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=__What Kind of Role did Public Violence Play in the Daily Life of a Roman Citizen?__ =

By: Tia Buto
The Romans are famous for many things, and there are many traits attributed to a typical Roman, but for me there is one thing that stands out more than the rest. This is the concept of “leisure”. The Romans took their leisure time very seriously. Toner defines leisure as “a system of symbols which acts to establish a feeling of freedom and pleasure by formulating a sense of choice and desire” (Toner 17). They were very serious about their leisure time and frequently had feasts; also baths, amphitheatres, arenas, and many other structures specifically built for these purposes. 

It is one of the most recognizable man-made, built by one of the most notorious civilizations ever. The Colosseum, or Roman Coliseum, was the site for many of the most brutal public spectacles and was the center of life for many Romans. More than 50,000 people could be seated in the arena, and it was unlike any other arena of the time. The Colosseum wasn’t dug into the side of the hill for extra support; it was a free standing structure. It was built to remind people of the power and control that the Emperors of Rome had, and the games that happened inside this arena weren’t any different. They were important and significant to Rome’s people, but at the same time they mirrored everything important in Roman society. These games, the gladiator fights, the wild animals, mock naval battles, chariot races, and just in general the brutality of these game was what the Roman Empire was known for, these spectacles. These games have inspired many blockbuster movies, books both academic and fiction, and found their way into many media outlets around the world. 

The gladiators of these games are some of the most famous groups of people in history. They were usually slaves, prisoners of war, and also surprisingly very rarely free citizens signed up to be gladiators, but this again was very rare. Gladiators were considered the lowest of the low in Roman society. They were considered so low, that during times of famine they were kicked out of Rome because the government didn’t feel that they owed anything to these men, and didn’t feel obligated to feed them during those trying times (Baker 29). These men and [sometimes] women became tough warriors, and lived a life full of fear and danger. They were put up against each other and wild animals, and gained fleeting fame during their careers, which lasted usually no more than a few games. It’s hard to imagine, but there were some benefits of becoming a gladiator, according to Baker:
 * Who were the Gladiators?**

//“they were renowned throughout the republic for their courage, morale, and absolute loyalty to their master, and the marital discipline they maintained also meant that they received a level of respect and honor otherwise reserved for the Roman army itself//.”

Maybe this explains why sometimes free citizens signed up to be gladiators. As a gladiator, you got three meals a day, medical care, and were given the chance to win money and prestige (Baker 22). If you squandered all your money, or found yourself without means of supporting yourself, then becoming a gladiator was a tempting choice. It was a way of achieving status in a society that put so much emphasis on status and gaining virtue, or //virtus.//

//Virtus// was one of the principle values in Roman culture, it is derived from the Latin word //vir// which means man, and meant something like //manliness// in the Roman context. It implied valor, manliness, excellence, courage, character, and worth, which were the ideal masculine traits. Many key social ideas were also communicated through these games. They demonstrated the need to have honor and avoid shame, the need to publicly display one’s manliness, the need to act properly in the public sphere of life, all of which were articulated through the symbolic use of violence, all of which communicated what it meant to be a male in Roman society.

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 * Gladiators as Sex Symbols

These men weren’t only seen as warriors at the center of a grand spectacle, but they also became sex symbols. They were the center of the attention of many women, and not only young girls but also wealthy aristocratic women. All were enamored with these men, and eventually these games took on a sexual connotation. A great example the intense feelings that women harbored for the Gladiators is exemplified in the story of Eppia. She was the wife of a senator, and the daughter of a wealthy man. She could have had anything she wanted in life, when it came to material goods, but she gave it all up for a gladiator called Sergiolus. He was described as being “getting on in years” with a grey beard, a deformed nose caused by wearing a helmet for so long, and an “acrid humour dripped constantly from one of his eyes” (Baker 23). Baker also says that “he seems to have been a man about whom clung a penumbra of blood, death, and sorrow” and remarks how incredible it is that Eppia “had given up her privileged life in the upper echelons of society, leaving behind her husband and children forever, for Sergiolus and his violent, bestial world” (Baker 25). Eppia gave it all up to follow Sergiolus and his “Gladiator Family” that travelled as far as Asia Minor and Egypt. These journeys weren’t known for being luxurious, and this was a huge sacrifice given Eppia’s previous status in Roman society. Baker reiterates this fact by stating that “Eppia made a considerable sacrifice- perhaps the ultimate one for a woman so privileged” (Baker 25). Albeit, this is an extreme case, it really showcases the way that these men were seen by the female population. The dichotomy between the adulation of the gladiators when times were good, and the kicking out of the gladiators during times of famine is very interesting. These men were the center of social life when the economy was up, food was plentiful, and people were healthy, but as soon as there was any sign of famine or plague, the gladiators were the first group of people to be kicked out of Rome. From the Roman point of view, a real man fights bravely and nobly because these traits were of moral importance. Even if a gladiator was defeated, he was sometimes allowed to leave the arena alive because with his honor he won over the audience and was allowed to stay for another fight.


