roman entertainment Flashcards
(89 cards)
1
Q
what is the tiered seating called?
A
the cavea
2
Q
where did more important people sit at the amphitheatres?
A
at the front
3
Q
what sources are there about the amphitheatre?
A
- the amphitheatre at Pompeii
- the colosseum at Rome
- the epitaph of Amabilis
- Murmillo helmet
- relief of the venator
- Juvenal’s satires
4
Q
what is the vomitorium?
A
a passage allowing crowds to flow out
5
Q
what are the uses of the amphitheatre in Pompeii?
A
- one of the best remains of an amphitheatre
- shows the shape
- tells us where an amphitheatre may have been
- shows size
6
Q
what are the limitations of the amphitheatre in Pompeii?
A
- very incomplete, semi-ruined condition
- lots missing (eg seatings, walls, decoration, wooden awning-posts)
- hard to evoke the sense of it being filled with the people, the noise, the smell, the colour, the atmosphere etc
- doesn’t show the velarium (canopy)
7
Q
what was the amphitheatre in Pompeii mainly used for?
A
gladiator fights
8
Q
what would be performed in the colosseum?
A
- gladiator fights
- sea battles (pre-hypogeum though)
- animal hunting (venatio)
- re-enact famous battles (mock battles)
- sometimes plays would be performed, but rarely in the colosseum
9
Q
where in rome is the colosseum and why?
A
in the centre to win public support
10
Q
who had special boxes in the colosseum?
A
- the emperor (in the north side)
- the vestal virgins (in the south side)
11
Q
how did they keep cool in the colosseum?
A
they would spray water and had the velarium (roof/canopy thing) which helped with the breeze
12
Q
what are the uses of the colosseum?
A
- shows shape/design
- shows the size
- shows where it was
- arena floor missing so we have a good idea about the design of the hypogeum
13
Q
what are the limitations of the colosseum?
A
- lots missing (structure, awning posts, wooden seats over the stone)
- missing the atmosphere, which we can’t recreate
14
Q
what does Amabilis mean?
A
loveable (it is a nickname)
15
Q
how many fights did Amabilis fight?
A
13
16
Q
what does the epitaph claim Amabalis was cheated by?
A
fate, not man
17
Q
where was Amabilis from?
A
Dacia
18
Q
what kind of gladiator was Amabilis?
A
a murmillo bc he was heavily armed
19
Q
what are the uses of Amabilis’s epitaph?
A
- gladiators are well liked and famous
- tells us about one type of gladiator (heavily armed - murmilo)
- from Dacia so could have been captured in battle
- one way the Romans got gladiators was through war hostages
- possibly skilled (13 fights)
- may have died outside of the fights or the writer may have thought he shouldn’t have died so early bc he was cheated by fate
20
Q
what are the limitations of the epitaph of Amabilis?
A
- no context for author
- may not be a typical epitaph for a gladiator because it is written quite personally
- no context for whether 13 fights is a lot or not
- brief
21
Q
what are the uses of the Murmillo helmet?
A
- shows us what they wore
- shows us how protected they were
- primary source
- designed for looks as well as practicality (plume added no safety benefit)
22
Q
what are the limitations of the murmillo helmet?
A
- it is rusted
- we don’t know if it was typical of a murmillo helmet
- no colour
- more helpful as part of a full set of armour (for context)
- originally more shiny
23
Q
what features are shown in the murmillo helmet?
A
- the plume crest
- visor
- grilled face guard
24
Q
where did venators fight?
A
in the colosseum
25
what weapons did a venator have?
either a spear or a dagger or a net - not all three
26
what are the uses of the relief of the venator?
- shows clothing
- primary source
- shows the sort of animals they fought
- shows their equipment
- being a gladiator is dangerous
27
what are the limitations of the relief of the venator?
- incomplete - why is the venator looking the other way?
