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INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME
Outline for
Lecture 18: Entertainment & Ideology (i). Chariot
Racing
Circus
- Races (ludi) most popular form of entertainment
- generally numerous races per event
- chariots drawn by two, three, or four horses
- 14 laps around oblong course
- greatest danger turning at the stone markers at each
end of the track
Circus Maximus
- used exclusively for racing chariots
- capacity 250,000-300,000: mass-entertainment
- original wooden seating progressively replaced by tiers
of masonry
- 10 BCE obelisk of Ramses II housed in central spine
(symbol of military might)
The Drivers
- most began their careers as slaves
- cash prize for the winner of a race was awarded to the
owners
- an often lucrative profession: many charioteers
continued to race after manumission
- chariot racers ~ modern sports figures or movie stars
The audience
- men, women and children
- slaves admitted later
Color Factions
- starting in the Republic, two stables competed in the
races: Green faction and a Blue faction
- vague political affiliations: Greens = popular party,
the Blues = conservatives
- fans were sometimes fanatical
- in general, team or faction supporters would sit
together in stands
Political Function under the Empire
- in part appeasement of the urban masses (panem et
circenses)
- games allowed the citizenry to communicate with its
leadership
Social Function
- Ovid, Art of Love: "people go to the Circus not merely
to see, but also to be seen"
- youthful participation in spectacles in the circus, as
fans was particularly high
- Circus the best pick-up spot in Rome?
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