1. Roman Entertainment

2. ROME Republic 509 BC - 27 BC; Empire 27 BC - 476 AD

3. Rome Disciplined Loyal
Roman Republic
Roman Empire
Disciplined
Loyal
Theatre more similar to Greek Comedy and Tragedy
One day of theatre
Becomes more debaucherous
Rise of Christianity—which leads to more Civic Religious festivals
175 days a year

4. Entertainment
Theatre in honor of religious festivals; civic celebrations (to honor the dead, or celebrate if we won a battle)
3 Main Types
Theatre-Comedy and Tragedy
Chariot Races
BLOOD SPORTS

5. Roman Comedy Main playwrights: Terrence and Plautus
Based on Greek comedies—
more like a musical comedy today with music accompanying 2/3 of the show
Domestic situations plots with mistaken identity
Stock characters: servants, soldiers, young lovers, creepy old men, shrewish wives.

6. Roman Tragedy Seneca most famous playwright
Adapted Greek plays of Medea, Oedipus and Agamemnon
Was tutor to Emperor Nero—Nero later ordered Seneca to commit suicide
Seneca was large influence on Christopher Marlow and William Shakespeare.

7. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

8. First Games: 264 BC
The word gladiator comes from the Latin word for swordsman. Gladius = sword
Image reference: huehueteotl.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/gladiatorgerome.jpg

9. Gladiatorial combat began as a religious ritual to help the deceased cross “to the other side”.
Picture Reference: bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/images/gladiators_animai

10. The Coliseum:
Built by Vespasian but completed by his son Titus.

11. Blood sports Gladiatorial contests Venationes Naumachaie
Hand to hand combat
Venationes
Wild animal fights
Naumachaie
Sea battles. The romans would flood a stadium and have mock battles in boats, but people actually died

12. Roman Spectacles:
This brutal form of entertainment led to the deaths of over 800,000 people and tens of thousands of animals.
Whole species of animals were taken from their natural habitats.
Image reference: 3.bp.blogspot.com/_0-eb0tkH-k8/STXGQ1e8G9I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/GE3aeMQKumA/s400/roman-gladiators-4

13. Gladiators were: Criminals Disobedient slaves Prisoners of war
Volunteers from the military
They fought with bare torsos to show their readiness for death.

14. Sports/Entertainment in Rome:
Were an emphasized spectacle
Funded by the government and wealthy citizens
Were a display of the power of the leaders
A diversion of the people
70% of population on “welfare”
Excluded women athletes
BREAD AND CIRCUSES

15. BEN HUR

16. Circus Maximus:

17. Chariot Racing: Held on an oval track, a race was 7 laps around.
As many as 24 races were held in a day.
Could hold 300,000 spectators.
To start a race, a white cloth was dropped.

18. Horses
Special techniques were used for training as horses had to go longer distances at higher speeds.
Teams of horses trained together as horses raced in teams of one, two or four.

19. Fall of the roman empire
With the rise of Christian Church—gladiators and animal fights start to fade in popularity
Although more Roman plays survive than Greek pays, Greek plays are done more frequently by modern theatres because Greek theatre is more philosophical.