1 Roman Entertainment
2 Bread & Circuses Free food and entertainment Funded by patricians to…Buy plebeian votes Keep the mob amused so they wouldn’t cause trouble
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4 The Colosseum Begun by Emperor Vespasian (70 CE) and finished by son Titus (79 CE), remodelled by Vespasian’s younger son, Domitian Seats 55,000 100 Day Inaugural Celebration: 11,000 wild animals killed
5 Colosseum Features HypogeumSeries of underground tunnels to house animals and slaves
6 Features, cont’d SuggestumSimilar to a skybox where emperor or wealthy would sit
7 Features, cont’d VelariumGiant canopy was the world’s first retractable roof
8 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 trees
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10 Circus Maximus Used for horse and chariot racingRaces were 6.5 km long Track held 12 chariots
11 Circus Maximus FeaturesLarge bullet-shaped arena 4 stories high ½ Roman mile down each side Central 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 turns
12 Popularity of Races City deserted when race was heldAugustus stationed soldiers on street corners to prevent looting Chariot racing was the largest entertainment staged by the Romans Betting was a huge attraction
13 Racing Teams Chariot races organized into 4 teamsWhite, green, blue, red 3 chariots per team 4 horses per team = 12 charioteers and 48 horses Races ran for 7 laps (tracked with little gold dolphins)
14 Charioteer Fans Thessalonika (Greece), 390 CECharioteer made a homosexual advance to a Roman general Charioteer arrested and jailed Fans 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 chaos
15 Gaius Appuleius DioclesRaced for red team Lived during time of Hadrian 24-year career Won 1,462 out of 4,257 races (35%) Placed 2nd in 33% of his races Earned an estimated $1,000,000 USD
16 Top 10 Events at Colosseum & Circus10. Animal shows 9. 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 mythology
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18 Roman Baths (Thermae) Public bathing as a habitual element in daily life Baths became symbol of Roman civilization throughout empire Height of popularity in 1st/2nd centuries CE Roman bathing ritual was complex and required several hours to complete Social experience Where Romans met, relaxed, snacked, gossiped
19 Bathing Ritual Apodyterium: disrobe completelyUnctuarium: apply olive oil Tepidarium: warm room for chatting
20 Bathing Ritual, cont’d Palaestra: take part in physical gamesCaldarium: hot steamy room for strigiling (scrape off oils and sweat with large metal spoon-shaped object)
21 Bathing Ritual, cont’d Caldarium (hot bath) and Frigidarium (cold bath) Message with oils and perfumes
22 How did it work? Hypocast system of under-floor heatingHot air created from basement fires (stocked by slaves) flowed between brick or concrete columns which support the ground floor Warm air flows through wall ducts into rooms and quickly heats them
23 Diagram
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25 Roman Dinner Dinner (cena) occurred late in the afternoon (5 pm), after the business of the day was concluded and baths had been visited
26 Food of the Poor Very poor country folk had a terrible dietCoarse bread and porridge (made from wheat) Tenant farmers could enjoy the fruits of their labours Grains, vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry Sour wine
27 A Country Feast First course Second course DessertEggs, goat’s cheese Second course Boiled bacon, cabbage, endive and radish salad, juicy olives Dessert Figs, plums, grapes, apples, honeycomb Rough table manners: ate sitting down!
28 Food of the Wealthy Fresh fruits and vegetables from estate gardensRoasted venison, pheasant, partridge Milk curds flavoured with herbs Tuna, anchovies, mussels, oysters from Mediterranean Sea
29 A City Feast First course Second course DessertEggs and salad, shellfish Second course Stuffed pork, veal, vegetables Dessert Fruit, dates, honey cakes Ice-cream (snow mixed with flour and sweet white wine)
30 Extravagant Food to ImpressEight-course meal Flamingo tongue Peacock brain Bear cutlets Hare with sow’s udders
31 Entertaining Guests BYON: bring your own napkinWiping hands and mouth Doggy bag for leftovers On arrival, wash hands as part of a ritual purification and change outdoor footwear for indoor sandals Given dining wreaths made of plants sacred to the gods the host wished to honour
32 Dining Style Recline on couches around a low dining tableSpitting 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: triclinium
33 Significance of Couch PositionsIndicate 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 spaces
34 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 recorded as rounding off some elite evenings