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ROMAN ENTERTAINMENT the Colosseum - 1 ROMAn enTeRTAInMenT The Colosseum - 1 The word “amphitheater” The Colosseum out the dead bodies—animal and human. was an amphitheater. The word amphitheater means “double theater.” A Roman theater was Structural design Designed with a secret shaped like the letter “D” and if you combine underground passageway in case the emperor two “Ds” back to back, it’s easy to see how this needed to make a quick getaway, the best structure got its name. The stadium or arena box seats went to the emperor and his family. was the flat area in the center. Sand to soak up The vestal virgins had their seats right next the blood spilled by both humans and animals to the royal family. Senators sat in the next covered this area. Rows or tiers of marble seats row, middle-class citizens sat in the lower surrounded the stadium giving spectators an seats, and lower-class Romans, foreigners, excellent view of the show below. and slaves sat furthest away from the arena. Sometimes, a large awning called a velarium Rome’s Colosseum The most famous Ro- would be spread over the seating area to man amphitheater is the Colosseum in Rome. protect spectators from sun and rain. This Emperors Vespasian and Titus built it in the enormous structure was even equipped with first century. This father and son belonged to lavatories and public eating houses, again very the Flavius gen, so the structure was called the much like our modern athletic stadiums. Flavian Amphitheater at first, but a huge statue, or colossus, of Emperor Nero stood nearby Performers The principal performers at the the building. This statue, more than 30 meters Colosseum were the gladiators, who started high, was such a well-known landmark that the Games with a procession accompanied eventually the Flavian Amphitheater became by dancers, musicians, jugglers, and priests. known as the Colosseum—the amphitheater These men were often recruited from the ranks near the Colossus. of slaves or prisoners-of-war. They were often kept chained up in barracks and were treated The Games The Colosseum was the place very cruelly, but a successful gladiator could in which the Games were held. These fights earn his freedom and many went on to own and massacres passed for entertainment in schools of their own where they trained other ancient Rome. The idea first began around swordsmen. 264 B.C. when two men staged a fight to the death among six slaves to honor the funeral Styles of fighting To make the fight more of their dead father. Fights like these became interesting, the Romans devised different very popular and were often held on public styles of fighting with different weapons and holidays in honor of a god, a military victory, or armor. First was the heavily armed samnite as a public favor by some candidate for office. who carried a sword or lance and the scutum The Colosseum could hold 50,000 spectators (a large square shield like the Roman soldiers who entered the structure through 76 gates. used). His chest was naked, but he wore an Tickets were distributed before each show enormous helmet, and protective coverings on marked with a designated entrance gate, his right arm and left leg. Next was the thra- much like modern-day seating at football cian with a short curved sword and a small stadiums. The Colosseum had 80 gates, but round shield called a parma. Third was the four were not used for spectator entry. Two of myrmillo, or fishman, so called because he these gates were reserved for the emperor and had a fish or sea-creature on his helmet who his guests, one was the performer’s entrance carried a sword and shield. These three types, to the arena, and one was used for dragging called secutors, were often pitted against the Romans II:XL ROMAn enTeRTAInMenT ROMAn enTeRTAInMenT The Colosseum - 1 The Colosseum - 2 retiarius, or net-wielder. This gladiator had ably a symbol for the sword. To “turn” the the least amount of armor, with only a broad sword meant to use it; to “press” it was to leather belt and a heavy shoulder piece for return it to his scabbard. The modern phrases protection. His weapons were a trident (a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down,” meaning you three-pronged spear) and a net, with which he favor or disfavor something, are based on a tried to entangle his opponent. The Romans misunderstanding of these ancient Roman loved matches between any of the first three hand signals. and the retiarius because of the contrast in the amount of armor they carried and the big What did success mean? Successful gladia- differences between them. The secutor was tors received a wooden sword. It meant one of heavily armed and always on the attack against two things: if a man were a slave, he became the retiarius, who was lightly armed and always free, and if he were