3.4 ROMAN LEISURE + ENTERTAINMENT Flashcards
How tall is the colosseum
57m
Capacity of colosseum
50,000
What was the vomitoria in colosseum
Lots of stairways for people to enter/exit with water fountains in
How many entrances into colosseum
80
Purpose of awning at colosseum
Cover 2/3 of audience from sun
Who sat at what level in the colosseum
- Level - emperor, vestal virgins, senators
- 1st - equites
- 2nd - citizens
- 3rd - women and slaves
Negative to seating at colosseum
Famalies segregated
Seating material at colosseum
Marble apart from fourth tier - wooden
How was the colosseum designed so the experiance was optimal
- Steeply tiered seating
- Oval
- Arena had 4m tall walls
- Archers to shoot any threatening animals
Purpose of trapdoors at colosseum
Link to tunnels underneath and to outside stadium, so animals were a suprise
Why was the floor of the colosseum sand
Absorb the blood of the victims
Why would emperors or politicians put on games
Secure votes and show off wealth/power
Most expensive games at Colosseum by Emperor Trojan after military victories
- 123 days
- 10,000 gladiators
- 11,000 animals
Itinerary of day at colosseum
- Mornining = animal
- Midday = convict execution (vs animals, each other - serve as warning)
- Afternoon = gladiator fights
Romans would’ve liked seeing wild animals at the gladitorial games as they would’ve never seen them. Give examples
Hippo, rhine, buffalo, crocodiles, giraffes
Why might empeorors show animals diying in colosseum
Their might over nature, and vastness of empire
What would happen when a gladiator would surrender
- Raise a finger
- Crowd cheer or boo
- Emperor make descion
How would a gladiator die if defeated
- Accept it without resisting
- Someone dressed as Mercury would remove them
- Sand raked over
Who became gladiators
- prisoners of war
- criminals
- people who signed themselves into it
Features of murmillo
- Heavily armoured
- Fish shaped helmet
Features of secutor
- Heavily armoured
- Helmet with 2 eye-holes
- Leigonary sheild
Features of hoplomachus
- Heavily armoured
- Large crested helmet with visor
- Spear and round sheild
Features of retiarius
- Lightly armed
- Large net, trident
Features of thracian
- Lightly armed
Features of bestiarius
- Fight wild animals
- No armour
- Spear, whips, bows and lances
Why murmillos be pitted against hoplomachus’
Re-enactment of Greek vs Roman wars
Why were retiarius’ pitted against secutors
Heavily armed vs lightly armed
Capacity of Circus Maximus
250,000 (5x more than colosseum)