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This is one of the choices for a paper topic. So to keep with my sport history theme, I'll probably choose this or something to do with this.A question for you all: Describe the crowds as you imagine them to be. Do you think it was a lust for absolute violence?Haven't done any research on this as of yet, but I hypothesize one of the key differences between the Ancient Olympics and the Roman games would be a moving away from the appreciation of sportsmanship and athletic achievement to a desire for gore and violence. Where the Greek fans just wanted their guy to win, the Romans wanted their guy to win in the bloodiest of fashion.
Only if it's graded well. ;Dj/k, it won't be done for a whileHere's a primary source that backs up my theory of violence:
I turned in to the games one mid-day hoping for a little wit and humor there. I was bitterly disappointed. It was really mere butchery. The morning's show was merciful compared to it. Then men were thrown to lions and to bears: but at midday to the audience. There was no escape for them. The slayer was kept fighting until he could be slain. "Kill him! flog him! burn him alive" was the cry: "Why is he such a coward? Why won't he rush on the steel? Why does he fall so meekly? Why won't he die willingly?" Unhappy that I am, how have I deserved that I must look on such a scene as this? Do not, my Lucilius, attend the games, I pray you. Either you will be corrupted by the multitude, or, if you show disgust, be hated by them. So stay away.
Seneca, Epistles 7, The Gladiatorial Gameshttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/seneca-letters7.html
I can reply more later but I am currently watching a 36-class dvd lecture series on “visualizing Rome”, taught by Dr. Steven Tuck. There are several lectures on gladiatorial fights in the series. One of the things mentioned is that as the games progressed over the years, they got less violent in that the fighters weren't expected to be killed. It seems earlier on they were killed as part of the need to “spill blood” onto the earth (back when they were more related to funerary games). But by the time of the time of the empire, gladiators became more highly paid and more like celebrated athletes/celebrities. I can check on this more later on if you want.
