Objective: Students will work individually or in pairs to create an original inscription having to do with gladiators that reflects details of gladiators and gladiator competitions, and Romans’ views of gladiators and competitions. Your options are: Create a tombstone for a gladiator Create an advertisement for a gladiator competition Create a protest sign for a gladiator competition In order to create a plausible inscription, students will need to conduct research using in-class resources and approved websites to learn about the way Romans wrote and inscribed stone, what kinds of phrases they used, what kinds of pictures they used, etc.  To make our tombstones look “Ancient Roman,” students will be supplied with tag board and other art materials. Students will also be expected to use correct Roman spelling (recall differences between the Roman and English alphabet), Roman numerals, Roman names, and culturally-appropriate references. You will be graded on these areas: •Work Ethic •Creativity and appearance•Research •Grammar•Presentation

Gladiator Games Advertisement:

Who is paying to put on the gladiator spectacle?

What kinds of gladiators will fight at your games? How many?

What other types of entertainment will there be?

Other selling points – awnings, water spray, perfume spray, snacks?

When will your games be?

Who wrote the sign?

When are your games?

What will happen at your games?

Murmillo

TYPES OF GLADIATORS

What kind of gladiators will fight at your games?

• Each type of gladiator had unique fighting styles, weapons, and armor.

• Most Romans preferred to watch contests between two different types of gladiators rather than two of the same. This way, they were able to see who’s weapons, armor, etc. gave them the advantage.

• Many Romans had a favorite type of gladiators, and came to the games to cheer them on.

D(ecimi) LucretiSatri Valentis flaminis Neronis Caesaris Augusti fili(i)perpetui gladiatorum paria XX et D(ecimi) Lucretio Valentis fili(i)glad(iatorum) paria X pug(nabunt) Pompeis VI V IV III pr(idie) Idus Apr(iles) venatio legitimaet vela eruntScr(ipsit)CelerScr(ipsit)AemiliusCeler sing(ulus)ad luna(m) 

What will your writing look like?

Dedicationeoperis tabularum Cn(aei) Allei Nigidi Mai Pompeis Idibus Iuni(i)spompa venatio athletae vela eruntNigra va(le)

M HOLCONIVMPRISCVM II VIR I DPOMARI VNIVERSI

CVM HELVIO VESTALE ROGMarcum Holconium Priscum II virum Iure dicundo pomarii universi, cum

Helvio Vestale rogant.

CIL 4, 202Les marchands de fruits à l’unanimité, avec l’appui de Helvius Vestalis,

appellent à voter pour Marcus Holconius Pricus comme duumvir à pouvoirs judiciaires.

What pictures will you use?

Symmachius mosaic from Madrid. Museo Arqueologico Nacional

Making a tombstone:

What will your writing look like?

What was the name of the deceased gladiator?

What kind of gladiator was he?

How old?

How many times did he fight? How many times was he victorious?

Tell a story about how he died.

Who made the tombstone for him?

Use Latin words where possible!

The inscription says that the stone marks the spot where a man named Diodorus is buried. Diadorus was a Turkish-born gladiator; the tombstone is written in Greek:

“Here I lie victorious, Diodorus the wretched. After breaking my opponent Demetrius, I did not kill him immediately. But murderous Fate and cunning treachery of the summa rudis killed me, and leaving the light I have gone to Hades. I lie in the land of the original inhabitants. A good friend buried me here because of his piety."

The Greek inscription can be

translated as 'Passer-by, as

you look at a fleshless corpse,

can you say whether it was

Hylas or Thersites?'.

Hylas, one of the Argonauts,

was the epitome of male

beauty, while Thersites was

renowned in mythology for his

ugliness. The inscription

mocks the vanity of both the

dead and the living in a wry,

though gentle way.

Sacred to the memory of Marcus Antonius Niger, veteran Thraex, who lived 38 years, fought 18 times. Flavia Diogenis erected this at her own expense for a well-deserving husband.

Beryllus, essedarius, freed after 20 fights, born a Greek, 25 years old. Nomas his wife erected this for a well-deserving husband.

Sacred to the memory of Marcus Ulpius Felix, veteran murmillo, lived 45 years old, Tungerian by birth. Ulpia Syntyche, freedwoman, for her sweetest and well-deserving husband, and Justus his son erected this.

