The ancient Romans loved bloody and exciting entertainment. The government provided this for them for free. They also liked to relax and stay in shape. Use the links below to learn more about entertainment in Rome.
Ancient Rome had a lot of poor people. Most people were from the working class - like farmers, bakers, builders, and more. They worked hard but sometimes life got tough and they couldn't afford to feed their family.
Emperor Augustus became worried that this large group of people would get together and cause trouble for the government. Augustus thought if the poor people were happy and well fed, they would not cause problems.
The emperor used something they called "Bread & Circus." The poor people were offered free bread (or grain) during entertainment. They enjoyed the free food and free entertainment. Sometimes it was the only reason poor people came to watch - they knew they would get free food for their family. The free entertainment was at the Colosseum or the Circus Maximus.
The Colosseum was oval shaped. It was an ampitheatre which is an outdoor theatre. It did not have a roof. It was built in Rome, Italy in 80 A.D. The Colosseum could seat 45,000 seated spectators or 70,000 if they were standing. Both men and women could attend. The Romans liked bloody entertainment. In fact, it was free to attend. People cheered loudly and loved to watch the battles and they got free food or grain.
This is where the ancient Romans gathered to watch bloody fights. These fights were usually between two gladiators. A gladiator was an ultimate fighter or tough man. The fights could also be between a gladiator and a wild animal. A system of cages, ropes, and pulleys brought wild animals up to the Colosseum floor from rooms underground.
Sometimes, the Romans flooded the Colosseum with water to hold naval battles with large ships. During these battles many competitors died. Regardless of who was fighting, the rich people had the best seats. The emperor even had a special box or area for the best view.
The Colosseum burned down a couple of times and was rebuilt using concrete or cement, a wonderful Roman invention. Marble was also used. It is still standing today. Great care has been taken to try and preserve what is left. That has not always been the case though. For many years the Colosseum was taken apart piece by piece for building materials like marble and concrete. Luckily, in the 1700's they decided to save it. Many tourists visit each year.
Around 6 B.C. the Romans built the Circus Maximus in the city of Rome, Italy. It was an open track that did not have a roof. It was more rectangle shaped like a football field. It was basically a race track. It was designed to race chariots. Both men and women could attend the races.
The ancient Romans loved chariot racing. In early times, young children raced their chariots around the seven hills of Rome. People had to scatter to get out of the way since they stopped for no one.
The Circus Maximus was originally built from wood, but it burned down a couple of times. Finally, it was rebuilt using marble and concrete. Concrete was an amazing Roman invention.
The Romans built other race tracks throughout the empire, but the Circus Maximus was the most well known. It could seat over 250,000 people and admission was free. The Roman government wanted to keep people happy so they even provided bread (or grain). There were races everyday and anyone could attend. They often had a bloody ending or a series of unfortunate events take place because some people cheated.
The Circus Maximus had skyboxes, just like stadiums today, for important people. The Emperor had his own reserved seat, as well as senators, and anyone that contributed money to the race track. The poor people had seats but the view wasn't as good. Regardless of the seat, people yelled and cheered for their favorite so it was often loud.
Today not much of the Circus Maximus remains. It was taken apart for its' precious marble and another fire destroyed the rest.
Other Entertainment to read about
The baths were extremely popular in ancient Rome. The baths had pools, slaves to wait on you, steam rooms, exercise rooms, and hair salons. The baths also had reading rooms and libraries. They even had stores selling all kinds of items. People sold hot "fast food". The baths were arranged much like malls today with a food court, stores, and pools of course. It was a total social experience and people in ancient Rome went every single day if they could afford it.
The baths were usually crowded because they were so popular. At one time there were as many as 900 public baths throughout the Roman empire. Each could hold anywhere from 300-1500 people. Each bath house had three different pools - a cold pool, a warm pool, and a hot pool. Aqueducts throughout Rome brought the water there and fires warmed the water.
People had to pay an admission (or money) to use the baths but with little else to spend their money on it was worth it. Kids were not allowed in the baths and slaves were not allowed either unless their owner brought them along. Many Romans brought their slaves with them if they wanted and could afford the extra price of admission.
In the city of Rome there was a place called the Campus. The campus was actually an old training ground for soldiers that wasn't used anymore. It was located on a large piece of grassland by the Tiber River.
Over time, the Campus became ancient Rome's track and field playground. Young men from all over gathered here to exercise and play. Men would have footraces, long jump, practice archery, wrestle, and even box. They would also learn to ride horses, fence, throw, and swim. Competitions or games would be held to see who was the best. They competed in archery tournaments, races, and other ball games.
After hard training or a game, they might cool off by swimming in the Tiber River or head to a nearby bath house to relax. The men in Rome liked to show off their skills so this area became very popular. However, women were not allowed to compete in any of these games. In fact, women were not even allowed to come and watch.
Gladiators were the ultimate fighters or tough men in ancient Rome. Many were slaves that were trained by their captors or were trying to earn their freedom. Sometimes, if a slave was good enough he might win enough gladiator fights to earn freedom.
Gladiator fights were held in the Colosseum before a crowd of thousands of spectators. The Romans loved bloody battles and fights. Gladiators fought each other or animals to the death. They were fierce warriors and often very respected because of the fighting they did.
A famous gladiator was Spartacus. He led a revolt of slaves to try and earn freedom. Spartacus and his group of 70,000 slaves actually defeated several Roman armies. This uprising was ended within two years. Spartacus and 6,000 of his followers were crucified, or put to death by being nailed to a cross which was a common form of punishment.