5 Sources entertainment in rome

1. Gladiatorial Games
Does it serve any purpose to know that our leader, Pompey, was the first to
show the slaughterof eighteenelephantsinthe amphitheatre,puttingcriminals
against them in a pretend battle? He, a leader of the state and one who,
accordingto report,was known forhiskindheart,thoughtitwas a fun spectacle
to kill humanbeings inthisway! Dotheyfight to the death? That is not enough!
Are theytorn to pieces? That is not enough! Let them be crushed by animals of
monstrous bulk!
Seneca THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE, xiii. 6-8
The Romans stagedspectaclesof fightinggladiatorsnotmerely at their festivals
and in their theatres, all wearing different costumes, but also at their
banquets...some would invite their friends to dinner...that they might witness
two or three pairs of contestants in gladiatorial combat...when finished with
dininganddrink,theycalledinthe gladiators.Nosoonerdidone have his throat
cut than the masters applauded with delight at this fight.
Ausonius, Letters
He built a kind of hunting-theatre of wood, which was called an amphitheater
from the fact that it had seats all around without any stage. In honour of this
and of his daughter he exhibited combats of wild beasts and gladiators; but
anyone whocaredto count howmany wouldfinditdifficult. Thisanimal islike a
camel exceptthatitslegsare notall of the same length, the hind legs being the
shorter.Beginningfrom itsbottomitgrows gradually higher and it supports the
rest of its body on its front legs and can lifts its neck to great heights. Its skin is
spotted like a leopard, and for this reason it bears the joint name of both
animals.Asforthe men, he made themfightagainstone another but also made
themfighttogetherin groups,horsemenagainsthorsemen,menonfootagainst
otherson foot,andsometimesbothkindstogetherinequal numbers.There was
even a fight between men seated on elephants, forty in number.
Cassius Dio, History of Rome

2. Gladiators fighting, on a wall decoration. Each kind of gladiator had different
armour and weapons
Roman Banquets
After a generous rubdown with oil, we put on dinner clothes. We were taken
into the next room where we found three couches drawn up and a table, very
luxuriously laid out, awaiting us.
We were invited to take our seats. Immediately, Egyptian slaves came in and
pouredice wateroverour hands.The starters were served.Onalarge tray stood
a donkey made of bronze. On its back were two baskets, one holding green
olives, and the other black. On either side were dormice, dipped in honey and
rolledin poppy seed. Nearby, on a silver piping hot grill, lay small sausages. As
for wine, we were fairly swimming in it.
Petronius, Letters
Bakeddormice:"Stuff the dormice (small rodents) withmincedporkorthe meat
of other dormice chopped up with herbs, pepper and pine nuts. Sew up the
dormice and cook in a small oven."
A sweet: "Take the crusts from a white loaf and break the bread into largish
pieces.Soakthem in milk. Fry them in hot oil or fat. Pour honey over them and
serve."
Example dishes

3. Breakfast (the Romans called this jentaculum) was taken in the master's
bedroomandusuallyconsistedof aslice of breador a wheatpancake eatenwith
datesand honey.Wine wasalsodrunk. Lunch (the Romanscalledthisprandium)
was eaten at about 11.00 a.m. and consisted of a light meal of bread, cheese
and possiblysome meat.Inmanysenses,everythingwasgeared up towards the
main meal of the day - cena. This was eaten in the late afternoon or early
evening. If the master of the house had no guests, cena might take about one
hour. If he did have guests, then this meal might take as long as four hours. A
lightsupperwas usuallyeatenjustbefore the Romanswenttobed,consistingof
breadand fruit.The Romans were usually not big meat eaters and a lot of their
normal mealsinvolvedvegetables,herbsandspicestogetherwith a wheat meal
that lookedlike porridge.One signthatameal or a banquethadgone downwell
was if guestsaskedforbagsto take homesdishesthatthey had enjoyed. This in
particularpleasedamasteras it showedtoeveryone whowasthere thatatleast
some of the courses on offer had been well received.
Chariot Racing
The Circus games don't interest me in the slightest! There is nothing new or
different about them. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. I just can't
understand why so many people want to see horses racing and men driving
chariots again and again...so childish! It wouldn't be so bad if they could judge
the speedorskill in a race. All one cheers for is the colour of the tunic. If tunics
were changed,the crowdprobably wouldn't notice that they were cheering for
different teams. And it is not just the masses who do this; some sensible and
importantpeople are there also.Inmyopinionit is a completely useless way to
spend time.
Pliny the Younger, Letters

4. All Rome istodayat the Circus;these showsare for youngmenwholike toshout
and swaggerand make bet with their girls friends at their side. Indeed, picture
yourself watching the start: a procession of chariots through the Processional
Gate,beautifullygroomedhorses, colourfully garbed charioteers and statues of
Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Neptune each riding atop a chariot. All around us are
people wearing the colours of their favourite teams.
Juvenal, Letters
A racingchariot, pulledbyfourhorses.The driverhasthe reins wrapped around
his waist and a whip in his right hand.
The Circus Maximus (Official name for the track)

5. Bathing
On the left are the lounging rooms... Next rooms to undress in, on each side,
with a large hall between them, in which are three swimming pools of cold
water;it isfinished in Laconian marble, and has two statues of white marble in
the ancientstyle,one of Hygeiathe other of Asciepius. On leaving this hall, you
come into another room which is slightly warmed... Then near this is another
hall, the most beautiful in the world, in which one can stand or sit with
comfort... Next comes the hot corridor, faced with Numidian marble. The hall
beyond it is very fine, full of abundant light and aglow with colour like that of
purple hangings. It contains three hot tubs... Should I go on to tell you of the
exercising floor? It is beautiful with two devices for telling time, a water clock
that makes a bellowing sound and a sundial.
An unidentified Greek writer describing the baths in Rome (c. AD 50)
My dear Lucilius,
If you wantto study,quietis very important. Here I am, surrounded by all kinds
of noise (mylodgingsoverlookabath-house). Imagine all the sounds that make
one hate one'sears. I hearthe grunts of menexercisingand movingthose heavy
weightsaround;theyare workinghard,or pretendingto!If there happens to be
a lazy man contentwitha simple massage Ihearthe slap of hand on shoulder. If
a ball-player comes up and starts calling out his score, I'm done for. Add to this
the racket a fellowwholikes the sound of his own voice in the bath, plus those
who plunge into the pool with a huge splash of water. Besides those who just
have loud voices. Now add the mingled cries of the drinkers and the sellers of
sausages, pastries, and hot fare in the street, each shouting what they have to
offer…
Seneca, Letters

6. A strigil and a flask for oil. At the baths, Romans
rubbedoil into the skin, and then used a strigil to
scrape off sweat, oil and dirt.