Gladiatorial Games

Does it serve any purpose to know that our leader, Pompey, was the first to

show the slaughter of eighteen elephants in the amphitheatre, putting criminals

against them in a pretend battle? He, a leader of the state and one who,

according to report, was known for his kind heart, thought it was a fun spectacle

to kill human beings in this way! Do they fight to the death? That is not enough!

Are they torn to pieces? That is not enough! Let them be crushed by animals of

monstrous bulk!

Seneca THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE, xiii. 6-8

The Romans staged spectacles of fighting gladiators not merely at their festivals

and in their theatres, all wearing different costumes, but also at their

banquets...some would invite their friends to dinner...that they might witness

two or three pairs of contestants in gladiatorial combat...when finished with

dining and drink, they called in the gladiators. No sooner did one have his throat

cut than the masters applauded with delight at this fight.

Ausonius, Letters

He built a kind of hunting-theatre of wood, which was called an amphitheater

from the fact that it had seats all around without any stage. In honour of this

and of his daughter he exhibited combats of wild beasts and gladiators; but

anyone who cared to count how many would find it difficult. This animal is like a

camel except that its legs are not all of the same length, the hind legs being the

shorter. Beginning from its bottom it grows gradually higher and it supports the

rest of its body on its front legs and can lifts its neck to great heights. Its skin is

spotted like a leopard, and for this reason it bears the joint name of both

animals. As for the men, he made them fight against one another but also made

them fight together in groups, horsemen against horsemen, men on foot against

others on foot, and sometimes both kinds together in equal numbers. There was

even a fight between men seated on elephants, forty in number.

Cassius Dio, History of Rome

Gladiators fighting, on a wall decoration. Each kind of gladiator had different

armour and weapons

Roman Banquets

After a generous rubdown with oil, we put on dinner clothes. We were taken

into the next room where we found three couches drawn up and a table, very

luxuriously laid out, awaiting us.

We were invited to take our seats. Immediately, Egyptian slaves came in and

poured ice water over our hands. The starters were served. On a large tray stood

a donkey made of bronze. On its back were two baskets, one holding green

olives, and the other black. On either side were dormice, dipped in honey and

rolled in poppy seed. Nearby, on a silver piping hot grill, lay small sausages. As

for wine, we were fairly swimming in it.

Petronius, Letters

Baked dormice: "Stuff the dormice (small rodents) with minced pork or the meat

of other dormice chopped up with herbs, pepper and pine nuts. Sew up the

dormice and cook in a small oven."

A sweet: "Take the crusts from a white loaf and break the bread into largish

pieces. Soak them in milk. Fry them in hot oil or fat. Pour honey over them and

serve."

Example dishes

Breakfast (the Romans called this jentaculum) was taken in the master's

bedroom and usually consisted of a slice of bread or a wheat pancake eaten with

dates and honey. Wine was also drunk. Lunch (the Romans called this prandium)

was eaten at about 11.00 a.m. and consisted of a light meal of bread, cheese

and possibly some meat. In many senses, everything was geared up towards the

main meal of the day - cena. This was eaten in the late afternoon or early

evening. If the master of the house had no guests, cena might take about one

hour. If he did have guests, then this meal might take as long as four hours. A

light supper was usually eaten just before the Romans went to bed, consisting of

bread and fruit. The Romans were usually not big meat eaters and a lot of their

normal meals involved vegetables, herbs and spices together with a wheat meal

that looked like porridge. One sign that a meal or a banquet had gone down well

was if guests asked for bags to take homes dishes that they had enjoyed. This in

particular pleased a master as it showed to everyone who was there that at least

some of the courses on offer had been well received.

Chariot Racing

The Circus games don't interest me in the slightest! There is nothing new or

different about them. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. I just can't

understand why so many people want to see horses racing and men driving

chariots again and again...so childish! It wouldn't be so bad if they could judge

the speed or skill in a race. All one cheers for is the colour of the tunic. If tunics

were changed, the crowd probably wouldn't notice that they were cheering for

different teams. And it is not just the masses who do this; some sensible and

important people are there also. In my opinion it is a completely useless way to

spend time.

Pliny the Younger, Letters

All Rome is today at the Circus; these shows are for young men who like to shout

and swagger and make bet with their girls friends at their side. Indeed, picture

yourself watching the start: a procession of chariots through the Processional

Gate, beautifully groomed horses, colourfully garbed charioteers and statues of

Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Neptune each riding atop a chariot. All around us are

people wearing the colours of their favourite teams.

Juvenal, Letters

A racing chariot, pulled by four horses. The driver has the reins wrapped around

his waist and a whip in his right hand.

The Circus Maximus (Official name for the track)

Bathing

On the left are the lounging rooms... Next rooms to undress in, on each side,

with a large hall between them, in which are three swimming pools of cold

water; it is finished in Laconian marble, and has two statues of white marble in

the ancient style, one of Hygeia the other of Asciepius. On leaving this hall, you

come into another room which is slightly warmed... Then near this is another

hall, the most beautiful in the world, in which one can stand or sit with

comfort... Next comes the hot corridor, faced with Numidian marble. The hall

beyond it is very fine, full of abundant light and aglow with colour like that of

purple hangings. It contains three hot tubs... Should I go on to tell you of the

exercising floor? It is beautiful with two devices for telling time, a water clock

that makes a bellowing sound and a sundial.

An unidentified Greek writer describing the baths in Rome (c. AD 50)

My dear Lucilius,

If you want to study, quiet is very important. Here I am, surrounded by all kinds

of noise (my lodgings overlook a bath-house). Imagine all the sounds that make

one hate one's ears. I hear the grunts of men exercising and moving those heavy

weights around; they are working hard, or pretending to! If there happens to be

a lazy man content with a simple massage I hear the slap of hand on shoulder. If

a ball-player comes up and starts calling out his score, I'm done for. Add to this

the racket a fellow who likes the sound of his own voice in the bath, plus those

who plunge into the pool with a huge splash of water. Besides those who just

have loud voices. Now add the mingled cries of the drinkers and the sellers of

sausages, pastries, and hot fare in the street, each shouting what they have to

offer…

Seneca, Letters

A strigil and a flask for oil. At the baths, Romans

rubbed oil into the skin, and then used a strigil to

scrape off sweat, oil and dirt.