-History , facts and information about roman sports. One of the most important attributes of the Romans was the ability to assimililate ideas and customs from cultures and societies they had encountered. Roman sports were very influenced by the Greeks. However the Romans were applying their own "twist" to their games which were less artistic than the Greeks. Roman attention to the development and strengthening the body with exercises was remarkable if only for military purposes. In many sports the Roman emphasis was on spectacle and violence and, therefore, could be added to the contents of the Roman games.

-Roman sports and exercise-The Greek influence The Romans originally had no places corresponding to the Greek gymnasia and palaestrae ;and when towards the close of the republic ,wealthy Romans,in imitation of the Greeks, began to build places for exercises in their villas which they called gymnasia and palaestrae. Ancient palestrae from Herculaneum archaeological site

-Roman sports-The Gymnasium,stadia and Xysti The gymnasium was introduced among the Romans from Greece. The emperor Nero was the first to build a public gymnasium at Rome. Another was erected by Commodus. Although these institutions were intended to introduce Greek gymnastics among the Romans they never gained any great importance, as the magnificent amphitheatres, and other colossal buildings had always greater charms for the Romans than the gymnasia. The stadia were places constructed like porticos, in which the wrestlers exercised.

-Roman sports-The Campus Martius The Campus Martius was located near the Tiber. It was called Martius, because it had been consecrated to Mars, the god of war. Sports and exercises were practised and performed here including chariot races and races with single horses. The Martius complex was adorned with the statues of famous men, with arches columns, porticos and other magnificent structures. This location also housed the villa publica or palace for the reception and entertainment of ambassadors from foreign states, who were not allowed to enter the city of Rome.

The pentathlon (quinquertium) which consisted of: The athletae were those who contended for a prize in the five following contests: Running (cursus) Wrestling (lucta) Boxing (pugilatus) The pentathlon (quinquertium) which consisted of: jumping or leaping the foot-race throwing of the discus throwing of the spear wrestling The pancratium – a combination of wrestling and boxing and martial arts

Roman Sports – The Pancratium Under the Roman emperors, and especially under Nero, who was passionately fond of the Grecian games, the number of athletae greatly increased enjoying many privileges and were generaloly relieved from the payment of taxes, and also enjoyed the first seats in all public games and spectacles. The Pancratium was one of the hardest athletic games in which all the powers of the fighter were called into action. The Pancratium consisted of a fierce fight involving boxing and wrestling. The fight was not controlled by any rules and biting and scratching were not uncommon. In fact, any tactics were in order that one of the parties might hope to overcome the other. The victory was not decided until one of the parties was killed, or lifted up a finger, thereby declaring that he was unable to continue the contest either from pain ot fatigue. By this action he declared himself conquered or was strangled.

Roman Sports – The Boxing One of the favorite Roman sports was Boxing which was a popular game during the whole period of the republic as well as the empire. Boxing gloves were made of raw ox-hide cut into thin pieces and tied under the hollow or palm of the hand, leaving the fingers uncovered. The sport of boxing, like all other gymnastic and athletic games, was regulated by certain rules. Cases of death either during the fight itself or soon after, appear to have occurred frequently. If the fight lasted too long the boxers agreed not to move, but to stand still and receive the blows without using any means of defence, except a certain position of the hands. The contest did not end until one of the combatants was compelled by fatigue, wounds or despair, to declare himself conquered which was generally done by lifting up one hand.

Roman Sports – Ball games and Tennis. The folliculus was an inflated ball of leather, perhaps originally the skin of an animal filled with air. Boys and old men among the Romans threw it from one to another with their arms and hands as a gentle exercise of the body. But the pula was the name of the ball used by the serious athletes. The game with the ball was a favourite one with the Romans and was played at Rome by persons of all ages. Augustus used to play at ball and Pliny related how much his aged friend Spurinna exercised himself in this game for the purpose of warding off old age. Under the Roman empire ball games were generally played before taking a bath, in a room called the sphaeristerium which was attached to the baths and included facilities for the pilicrepus or tennis player. Greek and Roman sports of the ball games were played in various ways, among which there was also football, played in much the same way as with us, by a great number of persons divided into two parties opposed to one another.