Greek and Roman Humanities: Roman Games Essay

1) Explain the purpose and importance of the games in Roman society. Please use examples from the website to illustrate your points. The games in Roman society evolved from religious observances and religious rites, the purposes of which over time became lost to the Romans themselves. By the time the religious rites had evolved into theatrical performances and the circus, the importance of the games to Roman society had become very much like the importance of sports and entertainment in modern American society. The Romans enjoyed the spectacle of the games, gambled on them, developed complicated rules and had entire economic networks built into the games. Although â€Å"at first the games of the early Roman republic had religious significance,† (Games) the later games were † purely for entertainment† (Games). The influence of the games ran from the highest to the lowest levels of Roman society. Attendance at the games was considered a right of a Roman citizen and each of the games, such as chariot racing or gladiators had loyal fans and expert â€Å"critics† — when it came to something like chariot racing, â€Å"The public adored the top drivers. They were quite literally comparable to modern day sports stars. † (Games) 2) Considering the brutal nature of what took place in the Colosseum, what impact do you think the games had on the morality of the average Roman? Although the games were very violent and often brutal, they were far more popular for the Romans than the more refined entertainment of the theater. The story told by the playwright Terence shows just how popular the brutal entertainments were in Roman society; when: â€Å"a festival held in honour of the deceased Lucius Aemilius Paulus in 160 BC. Terence’s comedy The mother in law was being staged and all was going well, when suddenly someone in the audience was heard saying that the the gladiatorial fights were about to begin. Within minutes his audience had disappeared† (Games). I think it is likely that the games’ influence on Roman society was to make it more difficult for sophisticated entertainment to get mass attention much as it is in modern society. More people watch pro wrestling and NASCAR than go to the ballet or buy books of poetry. The overall Roman culture was probably a bit de-sensitized to violence like our own culture. 3) Many people believe that modern America is a mirror image of ancient Rome during the imperial era. How does our entertainment – choose any type you wish – compare to the types offered in ancient Rome? What parallels are there? What differences exist? Please use examples from the website and your personal experience to illustrate your points. Much of American entertainment relies on violence as much as the Roman games. There are many violent movies, violent video games, and violent television shows. The big difference is that American culture uses purely theatrical and make-believe violence whereas Roman society actually performed violent acts up to and including violent murder and torture. Most violent entertainment in modern society does not involve lethal force nor does it include wide-spread betting on the probable death of people. In Rome, † quite naturally, there was a huge amount of betting surrounding the races† (Games) and this is much different than in modern society where corporate sponsors use the athletes to promote International conglomerates rather than emrely betting on them. 4) In your opinion, which group of people – Romans living in the imperial era or modern Americans – are more depraved? Please use examples from both the website and your personal experience to illustrate your points. In my opinion, the Romans were far more depraved than modern Americans. Not only for the bloodshed against humans that they enacted for entertainment, but for their wholesale murder and abuse of animals: â€Å"tigers, panthers and lions were let out of cages to be confronted in long and dangerous chases by armed gladiators. Bulls and rhinoceroses were first brought to a rage, much like in a Spanish bullfight, before they were met their hunters† (Games). Additionally, the Romans were so depraved, they staged mock-wars and actual crucifixions for entertainment. Work Cited Anonymous, â€Å"The Games† www. roman-empire. net 5th July 2007. http://www. roman-empire. net/society/soc-games. html 2 pages 1 source MLA Log on to the following web site: http://www. roman-empire. net/society/soc-games. html and read about the Roman games and their importance in Roman society. After you have completed the reading, respond to the following: 1) Explain the purpose and importance of the games in Roman society. Please use examples from the website to illustrate your points. 2) Considering the brutal nature of what took place in the Colosseum, what impact do you think the games had on the morality of the average Roman? 3) Many people believe that modern America is a mirror image of ancient Rome during the imperial era. How does our entertainment – choose any type you wish – compare to the types offered in ancient Rome? What parallels are there? What differences exist? Please use examples from the website and your personal experience to illustrate your points. 4) In your opinion, which group of people – Romans living in the imperial era or modern Americans – are more depraved? Please use examples from both the website and your personal experience to illustrate your points.