held in theaters. But the most famous of all the public
spectacles were the gladiatorial shows.The Gladiatorial Shows
The gladiatorial shows, which took place in amphitheat-
ers, were an integral part of Roman society. The first
permanent amphitheater was constructed at Rome in 29
B.C.E. Perhaps the most famous was the Flavian amphi-
theater, called the Colosseum, which could seat fifty
thousand spectators. Similar amphitheaters, with capaci-
ties ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands,
were built throughout the empire. In most cities and
towns, the amphitheaters were the biggest buildings, ri-
valed only by the circuses for races and the public baths.
Where a society invests its money gives an idea of its
priorities. Since the amphitheater was the primary loca-
tion for the gladiatorial games, it is fair to say that pub-
lic slaughter was an important part of Roman culture.
Gladiatorial games were held from dawn to dusk.
The main events were contests to the death between
trained fighters. Most gladiators were slaves or con-
demned criminals and were trained for combat in spe-
cial gladiatorial schools (see the Film & History feature
on p. 136).Gladiatorial games included other forms of enter-
tainment as well. Criminals of all ages and both sexes
were sent into the arena without weapons to face cer-
tain death from wild animals who would tear them to
pieces. Numerous kinds of animal contests were also
staged: wild beasts against each other, such as bears
against buffaloes; staged hunts with men shooting
safely from behind iron bars; and gladiators in the
arena with bulls, tigers, and lions. Enormous resources
were invested in the capture and shipment of wild ani-
mals for slaughter, and whole species were hunted to
extinction in parts of the empire.
These bloodthirsty spectacles were wildly popular
with the Roman people. The Roman historian Tacitus
said, “Few indeed are to be found who talk of any other
subjects in their homes, and whenever we enter a class-
room, what else is the conversation of the youths?”^12
But the gladiatorial games served a purpose beyond
mere entertainment. Like the other forms of public
entertainment, they fulfilled both a political and a social
function by diverting the thoughts of the idle masses
from political unrest. It was said of the emperor Trajan
that he understood that although the distribution of
grain and money satisfied the individual, spectacles were
necessary for the “contentment of the masses.”Interior of the Colosseum of
Rome.The Colosseum was a
large amphitheater constructed
under the emperor Vespasian
and his son Titus. Such
amphitheaters, in which
gladiatorial contests were held,
were built throughout the
empire. They varied in size, but
the one at Rome was the largest.
The Colosseum was named after
the Colossus of Nero, a large
statue of the first-centuryC.E.
emperor that stood nearby. The
scene of many bloody
gladiatorial combats, the
Colosseum could be used for
other spectacles as well. It was
flooded for a spectacular naval
battle when the emperor Titus
held the first games there.ª
Thomas S. England/Photo Researchers, Inc.Roman Culture and Society in the Early Empire 135Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
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