Arguably the most archetypical image of Rome is that of the gladiator fighting in the arena. The “sword and sandal” epics of popular culture often emphasise the amphitheatre as a place of Christian martyrdom – but how accurate is that image? What were the origins of these bloody spectator events, who took part – and why? The answers may surprise and disturb you. For us Rome’s obsession with “Bread and Circuses” may have been “barbaric”, but for the Romans the arena was a model of their world.
- Ewigleben, C and Kohne, E., trans; Jackson, R., 2000, Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome, Berkeley
- Fagan, G.G., 2011, The Lure of the Arena : Social Psychology and the Crowd at the Roman Games, Cambridge
- Hopkins, K., 2005, The Colosseum, Cambridge (USA)
- Kyle, D.G., 1998, Spectacles of Death in Ancient Rome, London
- Pearson, J., 1973, Arena: The Story of the Colosseum, New York
- Poliakoff, M., 1987, Combat Sports in the ancient world: competition, violence and culture, New Haven
- Quennell, P., 1971, The Colosseum, New York
- Welch, K., 2007, The Roman Amphitheatre: From its origins to the Colosseum, Cambridge
- Exploration of the origins of combat sports and the development of the concept of the “arena” looking at Near Eastern, Greek and Etruscan counterparts.
- The development and layout of the architecture of the amphitheatre and the gladiator’s schools
- The political, social and religious significance of the amphitheatre
- The life, death and iconography of a gladiator; What did they do with the bodies?
- Christianity and the arena; The gladiator and arena in popular culture from the 18th to 21st centuries
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the origins of Roman combat spectacles
- Be familiar with the layout and function of the arena
- Appreciate the political and social agenda of the amphitheatre
- Learn about the different types of gladiators and events that took place within the arena
- Discover what probably happened to the bodies according to the latest research
- Appreciate some of the extraordinary locations and artefacts inspired by gladiatorial events
