Cruel Entertainment

In the last blog I talked about how ancient Romans loved getting together in order to live life at its fullest, but at what level? The most eccentric public entertainments developed in the Julio-Claudian dynasty starting by Caligula or Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August AD 12 – 24 January AD 41). Caligula is depicted as a ruthless emperor and as someone who had mental problems such as wandering the palace at night, dressing as a woman, and sending spectators to the arena to be eaten by animals because there were not prisoners, and he was bored. 

                                                    1. Emperor Caligula

The Julio-Claudian dynasty marked the era of the most elaborated, eccentric, and bloody games and sports. Usually, this games were played by trained gladiators who were often slaves, criminals, or prisoners of war. They were called retiarius, which means net-fighter. These kind of gladiators wore light equipment to protect themselves against their rivals, but also to have fast movements. 

                                               2. Retarius

Other types included the venationes, who used weapons to fight against animals. 

                                         3. Venatioes

During the Julio-Claudian dynasty, criminals and prisoners were thrown unarmed to fight with gladiators or animals. A Roman senator called Seneca, described the level of cruelty of this kind of games:

All the previous fighting had been merciful by comparison. Now finesse is set aside, and we have pure unadulterated murder. The combatants have no protective covering; their entire bodies are exposed to the blows. No blow falls in vain. This is what lots of people prefer to the regular contests, and even to those which are put on by popular request. And it is obvious why. There is no helmet, no shield to repel the blade. Why have armour? Why bother with skill? All that just delays death.

In the morning, men are thrown to lions and bears. At mid-day they are thrown to the spectators themselves. No sooner has a man killed, than they shout for him to kill another, or to be killed. The final victor is kept for some other slaughter. In the end, every fighter dies. And all this goes on while the arena is half empty.

You may object that the victims committed robbery or were murderers. So what? Even if they deserved to suffer, what's your compulsion to watch their sufferings? 'Kill him', they shout, 'Beat him, burn him'. Why is he too timid to fight? Why is he so frightened to kill? Why so reluctant to die? They have to whip him to make him accept his wounds.

Works cited:

Biography.com. “Caligula Biography.” A&E Television Networks, Accessed June 30, 2016. http://www.biography.com/people/caligula-9235253

Degli Esposti, Emmanuelle. “Rome’s Most Controversial Emperors.” The Telegraph. Accessed April 8, 2011. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8438454/Romes-most-controversial-emperors.html

Hopkins, Keith. “Murderous Games: Gladiatorial Contests in Ancient Rome.” History Today. History Today 33, no. 6 (June 6, 1983). Accessed 2016. http://www.historytoday.com/keith-hopkins/murderous-games-gladiatorial-contests-ancient-rome

Von Mehren, Jane. “The Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire.” National Geographic. Edited by Straight, Susan. 2014. 67-68

Images:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula#/media/File:Gaius_Caesar_Caligula.jpg

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retiarius#/media/File:Retiarius_stabs_secutor_(color).jpg

3. https://mirincondelabahia.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/zliten-mosaico.jpg

Getting Wasted in Ancient Rome

Leuconoë , don’t ask, we never know, what fate the gods grant us,

whether your fate or mine, don’t waste your time on Babylonian,

futile, calculations. How much better to suffer what happens,

whether Jupiter gives us more winters or this is the last one,

one debilitating the Tyrrhenian Sea on opposing cliffs.

Be wise, and mix the wine, since time is short: limit that far-reaching hope.

The envious moment is flying now, now, while we’re speaking:

Seize the day, place in the hours that come as little faith as you can. (Horace)

Ancient Romans believed life was too short to not enjoy its perks. This is why we (and they) often use the Latin phrase “Carpe diem” which means seize the day (i.e. live life to the fullest). Quintus Horatius Flaccus, or Horace, was the first poet to introduce this phrase in his poem Odes. 

