The Roman Games : Historical Sources in Translation.

Intro -- Illustrations -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1 The Politics of the Arena -- Origin and Growth of Games -- Games and the Roman state -- Origins of gladiatorial combat -- Origins of wild animal shows -- Roman spectacle overseas -- Spectacle and Roman Politics -- Politics and shows -- Costs -- Control -- Violence -- Shows as political assembly -- Imperial Spectacle -- Ordinary spectacle -- The emperor and the arena -- The emperor and political spectacle -- Gladiators outside Rome -- 2 The Venue -- Republican Arenas -- Temporary structures in Rome -- Amphitheaters -- Disaster and control -- The Colosseum -- Military amphitheaters -- Special features -- Circuses -- Features of the Circus Maximus -- Circus as cosmos -- Naumachiae -- Stratification and Seating -- 3 A Day at the Games -- Preparation and Pompa -- Venationes -- Meridiani -- Munera -- The armatures -- The combats -- Good Spectacles vs. Bad Spectacles -- The Other Show: Audiences at the Games -- Dangerous games -- Special treats -- Food, spectacular food -- Sparsiones -- Inaugural Games at the Flavian Amphitheater -- Commodus' Games -- Tainted by the Crowd -- 4 The Life of the Gladiator -- Where Did Gladiators Come From? -- Prisoners of war -- Condemned criminals -- Slave gladiators and the Spartacan war -- Gladiators and status -- Free gladiators -- Choosing gladiatorial status -- Glory -- Life in the Ludi -- Death or Survival -- Sexy Gladiators -- Death and Choice -- Gladiator Familiae -- Female Performers: Gladiatrices and Ludia -- Crimes of Status: Elites in the Arena -- Imperial Gladiators -- 5 Christians and the Arena -- Rome and the Christians: The Official Relationship -- The Neronian persecution -- Trajan's policy -- Christian Denunciation of the Arena -- The Arena and Christian Identity -- Martyr Acts -- Christian Rome and the Arena -- 6 Chariot Races and Water Shows.

Chariot Races -- The events -- Charioteers -- The horses -- The colors -- Circus fans -- Emperors as fans -- Fan clubs and unrest -- The Nika revolt -- Water Shows -- Timeline of Roman History -- Glossary of Terms and Names -- Notes -- Suggestions for Further Reading -- Index.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.