Roman entertainment Flashcards
days dedicated to the gods with games were called what?
ludi
what did the ludi always begin with?
theatrical shows (ludi scaenici)
what were the “circenses” and when did they occur in the celebrations?
chariot races and they followed the ludi scaenici.
what were the oldest games called?
Ludi Romani, started by the kings
under what 3 circumstances did the romans choose to hold ludi festivals?
- to get the gods attention, 2. to honor military men or 3. celebrate victory of war
How could you tell someone’s class at these festivals?
the poor were in the back and the senate/equestrians had seats in the front. But, all citizens could at least attend
During the time of Domitian, were comic/tragedy plays common at the ludi? What type of acting was popular?
Plays lost popularity later in the Roman reign. But, acting through pantomimes and mimes had become vogue. They danced and acted all the parts out without word but with musical accompaniment.
How did mimes differ from pantomimes?
mimes were slapstick farces on themes from everyday life. (kinda like clowns in a circus)
What was the famous place that held the ludi ?
Circus Maximus (which held 250,000 people)
What was most popular at the Circus Maximus?
the ludi circenses (chariot races) because people liked to place bets.
How many teams (factiones) were in the ludi circenses?
4, red, blue, green and white (eventually Domitian added purple and gold until he died)
what was the “mappa” used for?
it’s the white napkin that was dropped to start the chariot races.
How many races would there be in a day?
about 24 races (seven laps per race)
what was the distance of a lap?
5 miles ( so each race was 5 miles times 7 laps = 35 miles per race)
How long did it take to run 1 lap (5 miles)?
15 minutes. So each race took about 105 minutes.
What was the name of the central platform and what was it used for?
spina. it was where each of the 7 eggs (slabs) of wood/marble was lowered every time the lead chariot made a lap.
what was the significance of the “meta”?
it was the turning point on the track. If a chariot went too slow around the curve, he’d be overtaken. too fast and he would crash.
why did charioteer carry a knife?
if he crashed, his reigns tied him to his chariot so he needed to be able to escape.
what were the “munera”
the gladiator shows paid for by the upper-class and eventually put out only by the emperors
what were the “venationes”?
It’s like the munera but with exotic beast and animals such as 20 elephants stampeding the gladiators. Again, all this was in the Circus…. until something bigger was built.
What permanent arena was built for gladiator shows by Vespasian (Domitian’s father) and openned by his brother Titus?
The colosseum “Amphitheatrum Flavium” which fit
50,000 people and it was free to get in
What parades were of the highest popularity ?
miitary victories. The highest honor was to march through the city as a “triumphator” (during the empire - only the emperor had that opportunity)