- lacks context - where or what it is from
- no colour
- artist's impression of the dramatic moment, portrayed for artistic effect
28
what kind of writer was Juvenal?
a satire writer
29
who did Juvenal write for?
an elite audience
30
when does Juvenal write?
during the flavian and trajanic periods, a stable and autocratic time - four different emperors ruled while he wrote, lots of prosperity but corruption
31
what is Juvenal criticising in the story of Eppia in the Satires?
women's immoral behaviour - she goes against pietas, going against her own family and country
32
what are the uses of Juvenal's satires?
- must have happened sufficiently for him to write about (common situation)
- tells us about the moral beliefs of Romans
- gladiators are found attractive for the danger they're in, not their looks
33
what are the limitations of Juvenal's satires?
- satire; not meant to inform but to entertain
- hyperbolic
- doesn't represent the viewpoints of all romans, only himself
34
who does Juvenal compare Sergius to?
Veiento - senator under Nero, known for his corruption and sycophancy (suck up)
35
what places does Juvenal describe as ugly about Sergius's face?
- the place rubbed sore by his helmet
- a huge growth right on his nose
- a nasty discharge from a constantly running eye
36
what sources are there about theatre?
- a large theatre from Pompeii
- characters from Plautus
37
what was the stage of the theatre called?
the scaena frons
38
what was the theatre at pompeii made of?
concrete
39
where in pompeii is the theatre?
in the South-West of Pompeii
40
what shape was the colosseum and why?
bowl-shaped to help the acoustics
41
what shape were the theatres and why?
semi-circle for superior acoustics
42
what are the uses of the theatre in Pompeii?
- semi-circle shape
- shows size
- shows us where it is
- shows us what the stage and backdrop would've looked like
- lots of details survive (orchestra, scaena frons, vomitoria)
- good idea of seating arrangements
43
what were the limitations of the theatre at Pompeii?
- lots of key features missing (eg velaria)
- no colour
- no atmosphere as there are no actors
- semi-ruined condition
44
which two characters are the extracts from Plautus about?
- the miser Euclio
- the parasite
45
which two plays of Pautus do the extracts come from?
- the pot of gold
- the brothers Menaechmus
46
why does the miser tie a bag over his mouth at night?
he's so stingy he doesn't want to lose his breath
47
what are the uses of the extracts from Plautus?
- shows us the Roman sense of humour
- gives a idea of the stock characters used in the plays
- shows roman stereotypes
- humour revolves around word play and double meaning
- situations must be recognisable from daily life to be funny
48
what are the limitations of the extracts from Plautus?
- short, only very brief snapshots
- made to entertain so exaggerated characters
49
what sources are there about chariot racing and the circus maximus?
- the relief of Circus Maximus
- victorios charioteer fresco, Ostia
- charioteer Epaphroditus epitaph
- ovid's amores
50
what were races typically part of?
- triumphal processions
- celebrates the foundation festivals
- at funeral games
51
who sponsored the races?
consuls
52
where was the circus maximus?
between the palatine and aventine hills
53
what did charioteers wear?
tunics
54
how much did it cost to watch the races?
it was free
55
who won at the chariot races?
the owner of the horse, not the rider
56
what did charioteers get if they won?
- victor's wreath
- victory palm
57
what were the starting gates of the chariot races called?
the carcere
58
where is the relief of the circus maximus carving from?
- a grave (sarcophagus)
- the dead person was a good charioteer
59
where did the races take place?
the hippodrome
60
what are the uses of the relief of circus maximus?
- we can guess that the dead person was probably a skilled charioteer
- shows the details
- allows us to imagine the occasion in all its detail and noise and drama
- must have been very important to the person who was buried
- shows how busy/popular the races were
61
what are the limitations of the relief of circus maximus?
