The Roman Games: Historical Sources in Translation

Alison Futrell

John Wiley & Sons, Feb 9, 2009 - History - 272 pages

This sourcebook presents a wealth of material relating to every aspect of Roman spectacles, especially gladiatorial combat and chariot racing.

• Draws on the words of eye-witnesses and participants, as well as depictions of the games in mosaics and other works of art.
• Offers snapshots of "a day at the games" and "the life of a gladiator".
• Includes numerous illustrations.
• Covers chariot-races, water pageants, naval battles and wild animal fights, as well as gladiatorial combat.
• Combines political, social, religious and archaeological perspectives.
• Facilitates an in-depth understanding of this important feature of ancient life.

Contents

• 1 The Politics of the Arena: 1
• Games and the Roman state: 2
• Origins of gladiatorial combat: 4
• Origins of wild animal shows: 7
• Roman spectacle overseas: 8
• Spectacle and Roman Politics: 11
• Costs: 14
• Control: 18
• Violence: 22
• Shows as political assembly: 24
• Imperial Spectacle: 29
• Ordinary spectacle: 30
• The emperor and the arena: 33
• The emperor and political spectacle: 36
• Gladiators outside Rome: 43
• 2 The Venue: 52
• Republican Arenas: 53
• Temporary structures in Rome: 57
• Amphitheaters: 59
• Disaster and control: 61
• The Colosseum: 62
• Military amphitheaters: 66
• Special features: 67
• Features of the Circus Maximus: 73
• Circus as cosmos: 76
• Naumachiae: 77
• Stratification and Seating: 80
• 3 A Day at the Games: 84
• Venationes: 89
• Munera: 94
• The armatures: 95
• The combats: 99
• Good Spectacles vs Bad Spectacles: 103
• Audiences at the Games: 104
• Dangerous games: 107
• Special treats: 110
• Food spectacular food: 111
• Inaugural Games at the Flavian Amphitheater: 113
• Commodus Games: 115
• Tainted by the Crowd: 117
• 4 The Life of the Gladiator: 120
• Prisoners of war: 121
• Condemned criminals: 122
• Slave gladiators and the Spartacan war: 125
• Gladiators and status: 130
• Free gladiators: 132
• Choosing gladiatorial status: 134
• Glory: 135
• Life in the Ludi: 138
• Death or Survival: 143
• Sexy Gladiators: 146
• Death and Choice: 147
• Gladiator Familiae: 148
• Gladiatrices and Ludia: 153
• Elites in the Arena: 156
• Imperial Gladiators: 158
• 5 Christians and the Arena: 160
• The Neronian persecution: 161
• Trajans policy: 163
• Christian Denunciation of the Arena: 165
• The Arena and Christian Identity: 169
• Martyr Acts: 172
• Christian Rome and the Arena: 186
• 6 Chariot Races and Water Shows: 189
• The events: 191
• Charioteers: 198
• The horses: 205
• The colors: 207
• Circus fans: 210
• Emperors as fans: 213
• The Nika revolt: 215
• Water Shows: 218
• Timeline of Roman History: 222
• Glossary of Terms and Names: 229
• Notes: 232
• Suggestions for Further Reading: 245
• Index: 248

About the author

Alison Futrell is Associate Professor of Roman History at the University of Arizona in Tucson and author of Blood in the Arena: The Spectacle of Roman Power (1997). Her current research interests are in representations of gender and power, both in the ancient past and in modern popular culture. Her recent projects include the cultural history of Spartacus and a monograph on Barbarian Queens.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Roman Games: Historical Sources in Translation; Blackwell Sourcebooks in Ancient History
• Editor: Alison Futrell
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2009
• ISBN: 1405153156, 9781405153157
• Length: 272 pages
• Subjects: History / Ancient / General; History / General