Plays (ancient Rome)

Antiquated calendars

Under the republic , Rome strictly speaking did not have a Ludi , but certain days of celebration fulfilled the same function. Among them, the Consualia (August 21st and December 15th), the Equirria (February 27th and March 14th) and the Equus October , festival of the horse of the October 15th.

The horse-races were the activities more the appraisals of these plays, but as of this period, the contests of Athlétisme are attested.

It was about a sporting festival of district. Boxing and the race on foot were also with the program. Every five years took place the Ludi taurei with the Circus Flaminius. These plays comprise only horse-races, there was a debate to know if the horses were harnessed, assembled or both. The Ludi sæculares took place every century. These plays proceeded with the Champ de Mars. The races of tanks were the sporting element most essential with the program of these plays before IIIe century.

The Ludi public and annual

The Ludi magni or Romani are the most prestigious plays of the Roman sporting calendar. Instituted by Tarquin Old the, in 500 before our era, the Romans develop these plays introducing there even 16 days of “scenic plays” (theater) from September 4th to 19th. Races of tanks, boxes, athletics, fight were with the sporting program.

The Ludi pleibei , during Roman plays, did not take place in Circus Flaminius as one believed a long time. They are held from November 4th to 17th.

The Second Punic War mark a turn for the Romans who multiply from now on the Ludi . The first big games born of this crisis are the Jeux apollinaires which are held for the first time in 212 av. J. - C. before becoming annual as of 208 av. J. - C.. It are held from July 6th to 12th.

The Ludi megalenses become annual in 191 av. J. - C.. They are held from April 4th to 10th.

The floral Ludi become annual in 178 av. J. - C.. They are held from April 28th to May 3rd.

New creations of Ludi in Rome coincide with the increase in the importance of the generals; they are the triumphal plays . They are related to a precise event but some are perennialized and are held consequently each year. Let us quote here the plays of Sylla in 80 av. J. - C. from October 26th to November 1st and the plays of Jules César, from July 20th to 30th.

At the end of the Republic Rome counts 76 days of Ludi to its annual calendar, including 16 dedicated to the races of tanks. Traditionally, the plays open by the scenici , the scenic plays (theater), when the latter appear in the program. In the same way, the plays are completed by the competitions in sporting matter, the circences .

The calendar of the Roman plays was not limited to this only calendar of annual competitions and at the time of military victories for example, other days of plays supplemented the program.

If the Roman Plays have all of the religious origins, they are laicized definitely thereafter even if one maintains a certain decorum religious, by tradition.

The Romans were very fastidious on the questions of sporting equity. One did not hesitate to make resort a race, in particular with the hippodrome, even if it means to add additional days of competition at the end of the program of the Ludi if the need were felt some. The cases of this type are rather numerous.

Ludi under the Empire

The multiplication of the number of days of Ludi is the first concept to retain history of the Plays under the Empire. One passes indeed from 76 days of annual plays at the end of the Republic with 175 in the middle of the 4th century. 64 days were devoted to the races of tanks with 24 races per day. In fact, the Romain can from now on “of the morning at the evening”, to follow sporting events of all kinds.

The Christians protest very early (beginning of the 2nd century) against the behavior of the Ludi . These protests empldsng not multiplication of these plays. The “new Rome” perpetuates until the end of the 12th century, the tradition of the races of tanks.

Plays vis-a-vis the History

Juvénal, intellectual hostile Roman with the sporting movement, forges an expression which becomes one of the stereotypes of Roman civilization: “ Panem and circenses ”, bread and the circus. We are at the beginning of the 2nd century after J. - C. and the Christians take again on their account this expression in order to point finger “passion” sporting, incompatible in their eyes with Christendom. A copier literature exists on this topic. One finds this philosophy until in the writings of the French historian Carcopino which treats overall the Romans of lazy assisted.

The French historian Paul Veyne publishes in 1976 his famous the Bread and the circus, sociology historical of a political pluralism . He clarifies the Roman evergetism, subtle means of redistribution of the richnesses set up at Rome and in the Empire and twists the neck with many stereotypes. Alas, much still refer to this book, without to have read it, to support the theses of Juvénal!
The brêche created by Veyne allows however the emergence of a school of historians disengaged from the Roman stereotypes of before the Second world war. The “plays” from now on are studied under the sporting angle, without neglecting however the sociological approach, because the sport clearly constitutes one of the pillars of the romanity.

See too

the Roman sport, secular Plays
Naumachie and watery Plays of the Empire Romain
Circus (Roman) and the Circus Maximus
Race of tanks
Gladiator and celebrates it Spartacus