Ordinary Romans had a difficult life, and were often envious of the privileged life that the wealthier citizens lived. To appease the plebs and proles the Roman rulers organised free entertainment for them. By 100bce the citizens of Rome were entertained on 159 days of the year. There were two main attractions in Rome - The Circus Maximus and The Colosseum. On any given day, almost 300,000 people could be entertained across the two venues watching chariots and men battle for glory in the arena. Death and injury often satiated the Roman thirst for blood and action. It was said that only two things kept the Roman people under control - a constant supply of grain and free entertainment. This was often summarised as "Bread and Games".
The most widely known and performed type of entertainment in the Roman Empire were the 'Gladiator Games'. The Colosseum sat in the middle of the city of Rome and was the centre of a web of arenas throughout the Roman Empire. In nearly every Roman city there was an amphitheatre used for gladiatorial games and other entertainment. Most of the gladiators that fought were slaves, due to their birth, criminal behaviour, or in many cases prisoners of war. The gladiators of foreign armies were the most able and well trained warriors due to their prior military service. The most famous gladiators were the footy players of their days, and if their careers were good enough they would eventually be given their freedom. Many freed gladiators went on to train other gladiators.
Activity
Must - All students must complete. Print out a blank outline of 2 people and design them as a gladiator of one of the following types: Retiarius, Thracian, Secutor, or Murmillo. On the sheet create a profile of each of the types of gladiators and explain why they fight a specific opponent. Should - Most students should complete. Draw a labelled and annotated diagram of either the Circus Maximus or the Colosseum. The points you need to include are:
How many people it could hold.
Where the stars enter.
Key architectural points (why was it designed as it was?).
Who the entertainers were.
What events that were held at the venue.
Any other interesting features.
Could - Some people could complete. Create a promotional poster for the Primus (Main Event) of an event held at which ever venue you chose (Colosseum or Circus Maximus). You need to explore the type of gladiators and charioteers that participated in the games and choose 2 to face off against one another. Give them a name, and create a rivalry between them (Why are they fighting each other?). Use other promotional posters (WWE, UFC, AFL, etc).
Investigate the different types of gladiators that fought in the arena to entertain the masses. Explore the types of weapons and armour each type had and the tactics they would have to use. If you had to choose one type of gladiator to be in the arena, which would you be and why?