By David
SS 2nd hr.
March 23, 2005
Do you want to know about Roman Entertainment from ancient Rome? Well
you’re in luck! My report is on Roman Entertainment. Ancient Romans went to plays
called dramas, they went to the colosseum to watch gladiator shows, and they went to the
Circus Maximus to watch the chariot races. I’m going to tell you about each one of these
kinds of entertainment.
Drama
Roman plays, also know as drama, were copied from the Greeks. People loved to
attend these plays because they had lots of music and lots of dancing. Anyone could
attend them. Emperors could even attend them! The actors became very popular. These
plays could be performed at night and at day. These theaters could hold 7,000 people
inside. They were performed in open theaters called amphitheaters. They wore masks and
different kinds of clothes. After a while dramas became more and more spectacular than
ever.
Gladiators Shows
Gladiator shows were very brutal, but people loved to attend them. These
gladiator shows took place in the giant colosseum. Most gladiators were slaves and
criminals. Free men could also be gladiators. These men were taught to kill and entertain
the crowd. Many gladiators were killed in these battles. People would decide of the
gladiator would live or die. They usually died. If the gladiators served for three years or
more without dying, they would be sent free which meant they would not be slaves
anymore. Animals were included in these battles too. Animals would jump out of ground
and try to kill the gladiator.
Chariot Racing
Chariot Racing was a very popular game in Rome. These races were very
dangerous. Men often died. The races were held on a track called the Circus Maximus.
The drivers wore different colored clothes to see whose team he was on. These colors
were blue, red, green, and white. Chariots were light for speed. There were four teams or
more. The rope to the horses would be tied around the driver for better grip. Most of he
had four horses. The Circus Maximus could hold 250,000 people inside.
Bibliography
Bingham, Jane, Fiona Chandler, and Sam Taplin. World History. London: Usborne.
2002.
Donn, Don and Lin. Daily Life in Ancient Rome. 30 Mar. 2005
<http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Romelife.html>