Who Were the Roman Gladiators

A Roman gladiator was a man (rarely a woman), typically a slave or convicted criminal, who participated in one-on-one battles with each other, often to the death, for the entertainment of crowds of spectators in the Roman Empire. Gladiators were mostly first-generation slaves who had been bought or acquired in war or were convicted criminals, but they were a surprisingly diverse group. They usually were common men, but there were a few women and a few upper-class men who had spent their inheritances and lacked other means of support. Some emperors such as Commodus (ruled 180–192 CE) played as gladiators for the thrill; the warriors came from all parts of the empire. However they ended up in the arena, in general, throughout the Roman era they were considered crude, loathsome, doomed, and lost men altogether, without worth or dignity. They were part of the class of moral outcasts, the infamia. History of the Games The combat between gladiators had its origins in Etruscan and Samnite funeral sacrifices, ritual killings when an elite personage died. The first recorded gladiatorial games were given by the sons of Iunius Brutus in 264 BCE, events that were dedicated to their fathers ghost. In 174 BCE, 74 men fought for three days to honor the dead father of Titus Flaminus; and up to 300 pairs fought in the games offered to the shades of Pompey and Caesar. The Roman emperor Trajan caused 10,000 men to fight for four months to celebrate his conquest of Dacia. During the earliest battles when the events were rare and the chances of death were about 1 in 10, the fighters were almost entirely prisoners of war. As the numbers and frequency of the games increased, the risks of dying also increased, and Romans and volunteers began enlisting. By the end of the Republic, about half of the gladiators were volunteers. Training and Exercise Gladiators were trained to fight in special schools called ludi (singular ludus). They practiced their art at the Colosseum, or in circuses, chariot racing stadiums where the ground surface was covered with blood-absorbing harena sand (hence, the name arena). They generally fought one another, and were rarely, if ever, matched with wild animals, despite what you may have seen in the movies. Gladiators were trained at the ludi to fit into specific gladiator categories, which were organized based on how they fought (on horse back, in pairs), what their armor was like (leather, bronze, decorated, plain), and what weapons they used. There were horseback gladiators, gladiators in chariots, gladiators who fought in pairs, and gladiators named for their origin, like the Thracian gladiators. Health and Welfare Popular skilled gladiators were allowed to have families, and could become very wealthy. From under the debris of the volcanic eruption of 79 CE in Pompeii, a presumed gladiators cell (that is, his room in a ludi) was found that included jewels that may have belonged to his wife or mistress. Archaeological investigations in a Roman gladiators cemetery in Ephesus identified 67 men and one woman—the woman was likely a gladiators wife. The average age at death of the Ephesus gladiator was 25, slightly more than half the lifespan of the typical Roman. But they were in excellent health and received expert medical care as evidenced by perfectly healed bone fractures. Gladiators were often referred to as hordearii  or barley men, and, perhaps surprisingly, they ate more plants and less meat than average Romans. Their diets were high in carbohydrates, with an emphasis on beans and barley. They drank what must have been vile brews of charred wood or bone ash to increase their calcium levels—analysis of the bones at Ephesus found very high levels of calcium. Benefits and