daily life of a gladiator in ancient rome

Charioteers were usually slaves who received laurel wreaths and sometimes a bit of money if they won but not often freedom. Gruesomely, the Romans wrapped the reins of the horses around their wrists (unlike the Greeks), so if there was a crash, they couldn’t let go meaning they were dragged around the circus by the spooked horse until they were freed – or, gruesomely, died. Chariots would complete laps around the course attempting to crash into their opponents as they went. In late antiquity, chariot racing was seen as a pagan practice, and the church advised Christians not to take part.Īncient Roman chariot races were centered on the Circus Maximus, thought to date to the city’s origins but rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 50 BC. Legend has it that chariot racing was in fact a favorite of Romulus who founded Rome in 753 BC using it as a way to distract the Sabine men while he plotted to abduct the Sabine women.Ĭhariot races were a big part of religious festivals in Rome with costume dancers and musicians part of the whole extravaganza.

Possibly one of the most famous Roman spectator sports (think Ben Hur), chariot racing actually came from Ancient Greece via the Etruscans. The best thing of all? The events were free! Chariot racing For example, the Circus Maximus alone could hold up to 25,000 people. Colosseum battles, races at the Circus Maximus, gladiators, exotic beasts – just imagining these spectacles is quite something. Now this is what everybody thinks of when they think of games in ancient Rome. Sort of like an inverted game of football without any goals. Some descriptions say that a line was drawn in the dirt, and the team would try to keep the ball on their side of the line, therefore trying to stop opponents from getting it. Others think it is more similar to rugby.

Some think it was a violent sport with large groups of competitors vying for one ball. Unfortunately, little is known about the rules. Like the word, harpastum was a Roman version of an ancient Greek game. The word “harpastum” is actually the Latinization of the Greek word harpaston meaning “to seize or to snatch”. Harpastum is referred to as “the small ballgame” in Latin, and true to its name the ball was small, around the size of a football, but it was hard like a softball. Romans played a selection of different ball games, including some resembling field hockey, handball, and even football. You may be surprised to learn that some of the most popular games in ancient Rome were ball games.

Much like today, ancient Romans enjoyed a ball game or two – it wasn’t all about gladiator battles (although they definitely did happen). The Most Popular Games In Ancient Rome Ball games in ancient Rome

Daily life of a gladiator in ancient rome