Ancient Rome Entertainment
There were many ancient civilizations in the world that held different meanings to everyone. Ancient Greece is known for their gods and goddesses, ancient Egypt is known for their mummies and pyramids. However, ancient Rome is know for their fun entertainment, like chariot racing at the Circus Maximus, and plays being performed at the roman theatre.
There were many ancient civilizations in the world that held different meanings to everyone. Ancient Greece is known for their gods and goddesses, ancient Egypt is known for their mummies and pyramids. However, ancient Rome is know for their fun entertainment, like chariot racing at the Circus Maximus, and plays being performed at the roman theatre.
Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus was a huge 600m stadium with over 200,000 seats, built in the city of Rome.
It was made out of wood and burned down 3 times, each time being rebuilt out of wood.
After the 4th time of the building being burned down they decided to build it out of marble and concrete,
an ancient roman invention, and extend the capacity to over 300,000 seats.
The Circus Maximus was a huge 600m stadium with over 200,000 seats, built in the city of Rome.
It was made out of wood and burned down 3 times, each time being rebuilt out of wood.
After the 4th time of the building being burned down they decided to build it out of marble and concrete,
an ancient roman invention, and extend the capacity to over 300,000 seats.
The Circus Maximus was open to anyone to attend the races, even poor Romans and women.
There were races everyday and a large number of people attended.
Primarily the Circus Maximus was used for chariot racing, but sometimes they would use it for hunting or mock battles.
A mock battle is a historical battle in metal gear, swords and other solid portable weapons.
Chariot racing was a free event but hunts and mock battles had to be paid for.
In the middle of the Circus Maximus there was a barrier or as they called it, the Spina.
The Spina had 2 temples with 7 large eggs and 7 dolphins. At the end of each lap of
the 7 race laps around the stadium, one egg and dolphin would be removed from each temple.
This happened to keep the spectators up to date on how many laps had been completed.
The Spina and the stalls for the horses and chariots where the only part of the Circus Maximus that was painted.
Roman Theatre
The Romans loved there theatre! Roman theatre was one of the main attractions.
Plays were only preformed during religious ceremonies and festivals.
Romans celebrated over 250 holidays per year, so there were plenty of opportunities for them to perform plays.
Someone had to pay for the plays because actors only received a small amount of money.
Usually a wealthy person or a few wealthy people would pay the bill for the plays in honour of the Gods.
The Romans loved there theatre! Roman theatre was one of the main attractions.
Plays were only preformed during religious ceremonies and festivals.
Romans celebrated over 250 holidays per year, so there were plenty of opportunities for them to perform plays.
Someone had to pay for the plays because actors only received a small amount of money.
Usually a wealthy person or a few wealthy people would pay the bill for the plays in honour of the Gods.
The actors were only men, each of then played more than one role, so if there was a girl role one of the boys would have to play a girl. They wore very simple costumes that could be changed quickly in public.
The actors would hold up happy and sad masks to help the audience have a better idea of whats going on in the play.
Over time the masks became more detailed so it was no longer just happy and sad.
While people we're performing plays, the audience would talk to one another.
Because it was always so noisy, when the actors raised there voice to be heard it would make it even more noisy.
Over time they started something called pantomime.
Pantomime was a play without words, so no matter how noisy the theatre was the actors would not be disturbed and the
audience would have to pay attention so they would know what was going on.
Pantomime plays were the only plays that woman were allowed to appear in.
Because it was always so noisy, when the actors raised there voice to be heard it would make it even more noisy.
Over time they started something called pantomime.
Pantomime was a play without words, so no matter how noisy the theatre was the actors would not be disturbed and the
audience would have to pay attention so they would know what was going on.
Pantomime plays were the only plays that woman were allowed to appear in.
The best actors in roman plays were usually Greek. Romans copied theatre from the Greeks.
The plays were usually payed for by wealthy people to gain popularity.
The roman audience preferred comedy than anything else.
The story's were usually about wealthy people being kidnapped or foolish old men and clever slaves, but they usually had a happy ending.
The plays were usually payed for by wealthy people to gain popularity.
The roman audience preferred comedy than anything else.
The story's were usually about wealthy people being kidnapped or foolish old men and clever slaves, but they usually had a happy ending.
The masks they wore indicated the types of characters; young and old, male and female, gods and heroes.
The masks were light weight but very hot to wear.
On the masks there was a open mouth for the actors to speak through and an eye hole for them to see through.
The masks were made out of shaped and stiffened linen.
There was a huge wall at the back of the stage that had 76 decorative columns and 3 doors through which the actors made there entrance, on the way out there were shelves with masks so they could grab it on the way out.
The masks were light weight but very hot to wear.
On the masks there was a open mouth for the actors to speak through and an eye hole for them to see through.
The masks were made out of shaped and stiffened linen.
There was a huge wall at the back of the stage that had 76 decorative columns and 3 doors through which the actors made there entrance, on the way out there were shelves with masks so they could grab it on the way out.
Bibliography
http://rome.mrdonn.org/entertainment.html
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_roman_arena_entertainment.php
http://www.historyonthenet.com/Romans/entertainment_in_rome.htm
http://www.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~vms/carlton/theatre.html
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_entertainment.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_ancient_Rome
Google images!
http://rome.mrdonn.org/entertainment.html
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_roman_arena_entertainment.php
http://www.historyonthenet.com/Romans/entertainment_in_rome.htm
http://www.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~vms/carlton/theatre.html
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_entertainment.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_ancient_Rome
Google images!