Costs The gladiator life was clearly risky. Many of the men in the Ephesus cemetery died after having survived multiple blows to the head: ten skulls had been bashed by blunt objects, and three had been punctured by tridents. Cut marks on rib bones show that several were stabbed in the heart, the ideal Roman coup de grace. In the sacramentum gladiatorium or oath of the Gladiator the potential gladiator, whether slave or hitherto free man, swore uri, vinciri, verberari, ferroque necari patior—I will endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword. The gladiators oath meant that he would be judged dishonorable if he ever showed himself unwilling to be burned, bound, beaten, and killed. The oath was one way—the gladiator demanded nothing of the gods in return for his life. However, victors received laurels, monetary payment, and any donations from the crowd. They could also win their freedom. At the end of a long service, a gladiator won a rudis, a wooden sword which was wielded in the games by one of the officials and used for training. With the rudis in hand, a gladiator might then become a gladiator trainer or a freelance bodyguard—like the men who followed Clodius Pulcher, the good-looking trouble-maker who plagued Ciceros life. Thumbs Up! Gladiatorial games ended one of three ways: one of the combatants called for mercy by raising his finger, the crowd asked for the end of the game, or one of the combatants was dead. A referee known as the editor made the final decision about how a particular game ended. There appears to be no evidence that the crowd signified their request for the life of the combatants by holding their thumbs up—or at least if it was used, it probably meant death, not mercy. A waving handkerchief did signify mercy, and graffiti indicates the shouting of the words dismissed also worked to save a downed gladiator from death. Attitudes Towards the Games The Roman attitudes towards the cruelty and violence of the gladiator games were mixed. Writers like Seneca may have expressed disapproval, but they attended the arena when the games were in process. The Stoic Marcus Aurelius said that he found the gladiatorial games boring and abolished a tax on gladiator sale to avoid the taint of human blood, but he still hosted lavish games. Gladiators continue to fascinate us, especially when they are seen to rebel against oppressive masters. Thus we have seen two gladiator box-office smash hits: the 1960 Kirk Douglas Spartacus and the 2000 Russell Crowe epic Gladiator. In addition to these movies stimulating interest in ancient Rome and the comparison of Rome with the United States, art has affected our view of gladiators. Gà ©rà ´mes painting Pollice Verso (Thumb Turned or Thumbs Down), 1872, has kept alive the image of gladiator fights ending with a thumbs up or thumbs down gesture, even if untrue. Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst Sources Carter, Michael. Accepi Ramum : Gladiatorial Palms and the Chavagnes Gladiator Cup. Latomus 68.2 (2009): 438–41.  Curry, Andrew. The Gladiator Diet. Archaeology 61.6 (2008): 28–30.  Là ¶sch, Sandra, et al. Stable Isotope and Trace Element Studies on Gladiators and Contemporary Romans from Ephesus (Turkey, 2nd and 3rd C. AD)—Implications for Differences in Diet. PLoS ONE 9.10 (2014): e110489.  MacKinnon, Michael. Supplying Exotic Animals for the Roman Amphitheatre Games: New Reconstructions Combining Archaeological, Ancient Textual, Historical and Ethnographic Data. Mouseion 111.6 (2006).  Neubauer, Wolfgang, et al. The Discovery of the School of Gladiators at Carnuntum, Austria. Antiquity 88 (2014): 173–90.  Reid, Heather L. Was the Roman Gladiator an Athlete? Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 33.1 (2006): 37–49.