 * Public Spectacles as Political Ploys**

  The games proved to be extremely popular among the Romans. One reason was because these games were a way to bridge the social gaps. In such a highly stratified and hierarchical society, the games were a way to bridge the gap between the classes, and for those few hours in the arena, the spectators are enjoying themselves no matter if they are rich or poor. Toner states in //Leisure and Ancient Rome// that:

“//neither the perception of freedom and enjoyment, nor the sense of choice are relative to the social position of the individual. The poor man’s leisure does not mean less to him, nor is it less enjoyable and valuable, than the rich man’s. All leisure is created equal and is of equivalent historical importance...”//  Their popularity with the masses eventually turned into a politically ploy to gain votes. The candidates with the more impressive contests earned themselves greater popularity and therefore more votes. The growth of these games was “the result of fierce rivalry, intrigue and political competition among aristocrats, who continually jostled each other for power” according to Baker. Defeated enemies were also targets of the propaganda machine that were the gladiatorial contests. Enemies’ armor and fighting techniques were sometimes used as part of the mock battles, to reiterate their defeat at the hands of the Romans, and another demonstration of their military power. These games held political connotations even after the elections were won. They were a show of the governments’ power, and showed the populous literally who was in charge. It could be considered a “mass lobotomy” by the government and was such a powerful tool for swaying the public, that the right for aristocratic citizens to sponsor the games was outlawed because the emperor didn’t want anyone to gain the favor of the public, which might threaten his position and authority as a leader. He therefore became a regular sponsor of these games, held usually for anniversaries and victories, which he used for his own advantage. He usually attended these games, giving them an even stronger political meaning. These games were so important to the emperor because “the Roman Empire did not consist only of buildings and land, it was also an empire of the mind” (Toner 39) and this was his way of controlling their minds, and their emotions. His attendance meant that the general public could speak to him and express their feelings quite loudly and bluntly, and sometimes even criticized the emperor himself. There was safety in numbers among the crowd, so anything and everything was said without fear of retribution. These grievances could determine his fate. During once such instance the emperor Caligula refused to listen to the crowds’ complaints and tried to have the most vocal members of the crowd executed which infuriated the crowd and emboldened conspirators to assassinate him. 
 * What the Gladiators Symbolized **

The staging of these gladiatorial contests quickly came to symbolize roman civilization and their military might. We could never imagine today any sort of public contest that involves mock military battles with real people dying, but they were a part of daily life. The warrior lifestyle was so instilled in roman culture that “during the first two centuries AD, the attendance of the games was at an all time high when peace throughout the Empire provided little opportunity for real warfare” (Baker 39). The games were also a way of showing to all parts of the empire, not to challenge Rome, whose citizens watched and enjoyed bloody battles for entertainment. Today we could never imagine going to the stadium, but instead of seeing a football or basketball game, seeing people being mauled by wild animals, wild animals being mauled by humans, and two men trying to kill each other in a bloody battle; but this was something normal in Roman life. Violence and brutality was part of everyday life and these games showcased this very well. The violence of these games defined social roles, was used as political mechanisms, and was even considered sexy and appealing. Just learning more about these games, we learn about many other aspects of Roman life, and the social constructs of the time. media type="youtube" key="Hf4kkixlMW0" height="344" width="425"

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**__Bibliography__** Kyle, D. G. (1998). //Spectacles of death in ancient Rome//. London: Routledge. Toner, J.P (1995). //Leisure and Ancient Rome//. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Carcopino, Jerome (1940). //Daily Life in Ancient Rome.// New Haven: University Press Cowell, F.R (1961). //Everyday Life in Ancient Rome.// New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons Matz, David (2002). //Daily Life of the Ancient Romans.// London: Greenwood Press Baker, Alan (2000)//. The Gladiator.// Cambridge: Da Capo Press Adkins, Lesley and Adkins, Roy A. (1994). //Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome.// New York: Oxford University Press