Roman Sports
Throughout history entertainment has varied. The ancient Romans set a prime example as a people who loved sports and games. Similarities between the Romans and the modern sports fan can be seen with their love for races and violence.Vespasin, who is considered to be one of the greatest builders of roman time, built the Colloseum in A.D. 80 (Scarre 70). To honor the occasion he held one hundred days of continuous competition. Over five thousand gladiators were believed to have taken part in the one hundred days of games, but no accurate record of the match outcomes exist to this day (Cowell 173). Known as the Flavian Amphitheatre in its time, the Colloseum held fifty-five thousand spectators (Scarre 70). It stood a height of one hundred fifty nine feet and is one of the greatest architectural achievements of mankind (71). The crowds of the gladiatorial games were spiteful and excited by the amount of blood that was shed in the arena (Rowell 160). Criminals were forced to fight to their death, and the loser of each match was often executed by his opponent upon condemnation of the crowd (161). After the bloodletting of the gladiatorial combat, men dressed as demonic figures removed the disemboweled corpses from the arena
Similar to the gladiatorial competitions were the hunts. As many as 5,000 animals were slaughtered in one day (Hadas 46). The gladiatorial games, known as munera gladiatoria had a profound effect on Roman society (Rowell 152). They wore cumbersome armor along with a visor helmet accented by a crest and plume. The effect the hunts had on Roman society was similar to that of gladiatorial competitions in that carnage was welcomed by the people, but the hunts effected the youth of society more than the gladiators. Each of the four factions represented a color, which were red, white, blue, and green (Humphrey 141). Chariot racing during Etruscan times was religious, but as it gained popularity in Roman culture, the charioteers and their horses started becoming celebrities (Adkins 74). Musicians played horns and water organs to entertain the crowd further (Dersin 142). Down the middle of this oval ran the long, narrow wall called the spina, which divided the oval into 2 separate tracks. Less violent sports included the very popular game Trigon, in which three men stood in a triangle and flicked a small ball to each other (Tingay 141). Besides the violence, there are some very similar features with modern day sports such as the idolism of the charioteers and the excitement of watching people fight. Boxing matches also took place where the goal was to knock your opponent unconscious using only your fists. In one hand they carried a large oblong shield, and in the other a sword or a lance with a sleeve on the arm. As these baths evolved, they became popular recreational facilities as well as architectural marvels (Tingay 141).
Common topics in this essay:
Circus Maximus,
Amphitheatre Colloseum,
Thermaes Greek,
Rome Dudley,
Colloseum AD,
Appuleius Diocles,
Similarities Romans,
,
dudley 148,
humphrey 141,
circus maximus,
exercise vickers 126,
gladiatorial games,
charioteers factions,
scarre 70,
hundred days,
vickers 126,
animals slaughtered,
similar gladiatorial competitions,
gladiatorial competitions,
|
Acceptance Essays
