Free food and entertainment Funded by patricians to Buy plebeian votes Keep the mob amused so they wouldnt cause trouble The Colosseum Begun by Emperor Vespasian 70 CE and finished by son Titus 79 CE ID: 626435
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Slide1
Roman EntertainmentSlide2
Bread & Circuses
Free food and entertainment
Funded by patricians to…
Buy plebeian votesKeep the mob amused so they wouldn’t cause troubleSlide3Slide4
The Colosseum
Begun by Emperor Vespasian (70 CE) and finished by son Titus (79 CE),
remodelled
by Vespasian’s younger son, DomitianSeats 55,000100 Day Inaugural Celebration: 11,000 wild animals killedSlide5
Colosseum Features
Hypogeum
Series of underground tunnels to house animals and slavesSlide6
Features, cont’d
Suggestum
Similar to a skybox where emperor or wealthy would sitSlide7
Features, cont’d
Velarium
Giant canopy was the world’s first retractable roofSlide8
Colosseum Events
Munera
: gladiatorial shows put on by wealthy individuals (not the state)
Veatia: animals hunts
Rhinos, hippos, elephants, giraffes, lions, panthers, leopards,
corcodiles
, ostriches all hunted
Theatre converted into giant lake or made into a nature setting with treesSlide9Slide10
Circus Maximus
Used for horse and chariot racing
Races were 6.5 km long
Track held 12 chariotsSlide11
Circus Maximus Features
Large bullet-shaped arena
4 stories high
½ Roman mile down each sideCentral spina
Seat 260,000 spectators
Twice as large as any stadium ever built!
Spina
: raised median that separated the track, featured statues of gods and Egyptian obelisks
Meta
: at either end where charioteers made dangerous turnsSlide12
Popularity of Races
City deserted when race was held
Augustus stationed soldiers on street corners to prevent looting
Chariot racing was the largest entertainment staged by the RomansBetting was a huge attractionSlide13
Racing Teams
Chariot races organized into 4 teams
White, green, blue, red
3 chariots per team4 horses per team
= 12 charioteers and 48 horses
Races ran for 7 laps (tracked with little gold dolphins)Slide14
Charioteer Fans
Thessalonika
(Greece), 390 CE
Charioteer made a homosexual advance to a Roman generalCharioteer arrested and jailedFans rioted, killed the general, broke into jail and released the charioteer, continued to riot and loot the city
Roman emperor sent troops and 7,000 killed in ensuing chaosSlide15
Gaius Appuleius
Diocles
Raced for red teamLived during time of Hadrian24-year careerWon 1,462 out of 4,257 races (35%)
Placed 2
nd
in 33% of his races
Earned an estimated $1,000,000 USDSlide16
Top 10 Events at
Colosseum
& Circus
10. Animal shows9. Animal vs
animal battles
8. Animal
vs
human battles
7. Gladiatorial battles
6. Mock naval battles
5. Public castration of criminals
4. Random killing of spectators
3. Chariot races
2. Wounded or “fakers” poked by red-hot iron and dragged with a meat hook
1. Recreate stories from Greek mythologySlide17Slide18
Roman Baths (Thermae
)
Public bathing as a habitual element in daily life
Baths became symbol of Roman civilization throughout empireHeight of popularity in 1st
/2
nd
centuries CE
Roman bathing ritual was complex and required several hours to complete
Social experience
Where Romans met, relaxed, snacked, gossipedSlide19
Bathing Ritual
Apodyterium
: disrobe completely
Unctuarium
: apply olive oil
Tepidarium
: warm room for chattingSlide20
Bathing Ritual, cont’d
Palaestra
: take part in physical games
Caldarium: hot steamy room for
strigiling
(scrape off oils and sweat with large metal spoon-shaped object)Slide21
Bathing Ritual, cont’d
Caldarium (hot bath) and
Frigidarium
(cold bath)
Message with oils and perfumesSlide22
How did it work?
Hypocast
system of under-floor heating
Hot air created from basement fires (stocked by slaves) flowed between brick or concrete columns which support the ground floorWarm air flows through wall ducts into rooms and quickly heats themSlide23
DiagramSlide24Slide25
Roman Dinner
Dinner (
cena
) occurred late in the afternoon (5 pm), after the business of the day was concluded and baths had been visitedSlide26
Food of the Poor
Very poor country folk had a terrible diet
Coarse bread and porridge (made from wheat)
Tenant farmers could enjoy the fruits of their laboursGrains, vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry
Sour wineSlide27
A Country Feast
First course
Eggs, goat’s cheese
Second courseBoiled bacon, cabbage, endive and radish salad, juicy olivesDessertFigs, plums, grapes, apples, honeycomb
Rough table manners: ate sitting down!Slide28
Food of the Wealthy
Fresh fruits and vegetables from estate gardens
Roasted venison, pheasant, partridge
Milk curds flavoured with herbsTuna, anchovies, mussels, oysters from Mediterranean SeaSlide29
A City Feast
First course
Eggs and salad, shellfish
Second courseStuffed pork, veal, vegetablesDessertFruit, dates, honey cakes
Ice-cream (snow mixed with flour and sweet white wine)Slide30
Extravagant Food to Impress
Eight-course meal
Flamingo tongue
Peacock brainBear cutletsHare with sow’s uddersSlide31
Entertaining Guests
BYON: bring your own napkin
Wiping hands and mouth
Doggy bag for leftoversOn arrival, wash hands as part of a ritual purification and change outdoor footwear for indoor sandalsGiven dining wreaths made of plants sacred to the gods the host wished to
honourSlide32
Dining Style
Recline on couches around a
low dining table
Spitting and belching were perfectly acceptable
Ate with fingers
Standard arrangement: guests situated on 3 couches arranged around a central table
Each couch held 3 people
Seating arrangement gave dining room
its
name:
tricliniumSlide33
Significance of Couch Positions
Indicate importance of guests
Host: on left couch at the top
Situated so head next to guest of honour, positioned on back couch, overlooking the view
Next 2 important guests sharing the ouch with host
Lesser guests filled remaining spacesSlide34
Dinner Entertainment
No matter how simple the meal, entertainment always an integral part
As simple as conversation (although never about business) or poetry readings
Music often performed, small plays, juggling and
acrobatics
Gladiatorial bouts
r
ecorded as rounding off
some elite evenings