Ancient Roman Games
In Ancient Rome, a popular form of entertainment was gladiatorial combat. The Etruscans of Northern Italy were the first to hold public gladiator fights as offerings to the gods. The Romans adopted the games and continued them for many years. The games were held around 10-12 times per year and featured slaves, criminals, prisoners of war, and sometimes volunteers, fighting to the death. The gladiator's goal was to trap or maim the opponent without killing him quickly. They had to keep the fight long enough to entertain the crowd. Champions were freed from their debts and commonly became celebrities.
Occasionally, the games involved animal fights. Some animals that were used included bears, rhinoceroses, tigers, elephants, and giraffes. They were usually used in animal against animal fights, but occasionally an animal would maul a person tied to a stake. A main reason why the emperor held the games was to keep the poor occupied and entertained, in hopes that they would not revolt. Over time, the games became more extravagant with emperors trying to outdo the previous years' games. They became more expensive, occurred more frequently, and gained more participants each year.
A key part to the success of gladiator fights in Rome was the Coliseum. It was a grand arena that was opened in 80 AD and held 50,000 spectators. It was 12 stories high and even featured box seats for the wealthy and high-esteemed. The upper level provided areas for regular citizens. Below the Coliseum lay a maze of rooms and tunnels that held storage and the participants. The arena was even able to be flooded with water for naval battles. These happened infrequently, though, because the water damaged the structure.
Equestrian sports were also popular in ancient Rome. The most common one was chariot racing. Similar to the Greek sport, competitors raced two- to four-horse chariots around tracks called circuses. Generally, races were seven laps equalling approximately three to five miles. Romans also had horse racing similar to modern-day thoroughbred horseracing that was popular among wealthy citizens who could afford the high costs involved with the sport.
Occasionally, the games involved animal fights. Some animals that were used included bears, rhinoceroses, tigers, elephants, and giraffes. They were usually used in animal against animal fights, but occasionally an animal would maul a person tied to a stake. A main reason why the emperor held the games was to keep the poor occupied and entertained, in hopes that they would not revolt. Over time, the games became more extravagant with emperors trying to outdo the previous years' games. They became more expensive, occurred more frequently, and gained more participants each year.
A key part to the success of gladiator fights in Rome was the Coliseum. It was a grand arena that was opened in 80 AD and held 50,000 spectators. It was 12 stories high and even featured box seats for the wealthy and high-esteemed. The upper level provided areas for regular citizens. Below the Coliseum lay a maze of rooms and tunnels that held storage and the participants. The arena was even able to be flooded with water for naval battles. These happened infrequently, though, because the water damaged the structure.
Equestrian sports were also popular in ancient Rome. The most common one was chariot racing. Similar to the Greek sport, competitors raced two- to four-horse chariots around tracks called circuses. Generally, races were seven laps equalling approximately three to five miles. Romans also had horse racing similar to modern-day thoroughbred horseracing that was popular among wealthy citizens who could afford the high costs involved with the sport.