1. 4. In 105 BC the consuls were finally authorized to organize ludi circenses, so they became a public event. Many private munera were nevertheless organized also after that date. The last gladiatorial game in the Coliseum is recorded in AD 438, when the games were abolished by the emperor Valentinian III.

2. 5. The munera (games) expressed the rituals of the aristocratic class of the Italic world; not only were they religious ceremonies, but they became an exhibition of power and family prestige, and very soon they were immensely popular. Their number increased very rapidly, also for political reasons. Rich citizens who wanted to get the favor (and the votes) of the plebeians, whose vote was decisive for public careers, started offering games. plebeian 1. Of or relating to the common people of ancient Rome: a plebeian magistrate. 2. Of, belonging to, or characteristic of commoners. 3. Unrefined or coarse in nature or manner; common or vulgar

3. 7. The games were held, like religious ceremonies, on fixed days but there were also extraordinary games and ones offered by private individuals. At the end of the Empire there were 177 "spectacle" days per year (10 for the gladiators, 66 for the circus and 101 for theatre plays). However, the nature of the games changed with time, until "any pretext was good enough to regale the populace with combats" (Auguet). The games became almost an everyday matter, and during Caesar’s time a hunt was added to the gladiatorial combats to enrich the spectacle. The terracotta statues of the gladiators were very popular in Roman houses Regale : to entertain sumptuously : feast with delicacies 2 : to give pleasure or amusement to

4. 8. In time, the shows grew in quantity and splendor: Julius Caesar himself gave a munus with more than three hundred pairs of gladiators. The taste of the spectacles changed as well: the public wanted to be astounded, so silver armors, exotic animals, choreographies, music and "special effects" were used. Choreographies: a. The art of creating and arranging dances or ballets. b. A work created by this art. 2. Something, such as a series of planned situations, likened to dance arrangements.

5. 7. The games were held, like religious ceremonies, on fixed days but there were also extraordinary games and ones offered by private individuals. At the end of the Empire there were 177 "spectacle" days per year (10 for the gladiators, 66 for the circus and 101 for theatre plays). However, the nature of the games changed with time, until "any pretext was good enough to regale the populace with combats" (Auguet). The games became almost an everyday matter, and during Caesar’s time a hunt was added to the gladiatorial combats to enrich the spectacle. The terracotta statues of the gladiators were very popular in Roman houses Regale : to entertain sumptuously : feast with delicacies 2 : to give pleasure or amusement to

6. 9. During the games gifts were offered to the spectators; small balls or tablets, with the image of the gift stamped on it, were thrown to the public. One could win food, a slave, or even a house or a ship. And then there was the sparsio: to refresh the people petals of flowers and perfumes were thrown from above.spectatorssparsio