support your
claims.

When talking about the Romans, it is important to look at the context behind some of the things the Romans did. While I do agree that a lot of things the Romans did were messed up, I also do not think it differs much from modern-day society. We talk about the bestiarii, these people who bring in animals to be slaughtered and agitate them to kill people. We also talk about the venatores; people who had to fight off the animals in order to stay alive. We could easily look at it as disgusting, but it is not much different from a lot of the things done today. We still use animals in order to test certain products. We also use bulls in bullfights, purposefully agitating them to make a spectacle out of them. We release foxes into the grounds just so we can hunt them down and kill them. Think back to the first Americans and how they would kill buffalo, not for food or clothes or tools or anything but just because they did not want Native Americans to use buffalos. While it is sad to hear about elephants screaming during beast hunts, the poaching of elephants is something that still happens today. Of course, it is also evil that animals were used to rip captives to shreds, but again, people today love watching rodeos and bullfighting because they want to see people get hurt. It is unfair to throw negativity towards the Romans without recognizing the negativity that can be thrown back at modern-day perceptions of animals.