Michael McNulty

10th Grade European History

Ancient Rome
Roman Entertainment

Lesson Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1. Explain what the Romans did for entertainment.

2. Compare and contrast our society to Roman society.
(NCSS Standard 1: Culture, NCSS Standard 3: People, Places, and Environments, and NCSS
Standard 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions)
New York Core Curriculum I: Ancient World-Civilizations and Religions, C. Classical
Civilizations and D. The Rise and Fall of Great Empires.

Materials:

1. Illustrations of Roman charioteers.

2. Photos of Circus Maximus.
3. Clip from the film Ben Hur on Youtube

Introduction/Hook:

To get students interested, I will show a scene from the film Ben Hur. It will be a scene
where a Chariot Race is taking place inside a circus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=nKnFLPV2yDY (Watch from 1:00 to 2:20). Tell the students to remember this scene for when
it comes time to compare Roman Theater with contemporary film.

Body:

Using the film as a way to get students interested in the topic, we will first study chariot
racing.

Slide 2: Chariot racing was one of the most popular sports in Ancient Rome. Chariot racing dates
back to the 6th century BCE to the Etruscans. Originally, races were held during religious
festivals, but quickly became more common. Races were held in stadiums called circuses.
Roman circuses were held all over the Roman Empire. The largest circus is the Circus Maximus;
it could hold 150,000 people. Does anyone know what the largest stadium is today?
(Rungrado May Day Stadium in North Korea holds 150,000 people.) The Circus Maximus
was around 2,000 feet long and 390 feet wide. Races were grouped based on how many horses
were pulling. Common races had teams of 2 or 4 horses, but there were races involving between
6 and 10 horses. Try to imagine how strong you would have to be to control a team of 10
horses pulling you down the track, all while managing to balance on the chariot and be
aware of your opponents.
Slide 3: The Circus Maximus. “I am the more astonished that so many thousands of grown men
should be possessed again and again with a childish passion to look at galloping horses, and men
standing upright in their chariots. If, indeed, they were attracted by the swiftness of the horses or
the skill of the men, one could account for this enthusiasm. But in fact it is a bit of cloth they
favour, a bit of cloth that captivates them. And if during the running the racers were to exchange
colours, their partisans would change sides, and instantly forsake the very drivers and horses
whom they were just before recognizing from afar, and clamorously saluting by name.” - Pliny
the Young
Slide 4: Most charioteers were slaves, but some became so successful they bought their freedom
and became celebrities. They would often have sculptures of them created to commemorate their
achievements. They would also appear on pottery and glass. Discussion: What are some of the
ways we commemorate our athletes? Instead of a Wheaties box, you get a sculpture. At the
races, 12 teams of horses would have to complete seven laps around the circus. Before races, it
was not unknown for racers to try to poison the opponent's horses or even the charioteer himself.
There would normally be about 12 charioteers racing at once, each wearing a different color;
there were main racing factions: Red, White, Blue, and Green. Racing fans were extremely loyal
to one of the factions (much like sports fans are today). They were often seen as fanatical. There
is evidence that an uprising started by disgruntled race fans almost overthrew Justinian in 532.
The fans besieged the Imperial Palace at Constantinople, and nearly burned down half of the city.

Conclusions:

Discussion: Compare and Contrast contemporary sporting events with Roman Chariot
Racing.

Sources:
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/circus.html
http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/Ancient_Roman_Chariot_Races.htm
http://www.unrv.com/culture/chariot-races.php