Plays were staged regularly, and productions competed to produce the greatest spectacle possible: the more elaborate and dramatic, the better. Tragedy and comedy were the two main genres for Roman theatre: unsurprisingly, most people favoured comedy as a lighter form of entertainment.
#Did romans bet on chariot races free
Again, watching the races was free to all, but many lost small fortunes gambling on the results of races.Ī Roman board game excavated from Silchester, England.
#Did romans bet on chariot races drivers
Each team had powerful, wealthy financial backers and the amount of money behind a particular team would often coincide with their fortunes, as it meant that they would be able to afford better drivers and faster horses.Īs with gladiatorial combat, there was a certain appeal in the potential for danger or death: crashes could be potentially fatal and added to the sense of drama on the track. Like football today, people loyally supported teams for their entire lives, and there were deep factions between rival teams and supporters.
The home of chariot racing in ancient Rome was the Circus Maximus: racing was held in ‘circuses’ or stadiums which could, in the case of the Circus Maximus, hold up to 150,000 people. Gladiatorial combats and beast hunts have come to epitomise popular perceptions of ancient Rome, thanks to famous sword and sandal epics such as Spartacus and Gladiator.
The brutal arena sports of Ancient Rome are one of the most iconic images we have of this ancient culture. People from all walks of life enjoyed the games: women and children often attended, albeit normally sitting slightly further back to avoid the sight of so much gore, as did everyone from the emperor down to the poorest in Rome. Gladiator fights were normally advertised well in advance across the city: they were typically free to attend, although many would have spent money on food, drink, betting and awnings or sunshades whilst they were there. Rome’s Colosseum is the most famous location was gladiatorial fights: it could seat up to 80,000 people, so there would have been quite the atmosphere. But many gladiators were also slaves, forced to compete and die for the entertainment of the people. The games were seen as both a high and low art: lucky or successful gladiators could earn respect, admiration, money and social status through participating and winning. The premise for gladiatorial combat is thought to have originated during the Punic Wars of the 3rd century BC and quickly became popular throughout the Roman Empire.
Gladiators (literally ‘swordsmen’ in Latin) provided entertainment for the masses by engaging in combatant bloodsports and fighting animals, condemned criminals or each other in public arenas. From board games to bloodthirsty gladiatorial shows, here are 6 of the most popular pastimes in ancient Rome. This phenomenon was described by the poet Juvenal with the phrase panem et circenses (‘bread and circuses’): this suggested the politicians of ancient Rome won the hearts of the populace as much by entertainment (circuses) and the provision of basic goods (bread) as they did through their policies and politics.Ĭertainly, ancient Rome was rife with opportunities for public entertainment, but Romans also found ways to entertain themselves at home. Ancient Rome was known for its extravagant, state-funded programme of events and entertainment, designed to keep the populace distracted and appeased.