jim lohmar [email protected] turlington 3302 tuesday 2:00-5:00
TRANSCRIPT
Jim LohmarJim [email protected]@ufl.edu
Turlington 3302Turlington 3302Tuesday 2:00-5:00Tuesday 2:00-5:00
Violence TodayViolence Today
From where comes this From where comes this fascination?fascination?
How much is too much?How much is too much?
Is it art or merely Is it art or merely entertainment?entertainment?
A “Silver Age”?A “Silver Age”?
““Silver Age” LatinSilver Age” Latin
Seneca (Nero)Seneca (Nero)
Lucan (Nero)Lucan (Nero)
Petronius (Nero)Petronius (Nero)
Statius (Domitian)Statius (Domitian)
Silius Italicus (Domitian)Silius Italicus (Domitian)
Intense fascination with Intense fascination with bloodshed and bloodshed and violenceviolence
Seneca’s Seneca’s HippolytusHippolytus
Lucan’s Lucan’s Bellum CivileBellum Civile
Statius’ Statius’ ThebaidThebaid
Some Statistical AnalysisSome Statistical Analysis
CutsCuts Amputa-Amputa-tionstions
PuncturePuncture
woundswounds
Crushing Crushing blowsblows
Misc.Misc. Lines/Lines/
CasualtyCasualty
HomerHomer 88 66 8181 99 ---- 2.12.1
VirgilVirgil 44 1010 4343 55 ---- 2.22.2
LucanLucan ---- 1010 1010 22 88 8.48.4
SiliusSilius 55 1313 7070 1212 88 3.13.1
StatiusStatius ---- 99 3737 22 33 2.92.9
Just to Give You an Idea…Just to Give You an Idea…Lucan’s Lucan’s Bellum Civile Bellum Civile 8.663-8.663-
675675Pompey’s head and chest Pompey’s head and chest resound from the steelresound from the steelSeptimius cuts open Septimius cuts open Pompey’s togaPompey’s togaPlaces neck upon bench Places neck upon bench inside of boatinside of boatBegins hacking at his neck Begins hacking at his neck with an axewith an axe““it was not yet an art…”it was not yet an art…”Nerves and Veins hacked Nerves and Veins hacked atatSeptimius takes Pompey’s Septimius takes Pompey’s head and exults with ithead and exults with it
Cultural ContextCultural Context““Literature does not exist in a vacuum”Literature does not exist in a vacuum”A few possible reasons for this intense interest:A few possible reasons for this intense interest:
- historical- historicalthe amphitheater and the amphitheater and ludiludi
- philosophical- philosophicalthe shattering of bodies reflects the the shattering of bodies reflects the disintegration of the world we are living in.disintegration of the world we are living in.the body of state is shatteredthe body of state is shattered
- rhetorical- rhetoricalSeneca’s Seneca’s ControversiaeControversiae
For our purposes, we’ll focus on the violent For our purposes, we’ll focus on the violent atmosphere of Imperial Rome and the atmosphere of Imperial Rome and the ludiludi
The Roman Penal SystemThe Roman Penal System
A variety of aims come through hereA variety of aims come through here
Retribution: “payback”; not necessarily Retribution: “payback”; not necessarily carried out in an official mannercarried out in an official manner
Seneca tells us this was the favorite Seneca tells us this was the favorite form of penalty for the Emperorsform of penalty for the Emperors
Galba would cut the hands off of Galba would cut the hands off of moneylenders and nail them to a tablemoneylenders and nail them to a table
this aim has multiple purposesthis aim has multiple purposes
Penal SystemPenal System
Humiliation: not for physical suffering, but Humiliation: not for physical suffering, but rather emotionalrather emotional
runaway slaves would be tattooed runaway slaves would be tattooed with with an “F” for an “F” for fugitivusfugitivusCorrection: preferred by the philosophersCorrection: preferred by the philosophersPrevention: keep someone from Prevention: keep someone from committing same crime (Galba)committing same crime (Galba)Deterrence: provide a negative Deterrence: provide a negative exemplumexemplum
crucifixioncrucifixion
Public Displays of PunishmentPublic Displays of Punishment
This is a major point of difference between This is a major point of difference between us and the Romansus and the Romans
