ROMAN ENTERTAINMENT

BREAD & CIRCUSES Free food and entertainment Funded by patricians to…

Buy plebeian votesKeep the mob amused so they wouldn’t cause

trouble

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

COLOSSEUM FEATURES Hypogeum

Series of underground tunnels to house animals and slaves

FEATURES, CONT’D Suggestum

Similar to a skybox where emperor or wealthy would sit

FEATURES, CONT’D Velarium

Giant canopy was the world’s first retractable roof

COLOSSEUM EVENTS Munera: gladiatorial

shows put on by wealthy individuals (not the state)

Veatia: animals huntsRhinos, hippos,

elephants, giraffes, lions, panthers, leopards, corcodiles, ostriches all hunted

Theatre converted into giant lake or made into a nature setting with trees

CIRCUS MAXIMUS Used for horse and chariot racing Races were 6.5 km long Track held 12 chariots

CIRCUS MAXIMUS FEATURES

Large bullet-shaped arena4 stories high½ Roman mile down each sideCentral spinaSeat 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

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 Romans

Betting was a huge attraction

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)

CHARIOTEER FANS Thessalonika (Greece), 390 CE

Charioteer made a homosexual advance to a Roman general

Charioteer 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 chaos

GAIUS APPULEIUS DIOCLES Raced 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

TOP 10 EVENTS AT COLOSSEUM & CIRCUS10. Animal shows9. Animal vs animal battles8. Animal vs human battles7. Gladiatorial battles6. Mock naval battles5. Public castration of criminals4. Random killing of spectators3. Chariot races2. Wounded or “fakers” poked by red-hot iron and dragged with a meat hook1. Recreate stories from Greek mythology

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

BATHING RITUAL1. Apodyterium: disrobe

completely

2. Unctuarium: apply olive oil

3. Tepidarium: warm room for chatting

BATHING RITUAL, CONT’D4. Palaestra: take part in physical games

5. Caldarium: hot steamy room for strigiling (scrape off oils and sweat with large metal spoon-shaped object)

BATHING RITUAL, CONT’D6. Caldarium (hot bath) and Frigidarium

(cold bath)

7. Message with oils and perfumes

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

DIAGRAM

ROMAN DINNER Dinner (cena) occurred late in the

afternoon (5 pm), after the business of the day was concluded and baths had been visited

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, poultrySour wine

A COUNTRY FEAST First course

Eggs, goat’s cheese Second course

Boiled bacon, cabbage, endive and radish salad, juicy olives

DessertFigs, plums, grapes, apples, honeycomb

Rough table manners: ate sitting down!

FOOD OF THE WEALTHY Fresh fruits and vegetables from estate

gardens Roasted venison, pheasant, partridge Milk curds flavoured with herbs Tuna, anchovies, mussels, oysters from

Mediterranean Sea

A CITY FEAST First course

Eggs and salad, shellfish Second course

Stuffed pork, veal, vegetables Dessert

Fruit, dates, honey cakes Ice-cream (snow mixed with flour and sweet

white wine)

EXTRAVAGANT FOOD TO IMPRESS Eight-course meal Flamingo tongue Peacock brain Bear cutlets Hare with sow’s

udders

ENTERTAINING GUESTS BYON: bring your own napkin

Wiping hands and mouthDoggy 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

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: triclinium

SIGNIFICANCE OF COUCH POSITIONS Indicate importance of guests

Host: on left couch at the topSituated 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

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