Roman Entertainment

The gladiatorial games were an important part of the lives of those in Pompeii. But those in Herculaneum were most likely unable to enjoy the games as home as they did not have a place to hold them. Gladiators were POW’s, freedmen, criminals, slaves and some men who had fallen on hard times who would volunteer.

Gladiatorial events were a token of the Roman civilization. A brutal form of sacrifice adapted from the earlier civilization of Etruscans, who believed when a person dies, his spirit relies on a blood sacrifice to survive in the afterlife. The first event to take place in Rome was in 264 BC, when Decimus Brutus held a sacrifice to honor his dead father (Roman Gladiator). Soon after these events became an undeniable part of the Romans lives, used for political power and general entertainment.

For as long as humans have existed, they have always found some way to entertain themselves. Even the earliest societies have left evidence of some sort of activity or hobby that they used as a form of entertainment. Perhaps the most famous building that was used as a form of entertainment is the Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian amphitheater. In ancient Rome, the most popular form of entertainment was the gladiator fights. These fights, usually among animals and trained public fighters, were staged in open arenas in a city's forum. There is evidence

Keegan (2005) elaborates on the brutal events held within this structure, also questioning the morality of these civilized people who enjoyed viewing murderous games. He explains that these actions are a complex representation of their culture’s architectural achievement and human barbarism seen through gladiator combats. There was a large amount of effort and preparation put into organizing and maintenance, worth it as the Colosseum continued to be rigorously used for the next four centuries. Eventually, these activities were phased out and the site later turned into a ruin, to be scavenged for its materials. Natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes contributed also contributed to this. It’s impressive how although the Colosseum’s function drastically changed over time, it continues to provide benefit to people.

Throughout the film, gladiatorial games are shown to be one of the most important parts of the Roman society. Gladiatorial games and fights followed a strict procedure and ceremony. They arrived at the Colosseum through an underground tunnel. From there, they were able to access to the arena through a pair of gates reserved to them only. Additionally, the gladiators often marched in groups, with their distinctive uniform and equipment. This is displayed accurately when Maximus enters the arena through a pair of gates and works with a team of other gladiators with similar outfits. However, they did not wear fantasy helmets and bands wrapped around the lower arms and their armors are not always closely historically accurate. Moreover, Roman people loved to watch people battle to death and bloodthirsty violence as a form of entertainment. Spectators in the film cheered and chanted wildly in the Colosseum when their favorite, Maximus was battling with

Entertainment was essential to daily life in Ancient Rome.  According to Juvenal1, it seemed that all Romans were interested in was "bread and circuses,"  and with theatres, amphitheatres, gambling, drama and public baths galore, the Romans never seemed to get bored.

Citizens in ancient Rome held their entertainment close. Entertainment was free, and appealed to all social classes, from slaves to the emperor. Two forms of entertainment are chariot racing and gladiator fights. These were two of the more popular forms of entertainment available to the average Roman citizens.

Being able to seat 50,000 spectators, to witness wild beast shows consisting of rhinos, bears, elephants, lions, and tigers were victims of the animal hunt shows that took place in the Colosseum along with bloody gladiator combat. Just from an earshot I could hear all about the mesmerizing events that goes on in there was enough to make me wanna be a gladiator myself. My excitement was off the rails counting down the days and hours to minutes even seconds till the events begin. One of the most finest things in life just watching the death of a weak gladiator to get the blood pumping this was a day to remember.

In fact, the Roman Colosseum was a massive theater in Rome that could have over 50,000 people sit in it. In the Colosseum, the day would be split into three parts. First, men would fight animals. Second, criminals would get eaten by animals as a punishment. Lastly, part three would be gladiator fights.

The environment that the Colosseum provided for games created a larger emphasis on the events in their culture. The Colosseum had many tricks and gadgets that enhanced the games and provided an illusion that further entertained the crowds. The two most popular events, the animal spectacles and staged sea fights, were direct results of the architectural advantages of Colosseum. Due to the lifting mechanisms in the arena, the cages for the larger animals were able to be directly placed on the arena. They were also able to remove the wooden surface of the arena and flood the corridors underneath to provide a space for the staged sea battles. The Colosseum became a symbol of Rome’s resurgence after the civil wars. So much so, that Vespasian said, “When the Colosseum falls, so falls Rome and all the

Next, the Circus Maximus was also a form of entertainment in the 6th century BCE. It was basically a massive racetrack, with seating that could fit up to 340-450,000 people. Originally the track was majorly served for chariot races. They were color coded to red, white, green, or blue and the chariots would be pulled with around 10 horses. Most of the imperial families owned the horse stables to collect money. Outside the track were festivals and social events sponsored by the empire. Overtime they figured out how to close the track and flood it, so they could have ship battles within the track. They also began using the track for special events, such as parades to honor soldiers and competitors. Overtime statues and trophies were placed in

The Roman Colosseum is important for many reasons. The main one being that it was an arena for all the games of the time such as chariot races, gladiator battles, lion fights and so on. During the Colosseum games it has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over 1 million animals were killed in the arena.

Romans were huge fans of sports events. This building came to be known as the “Colosseum”, because a gigantic statue of Nero, called the Colossus, stood next to it. The construction of the Colosseum was begun sometime between AD 70 and 72 during the reign of Vespasian; the structure was officially dedicated in AD 80 by Titus in a ceremony that included 100 days of games. The Colosseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire, seating 50,000 to 75,000 spectators. Its construction finally gave Rome a venue for its gladiatorial games and wild beast hunts worthy of the imperial capital. Audiences watched blood sports and spectacles including animal hunts, fights to the death between gladiators or between gladiators and wild animals,

Although it was built for chariot racing, Circus Maximus also hosted gladiator fights, wild animal hunts, sporting events, and processions (uchicago.edu). This many events at one place was quite a feat, and at one point, Circus Maximus hosted 24 races a day (uchicago.edu). Circus Maximus had 300,000 seats, as I said before, so lots of Romans could come to events, boosting the popularity of the Circus (romeguide.it). Finally, the Circus also hosted religious events, and inside there was a built-in shrine and 2 huge obelisks, the smaller of which was 88 feet high (uchicago.edu)! All this was very important to the Romans, and even to people

The Roman Colosseum, a colossal amphitheater, was built in the first century under Flavian's rule. Many events such as gladiator games, beast fights, naval battles, and much more took place inside the huge elliptical arena. People of all ages and classes attended these well-known spectacles. The Colosseum is a huge Roman architectural achievement and the fact that it is still standing today only amplifies the importance of this structure. Hundred of thousands of people attended the ancient games, and even more continue to visit the arena today.