Sacred to the memory of Purricina Iuvenus, provocator, erected by his wife for a well-deserving husband. He lived 21 years, was in the gladiator ludus4 years, fought 5 times

Sacred to the memory of Urbicus, secutor, left-handed, Florentine by birth, who fought 13 times and lived 22 years. Olympias, the 5-month-old daughter he left behind, and Fortunesis her nurse, and Lauricia his wife erected this for a well-deserving husband with whom she lived 7 years. I inform you that everyone he conquered died. May the Manes who love him take care of him.

Sacred to the memory of Glaucus, born in Modena, fought 7 times and died in the 8th, lived to be 23 years 5 days old. Aurelia and his friends erected this for a well-deserving husband. I advise you each to find your own guiding star; put no trust in Nemesis: I was deceived that way. Hail and farewell.

Sacred to the memory of Musclosus, driver for the Red faction, born a Tuscan, won 682 palms: 3 for the Whites, 5 for the Greens, 2 for the Blues, 672 for the Reds. Apuleia Verecunda his wife erected this in his memory.

These graffiti from Pompeii indicate that the stereotype of women’s attraction to gladiators can be found in popular culture as well as in literature. The fifth one is fragmentary.

a. He makes the girls sigh! Celadus the Thraex, 3 victories, 3 crowns.

b. The girls’ glory! Celadus the Thraex

c. Celadus the girls’ glory!

d. Thraex Celadus, retiariusCrescens, masters of the dolls

e. Crescens the retiarius and the girls at night ....

Protest signs:

What are you protesting?

What do you think is/are the worst part(s) of the gladiator games?

What should people stay away?

What pictures will you include to convince your audience?

Who wrote the sign?

"...it was plain butchery."The Roman philosopher Seneca took a dim view of gladiatorial contests and the spectacle that accompanied them. Interestingly, his criticism is not based on revulsion at the butchery he witnesses, but because the display is boring and therefore unworthy of the attention of a well-reasoned man. In a letter to a friend, he describes what he saw in the arena during the reign of Emperor Caligula:"There is nothing so ruinous to good character as to idle away one's time at some spectacle. Vices have a way of creeping in because of the feeling of pleasure that it brings. Why do you think that I say that I personally return from shows greedier, more ambitious and more given to luxury, and I might add, with thoughts of greater cruelty and less humanity, simply because I have been among humans?The other day, I chanced to drop in at the midday games, expecting sport and wit and some relaxation to rest men's eyes from the sight of human blood. Just the opposite was the case. Any fighting before that was as nothing; all trifles were now put aside - it was plain butchery.

The men had nothing with which to protect themselves, for their whole bodies were open to the thrust, and every thrust told. The common people prefer this to matches on level terms or request performances. Of course they do. The blade is not parried by helmet or shield, and what use is skill or defense? All these merely postpone death.In the morning men are thrown to bears or lions, at midday to those who were previously watching them. The crowd cries for the killers to be paired with those who will kill them, and reserves the victor for yet another death. This is the only release the gladiators have. The whole business needs fire and steel to urge men on to fight. There was no escape for them. The slayer was kept fighting until he could be slain.'Kill him! Flog him! Burn him alive!' (the spectators roared) 'Why is he such a coward? Why won't he rush on the steel? Why does he fall so meekly? Why won't he die willingly? "Unhappy as I am, how have I deserved that I must look on such a scene as this? Do not, my Lucilius, attend the games, I pray you. Either you will be corrupted by the multitude, or, if you show disgust, be hated by them. So stay away."

"What else would living be if lions and bears held sway, if serpents and all the creatures that are most destructive

were given supremacy over us? These, devoid of reason and doomed to death by us on the plea of their ferocity..."

Seneca, On Mercy (I.26)

Cn(aei) Allei NigidiMai quinq(uennalis) sine impensa publica glad(iatorum) par(ia) XX et eorum supp(ositicii) pugn(abunt) PompeisGavellius Tigilloet Clodio sal(utem)Telephe summa rudisinstrumentum munerisu(bique) v(ale)Diadumeno et Pyladioni fe(liciter)

VENATIONES – ANIMAL HUNTS