T h e A r t i o s H o m e C o m p a n i o n S e r i e s T e a c h e r O v e r v i e w The Coliseum in Rome is a famous landmark. It was the home of many of the spectacles of both competition and brutality. Gladiators fought each other and fought animals. Criminals were forced to fight and others volunteered to fight in order to earn glory. Crowds would cheer and even determine the fate of the gladiators. Rome became a blood-thirsty nation and one that was desensitized to violence. Leading Ideas Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright. Proverbs 29:10 Vocabulary Lesson 1: combat gladiator trident mace elaborate labyrinth Lesson 2: none The remains of the arches at the southern curve of Circus Maximus in Rome Key People, Places, and Events The Coliseum Circus Maximus Page 334
Reading and Assignments Based on your student s age and ability, the reading in this unit may be read aloud to the student and journaling and notebook pages may be completed orally. Likewise, other assignments can be done with an appropriate combination of independent and guided study. In this unit, students will: Complete two lessons in which they will learn about gladiators, chariots, and the Roman games. Define vocabulary words. Explore the following website: Colosseum Videos http://www.history.com/topics/ancienthistory/colosseum/videos/games-in-the-coliseum Visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Page 335
L e s s o n O n e H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s Let s Go to the Races Chariot-Race in Trajan s Circus Reading and Assignments Read the article: Gladiators, Chariots, and the Roman Games. Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its definition in the vocabulary section of your notebook. After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either: Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent. OR Completing an appropriate notebook page. Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of key people, places, dates, and events in your summary. Draw a picture or make a model of the coliseum. Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Page 336
Vocabulary combat trident elaborate gladiator mace labyrinth Key People, Places, and Events The Coliseum Circus Maximus Discussion Questions 1. Why did the emperor sponsor gladiator games? 2. Where did the games take place? 3. What type of contests were held? 4. What was Circus Maximus and what took place there? Adapted for Elementary School from the book: Ancient Civilizations source ushistory.org Gladiators, Chariots, and the Roman Games Two men ready their weapons. An excited crowd of Romans cheer loudly in anticipation. Both combatants know full well that this day might be their last. They are gladiators, men who fight to the death for the enjoyment of others. As the two gladiators circle each other, each knows that his objective is to maim or trap his opponent rather than to kill him quickly. What s more, the fight must last long enough to please the crowd. The gladiators jab swords and swing maces. They sweat in the hot sun. Sand and dirt fly. Suddenly, one gladiator traps the other with a net and poises to kill him with a three-pronged trident. The victor waits for a sign from the crowd. If the losing gladiator has put up a good fight, the crowd might choose to spare his life and the vanquished gladiator will live to fight another day. But if the crowd is dissatisfied with the losing fighter as was usually the case its dissatisfaction meant slaughter. In ancient Rome, death was a form of entertainment. Before fighting, gladiators had to swear the following oath: I will endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword. Marble relief fragment with gladiators is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, by Ad Meskens Let the Games Begin The Etruscans of northern Italy originally held public games, (ludi), which featured such events as gladiator battles and chariot races, as a sacrifice to the gods. Page 337
The Romans continued the practice, holding games roughly 10 to 12 times in an average year. Paid for by the emperor, the games were used to keep the poor and unemployed entertained and occupied. The emperor hoped to distract the poor from their poverty in the hopes that they would not revolt. Over time, the games became more spectacular and elaborate as emperors felt compelled to outdo the previous year s competitions. The games involved more participants, occurred more frequently, and became more expensive and more outlandish. The Coliseum In Rome, the gladiatorial contests were held in the Coliseum, a huge stadium that first opened in 80 A.D. Located in the middle of the city, the Coliseum was circular in shape with three levels of arches around the outside. In height, the Coliseum was as tall as a modern 12-story building; it held 50,000 spectators. were stored and animals and gladiators waited for their turn to perform. The Coliseum was also watertight and could be flooded to hold naval battles. Special drains allowed water to be pumped in and released. But, naval battles were rarely held there because the water caused serious damage to the basic structure of the Coliseum. The gladiators themselves were usually slaves, criminals, or prisoners of war. Occasionally, the gladiators were able to fight for their freedom. Criminals who were sentenced to death were sometimes thrown into the arena unarmed to serve their sentence. Some people, including women, actually volunteered to be gladiators. The Coliseum wasn t the only amphitheater in ancient Rome; there were several scattered throughout the entire empire. The amphitheater pictured above is in Tunisia, Africa. Like many modern professional sports stadiums, the Coliseum had box seats for the wealthy and powerful. The upper level was reserved for the commoners. Under the floor of the Coliseum was a labyrinth of rooms, hallways, and cages where weapons This relief sculpture from the 2 nd century A.D. illustrates what a chariot race in the Circus Maximus might have looked like. The competitors completed seven intense laps in front of a crowd of 300,000. They were willing to risk death for the possibility of fame and glory. Many gladiators went to special schools that trained them how to fight. A few gladiators Page 338
boxed. They used metal gloves to increase cutting and bleeding. Some gladiatorial contests included animals such as bears, rhinos, tigers, elephants, and giraffes. Most often, hungry animals fought other hungry animals. But sometimes hungry animals fought against gladiators in contests called venationes ( wild beast hunts ). On rare occasions, the animals were allowed to maul and eat a live human who was tied to a stake. Bread and Circuses Romans loved chariot races, which were held on special racetracks called circuses. The most famous circus, which was in Rome, was the Circus Maximus. In chariot races, two- or four-horse chariots ran seven laps totaling anywhere from three to five miles. Roman games included other types of equestrian events. Some races with horses and riders resembled today s thoroughbred horseracing. In one type of race, riders began the competition on horseback but later dismounted and ran on foot to the finish. As the Roman Empire started its decline, the author Juvenal (55-127 A.D.) noted, The people are only anxious for two things: bread and circuses. L e s s o n T w o H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s Roman Distractions Reading and Assignments Roman Colosseum There is no article to read for this Lesson, instead visit the website listed below and narrate about the video. Explore the following website: Games in the Colosseum http://www.history. com/topics/ancienthistory/colosseum/v ideos/games-in-thecoliseum Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Page 339