140 likes | 213 Views
Roman Entertainment. Gladiators. First Games: 264 BC. The word gladiator comes from the Latin word for swordsman. Gladius = sword Image reference: huehueteotl.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/gladiatorgerome.jpg.
E N D
Roman Entertainment Gladiators
First Games: 264 BC • The word gladiator comes from the Latin word for swordsman. Gladius = sword Image reference: huehueteotl.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/gladiatorgerome.jpg
Gladiatorial combat began as a religious ritual to help the deceased cross “to the other side”. • Picture Reference: bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/images/gladiators_animai
The Coliseum: • Built by Vespasian but completed by his son Titus.
Roman Spectacles: • This brutal form of entertainment led to the deaths of over 800,000 people and tens of thousands of animals. • Whole species of animals were taken from their natural habitats. • Image reference: 3.bp.blogspot.com/_0-eb0tkH-k8/STXGQ1e8G9I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/GE3aeMQKumA/s400/roman-gladiators-4
Gladiators were: • Criminals • Disobedient slaves • Prisoners of war • Volunteers from the military
They fought with bare torsos to show their readiness for death. • Image Reference: xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=3500&pid=10308
Greece and Roman Comparison: • Sports in Ancient Greece: • Were grounded in mythology • Linked to religious beliefs • Gender specific (left out married women) • Were frequently violent • Free from measurement and record keeping
Sports/Entertainment in Rome: • Were an emphasized spectacle • Combat based • Were a display of the power of the leaders • A diversion of the people • Excluded women athletes • No record keeping
Question: • With a partner respond to and pass in the following question: “ The moral issues of the gladitorial games are obvious to us as citizens in a modern world. What moral issues need to be addressed in today’s athletics and professional sports?”
Chariot Racing: • Held on an oval track, a race was 7 laps around. • As many as 24 races were held in a day. • Could hold 300,000 spectators. • To start a race, a white cloth was dropped. • Brass dolphins were used to count laps.
Horses • Special techniques were used for training as horses had to go longer distances at higher speeds. • Teams of horses trained together as horses raced in teams of one, two or four.