free, he could retire from on the retreat. These encounters gave the the arena. Successful gladiators were much crowd a spectacle of brute force versus skill like our modern-day athletes. Crowds fol- and cunning that never failed to please. lowed them, love letters arrived constantly, large fortunes could be made. One, named Sometimes gladiators were made to fight Hermes, even had a poem written in his honor blindfolded on horseback, and often men were by the poet Martial: pitted against wild animals such as tigers or lions. These beast fighters were called the Hermes, champion fighter of the century, bestiarii. The Games were always full of the Hermes, skilled in the use of all arms, Hermes, both gladiator and trainer, most exciting spectacle and the gladiators Hermes, the scourge and terror of the shows, were the central players. Hermes, feared alone by Helius and Advolans, Hermes, trained to win, but not to kill, Greeting the emperor Before the Games Hermes, always a sell-out when he appears, began, the gladiators would greet the emperor Hermes, darling of the actresses, Hermes, arrogant with deadly spear, with the words, “Hail, Caesar, those about to Hermes, menacing with Neptune’s trident, die, salute you,” indicating their willingness Hermes, terrifying in crested helmet, to die to satisfy the citizens of Rome. After Hermes, glory of Mars, three in one. this announcement, they would pair off and —Martial, Epigrams 5:24 begin the show. Other entertainment Besides gladiatorial Usually these battles were a fight to the death, combat, the arena also promised many other but sometimes the crowd spared a defeated kinds of entertainment. The Romans loved to warrior if he had fought particularly well. First watch animals fight each other as well as to he had to “appeal to the finger,” that is, he fight with men. The number of animals killed in held up a finger, admitting defeat and asking the Roman arenas was phenomenal. Emperor for mercy. If he had fought particularly well or Augustus once boasted of having had 3,500 was a favorite of the mob, the crowd gave the animals killed in his shows. Several years later, “thumbs pressed” sign and he walked away; Emperor Titus had 5,000 slaughtered in one if not, they gave the “thumbs turned” sign and day. In A.D. 249 Emperor Philip celebrated the doomed man died, amidst a fanfare of Rome’s 1,000th anniversary with spectacular trumpets. We are not certain as to the exact games. Every wild beast in Rome was killed meaning of the phrases, “thumbs pressed” during these Games: 32 elephants, 10 elks, 10 and “thumbs turned.” The thumb was prob- tigers, 60 tame lions, 30 leopards, 10 hyenas, Romans II:XLI ROMAn enTeRTAInMenT The Colosseum - 3 6 hippos, 1 rhinoceros, 10 zebras, 10 giraffes, as the Colosseum you can imagine the dif- 20 wild asses, and 40 wild horses. ficulty and the expense of providing this kind of entertainment. Reactions to the Games Not all Romans were fond of this cruel and brutal spectacle. What is left? Today, all that remains of the In a letter written by Cicero, we read the fol- Colosseum is the outer shell of the structure. lowing sentiments: During the Middle Ages people stripped away most of the marble seats to use as building “The remaining five days were taken up materials. At the beginning of the 20th cen- with animal hunts, which were certainly tury, the Italian government decided to open splendid. But what civilized man can enjoy up the underground passages where the the sight of a feeble man being mauled by performers prepared and the animals were a powerful beast, or a noble beast being caged. Therefore, what you see today is an pierced by a spear? On the last day, it amphitheater without seats or an arena. Yet, was the turn of the elephants. As usual, even in this state, the Colosseum will always the crowd was astonished at the sight of be a symbol of Rome. These famous words them, but I couldn’t say I enjoyed it. They by the Venerable Bede, a 7th century Chris- seem to be almost like human beings.” tian writer, describes his feelings about this —Cicero, Ad Familiares 7.1 famous structure: Religious persecution On occasion, the “As long as the Colosseum stands, Romans did not hesitate to slaughter human Rome will stand. beings. During the religious persecutions of When the Colosseum falls, Rome will the Jews and Christians, the Romans forced fall. unarmed people to face wild animals in the When Rome falls, the world will fall.” arena. The first Christian to suffer martyrdom —Bede in the Colosseum was Saint Ignatius, who was thrown to the lions after exclaiming, “I am as the grain of the field, and must be ground by Directions: Select two of the the teeth of the lions, that I may become fit paragraphs in this essay to illus- for the Lord’s table.” Shortly, after this state- trate.
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