                                             1. [Horace]

However, Romans probably new how to enjoy life before Horace was born because of their various forms of entertainment. Nowadays, there is a well known movie that describes this phrase perfectly is the movie called “Seize the Day,” based on the novel written by Saul Bellow, directed by Fielder Cook in 1989, and starring Robin Williams. The movie tells us the story of a Salesman Tommy Wilhelm (Williams) who lost his job, and goes back to his family in New York. Apparently he loves what he is good at, but his father pushes him to study medicine to secure his life, despite his son’s desire to be an actor. Things turn out worse when he tries to do what people tell him to do. 

                                                     2 [Seize the Day film starring Robin Williams]

 Cook’s film and Horace’s poem are examples that tell us that we should not waste our time doing things that we do not enjoy. However, people misinterpret happiness by combining alcohol. This was very common amongst Romans: “During this period, per capita consumption is estimated to have been about 250 liters per year. Over the next approximately 500 years, inexpensive and even free wine, was often made available to the general public. Wine was even used as payment by the state.³” This was a very common way to get entertained. 

                                         3. [Romans getting wasted because life is too short]

Works Cited

1.      Odes. 1.11

2.      Seize the Day. Directed by Fielder Cook. Aired 1986, initial DVD release February 2003, 93 minutes

3.     David J. Hanson, “Alcohol Among the Greeks and Romans,” Alcohol Problems and Solutions, http://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/alcohol-among-the-greeks-and-romans/

  

   Images:

 

    1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace#/media/File:Quinto_Orazio_Flacco.jpg

    2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seize_the_Day_(film)#/media/File:Seize_the_Day_(film).jpg

    3. https://www.google.ca/search?q=ancient+paintings+roman+banquets+images&biw=1280&bih=611&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0nZ-AzMvNAhWDXBQKHUV_D4MQsAQIIQ#imgrc=f6CcpoW7YZsGJM%3A

Entertainment in Ancient Rome: Toys

There are activities that fall into the category of the forgotten things, and these are the things that most people do not do anymore such as board games, strolls or picnics in the park. Luckily, I am proud to say that I belong to a generation where we used to do activities that require social interaction. I still remember playing many games on the street with my neighbours such as hide and seek, “el juego de las cebollitas” which is similar to the tug of war game, or soccer. Way back then, however, there was another generation where children used to interact to each other by singing chants like “La víbora de la mar” (The sea snake). Children who played the old fashioned games in the generations previously mentioned were common in ancient Rome. Therefore, the focus of this blog will be about children games in ancient Rome that were passed to new generations until the creation of social media. The process of passing the knowledge from adults to children is called enculturation.

One game that was common among children from ancient Rome until modern times is the ocellates or marbles which were little round stones made of clay or transparent glass. The game was popular that it is believed that the emperor Caesar Augustus played with these toys.  

[1] clay ocellates

[2] Children playing with marbles in the resent day

Another well known game of the Roman empire was called Nuts or nuces. This game is similar to knucklebones, and both boys and girls could play. Its purpose was to toss and catch the object using only one hand.

 [3] A high relief of a sarcophagus that shows children playing with nuts

 [4] A much modern version of knucklebones called jacks

Works cited:

Francisco Javier Tostado. El juego en la antigua Roma, by Tostado, Francisco Javier. Accessed July 3, 2013. https://franciscojaviertostado.com/2013/07/03/el-juego-en-la-antigua-roma/

Layne, Jaime Marie. “The Enculturative Function of Toys and Games in Ancient Greece and Rome,” (Master of Arts diss., University of Maryland, 2008), 68

Image sources:

[1]  http://www.todocoleccion.net/juguetes-antiguos-juegos-coleccion/15-antiguas-canicas-o-canica-barro-cocido~x41774227

[2] http://sp.depositphotos.com/33866403/stock-photo-boy-and-girl-playing-marbles.html

[3] https://franciscojaviertostado.com/2013/07/03/el-juego-en-la-antigua-roma/

[4] https://www.amazon.ca/joisso-Metal-Jacks-Ball-Set/dp/B002Q0S388