- can't see the original colours
- don't know how typical the races were
- stylised depiction; perspectives are not realistic, designed for decorative effect rather than to portray accurate information
- dramatic portrayal
- everything is happening at once for artistic effect
- don't know how typical this was for sarcophagi
62
where was the fresco of the victorious charioteer taken from?
a house called the house of charioteers (because it had lots of mosaics of charioteers)
63
what were the uses of the fresco of the victorious charioteer?
- proof of charioteer's celebrity status
- shows what things rich people want in their houses
- rich must have had interest in chariot-racing
- proof that victors got palms
64
what are the limitations of the fresco of the victorious charioteer?
- don't know who lived in the house
- painting is faded
- it's art so is meant to entertain, not inform
65
what are the uses of the epitaph of Epaphroditus?
- charioteers are well respected
- he won lots of races
- could be freed by being a skilled charioteer
- was around during Domitian (purple team)
- charioteers can change teams
- he was married
- romans believed the dead were still around so shows Roman's belief in the afterlife
- good evidence for pride felt by successful charioteers and their wives
- number of races participated in
- evidence of the colours of the teams (and the purple team, introduced by Domitian
66
what are the limitations of the epitaph of Epraphroditus?
- no date
- don't know much about him other than he's a married charioteer
- doesn't include any negatives - selective to make him seem as successful as possible
- not told about personal character, relationships, private feelings about racing
- designed for public reading so pretty generic (public monument not private memorial)
67
what teams was Epaphroditus a part of?
the red and purple ones
68
how many times did Epaphroditus win?
178 times with the red, 8 times with the purple
69
who was the wife of Epaphroditus?
Beia Felicula
70
who made Epaphroditus' epitaph?
his wife, Beia Felicula
71
what does 'the seat boundary forces us together' tell us about the chariot races?
they were tightly packed
72
where did chariot racing start from?
Romulus and Remus inviting the Sabine to a race
73
what are the uses of Ovid's amores?
- mentions the teams
- use of thoroughbred horses
- other reasons other than interest in horses to watch the races - entertainment
- had starting gates
- physical description of hippodrome
- tightly packed
- it's hot
- there was a parade before the race with charioteers, music, dancers, gilded household gods
- violent
- shows us how the audience behaves
- mentions the gods worshipped
- shows there were rails
73
who sat in the front?
more important people
73
which way did they race?
counter-clockwise
74
what are the limitations of Ovid's amores?
- light-hearted
- uses the context of the race to explore his feelings for the girl, the focus is on the girl not the races
75
what sources are about the dinner parties?
Petronius's Satyricon
76
what are the reciters doing at Trimalchio's party?
announcing dinner, when they should have been reciting poetry
77
who is trimalchio?
a freedman who likes to show off his wealth and impress the guests
78
what would the upperclass think of Trimalchio's wealth?
they would think he doesn't deserve it (classism)
79
where does Trimalchio sit at his dinner party?
in the place of the honoured guest
80
what are dinner parties an opportunity for?
to show off, as they weren't something that happens all the time
81
what sort of writing is the story of Trimalchio?
a satire
82
what battle is reenacted at Trimalchio's dinner party?
the battle of Troy
83
what gods does Trimalchio honour at his dinner party?
- cobbler (manual labour)
- luck
- lucre (profit)
84
what gods would aristocrats have honoured at their dinner parties?
virtue and honour
85
what does Trimalchio do which makes himself equivalent to the gods?
he brings out a golden image of himself with the gods - a big no no
86
what are the uses of Petronius's Satyricon?
- tells us of the servants and reciters that were present at a dinner party
- there were slaves constantly circling providing food
- lots of details of triclinium, food, gifts, and performance accompanying the dinner
- evidence for what it was like to be a guest
- evidence for storytelling being a favourite pastime at dinner parties
87
what are the limitations of Petronius's satyricon?
- satirical literature uses exaggeration to make fun of aspects of society
- mocking stereotype of vulgar, extravagant, nouveau-riche Trimalchio
- distorts reality to make the point
- clearly an atypical dinner party, but must have some basis in truth for the comedy to work