A few things are needed for such a culture A few things are needed for such a culture to exist:to exist:
- person or administration to mount the spectacle- person or administration to mount the spectacle
- venue with adequate facilities- venue with adequate facilities
- supply of people to be displayed- supply of people to be displayed
- an approving audience- an approving audience
The The munerariusmunerarius
The person who would pay for the The person who would pay for the ludi ludi (games)(games)
Derived from Derived from muneramunera; Latin for “gifts”; Latin for “gifts”
Display of one’s largessDisplay of one’s largess
Gain the Gain the favor populifavor populi
Attempts to outdo one another in grandeur Attempts to outdo one another in grandeur of gamesof games
The AmphitheaterThe Amphitheater
Nero’s Nero’s lacus lacus draineddrained
The Flavians give site The Flavians give site over for public useover for public use
Opens during the reign Opens during the reign of Domitianof Domitian
A symbol of the city of A symbol of the city of RomeRome
The Flavian AmphitheaterThe Flavian Amphitheater
189 meters long189 meters long
156 meters wide156 meters wide
50,000 – 60,000 people50,000 – 60,000 people
(Swamp: 91,000)(Swamp: 91,000)
Harena Harena 83 x 48 meters83 x 48 meters
TrapdoorsTrapdoors
TunnelsTunnels
VelaVela for shade for shade
The Circus MaximusThe Circus Maximus
The Circus was also a The Circus was also a site of gamessite of games
The The spina spina or or euripus euripus as as obstacleobstacle
600 m x 80 m600 m x 80 m
Capacity: 250,000Capacity: 250,000
The Circus MaximusThe Circus Maximus
The Supply of PerformersThe Supply of Performers
Condemned criminalsCondemned criminals
Captured prisoners of Captured prisoners of warwar
Damnati ad bestiasDamnati ad bestias
Great majority of these Great majority of these sentences are capitalsentences are capital
VenatoresVenatores
GladiatoresGladiatores
Supply of PerformersSupply of Performers
This was both a tax on and display of the This was both a tax on and display of the Romans’ powerRomans’ power
Two different statuses of criminalsTwo different statuses of criminals
honestiores: honestiores: higher status; would not higher status; would not show up in the arenashow up in the arena
humilioreshumiliores: lower status; would show : lower status; would show up in the arenaup in the arena
What could you see?What could you see?
Morning: Morning: venationesvenationes
beasts hunted as if in beasts hunted as if in the wildthe wild
Noontime: public Noontime: public executionsexecutions
Afternoon: Afternoon: GladiatoresGladiatores
man against manman against man
Damnati ad BestiasDamnati ad Bestias
Criminals that were Criminals that were thrown to animals in a thrown to animals in a controlled controlled environmentenvironment
Nero would starve dogs Nero would starve dogs and let them loose on and let them loose on a wounded criminala wounded criminal
Mythological scenes Mythological scenes also stagedalso staged
GladiatoresGladiatoresThe “main event” so to The “main event” so to
speakspeak
Variations existedVariations existed
naumachiaenaumachiae: : staged sea staged sea
battlebattle
gladiatorial combat gladiatorial combat en en massemasse
The The morituri morituri salutationsalutation
Some could become Some could become quite prolificquite prolific
The Fascinating HorrorThe Fascinating HorrorSo, why watch?So, why watch?
endorse the justice endorse the justice systemsystem
fascinated by the fascinated by the gruesome naturegruesome nature
St. AugustineSt. Augustine
chance factor: the chance factor: the person might not person might not actually dieactually die
desire to witness death desire to witness death first-handfirst-hand
Violence Today (Revisited)Violence Today (Revisited)
The Romans confronted The Romans confronted gruesome death gruesome death scenes first handscenes first hand
Today we have the filter Today we have the filter of television and filmof television and film
Again, why the Again, why the fascination?fascination?