Gender Roles in the Play Trifles Essay - 3006 Words

Gender roles have caused strain over decades to not only females, but recently males as well. There are many attributes that humans have associated with each gender, causing a divide between sexes not only with each other, but also separating the two into almost completely different species. Due to this categorizing which is placed on gender, there can be a declining value of a person or even a higher hand given to the one gender which is seen as more powerful to society. The stereotypical labeling of genders can determine one person’s outlook on life. The judgment can make one feel like there is a set rubric to follow in order to remain in the lines regarding which gender they belong to. Such influences from peers or partners can alter†¦show more content†¦There has been a major shift in gender roles since the 50’s, but due to media and its power to mold peoples’ opinions, it was definitely a struggle to maintain equality because of the cataloging of se xual characteristics. Home life is a core area that can be the biggest influence on ones opinions of gender roles. The content of the article â€Å"Parental Influence on Children’s Socialization to Gender Roles† written by Susan Witt introduces where stereotypical gender association derives. Gender roles can easily be adopted through the household and when children are placed in an environment where it is easily transmitted through the parents’ then that child will follow their parents’ influences (Witt, par. 1). Schooling, media, and society are also large influences on children at a young age to behave a certain way. Self-concept is also a large chunk of the way children see themselves when they begin to grow and criticism from parents can be a large influence on shaping that child’s perspective (Witt, par. 3). As humans we nurture newborns and associate them with their gender immediately. Whether this be the colors concerning their gender before they are even born, their clothing as a baby, even the toys we supply them with as children, humans gravitate naturally to associate certain characteristics with gender. Unknowingly, parents find themselves setting theirShow MoreRelatedThe Deception of Trifles: Gender Roles in the Play by Glaspell1550 Words   |  7 PagesIn the 19th Century, women had different roles and treated differently compared to today’s women in American society. In the past, men expected women to carry out the duties of a homemaker, which consisted of cleaning and cooking. In earlier years, men did not allow women to have opinions or carry on a job outside of the household. As today’s societies, women leave the house to carry on jobs that allow them to speak their minds and carry on roles that men carried out in earlier years. In theRead MoreChanging The World : One Play At A Time1644 Words   |  7 PagesAmber Geroy Engwr 301 Professor Collins 22 April 2015 Changing the World: One Play at a Time Throughout history women have fought to be treated equivalent to men. In today’s society, although there are still improvements to be made, it is easy to see that the female population has made a significant step towards equality and independence. Looking back about one hundred years ago, gender roles were still very specific and consisted of the man working and supporting the family, and the woman takingRead MoreTrifles : Susan Glaspell s Trifles940 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is a trifle? A trifle is something that has little to no importance (dictionary.com). For instance, the color of your nails would be considered a trifle. In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, women are criticized and made fun of by men because of the little things they worry about, such as the color of their nails or their hair. This exhibits the gender role difference portrayed during the play’s time period. The central conflict is what the plot is centered around. In Trifles, the central conflictRead Mo reComparing The Way That Trifles And The Story Of An Hour924 Words   |  4 PagesThere are several similarities and differences in the way that Trifles and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† portray gender roles. Both of these stories portray two women very unhappy in their marriages and portray men as the dominant force. Trifles and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† both deal with very specific gender roles throughout the stories that relate to the time period they were written in. Trifles deals with gender roles by using a woman that feels trapped in her marriage. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† also usesRead MoreTrifles : A Dramatic Examination Of Gender Role1031 Words   |  5 PagesTrifles: A Dramatic Examination of Gender Role Trifles is a dramatic one act play written by American female playwright Susan Glaspell. The play examines through the framework of a murder mystery how rigid gender role dynamics in the early 20th century not only shaped people s thinking, but blinded them from seeing what would otherwise be clear as day to someone else. During the time the play was written the women s liberation movement had yet to take place. Women were strongly stereotyped andRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Trifles By Susan Glaspell1016 Words   |  5 PagesPerspective: Readers Response Criticism to â€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell The play written by Susan Glaspell in 1916 is based on the murder of John Wright where the prime suspect is his spouse; Minnie Foster. â€Å"Trifles† is fixated on the investigation of the social division realized by the strict gender roles that enable the two men and women to have contending points of view on practically every issue. This is found in the way the men view the kitchen as they consider it as not having anything of significantRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 1358 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Trifles† is written by the mid-1900s feminist author Susan Glaspell. The one act play depicts the conflict surrounding the murder of John Wright and his wife’s, Minnie Wright’s, involvement in his strangulation. While this drama appears to tell the simple tale of a murder investigation, Glaspell intertwines her feminist views into the plot. The male and female characters’ investigations of John Wright’s death reveal a deeper meaning. The st ark contrasts between the men and women in the story displayRead MoreAnalysis Of Susan Glaspells Trifles: Patriarchal Dominance997 Words   |  4 PagesSusan Glaspell’s a stage play Trifles filmed by Jasmine Castillo is based on the theme that two genders are separated by the roles they performance in society and their powers of execution. The story is about the terrible murder of Mr. Wright by his wife, and the women who found the evidence in farmer’s house decided to be silent and hide it. The women unquestionably have a strong motive to be quiet about their discovery. The discriminatory separation between two genders proves that women union isRead MoreThe Real Relationship Between Men And Women1037 Words   |  5 PagesMen and Women In the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the men in the play are completely out of touch with the women. This may be perhaps the single greatest important theme of the play. The gender differences set the stage for the utmost vital event of the story, the murder. The men of the story are mainly oblivious to the steps the women undergo in the story. Understandably the women solve the murder before the men even get close. The men acted just as Mr. Wright in the play, they were dismissiveRead MoreA Doll s House : Henrik Ibsen962 Words   |  4 PagesA Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen) And Trifles (Susan Glaspell) In comparing both dramas, the overwhelming aspect of convergence between both is the open discussion of gender identity. Both dramas make similar points about what it means to be a woman. Modern society in both dramas is constructed with men holding power over women. This is seen in Trifles in how men like George Henderson and Mr. Hale are myopic. The premise of the drama is how women worry over trifles, and the dismissive attitude towards

Climate Issues and their Effects on Architecture Free Essays

Chapter 6 Decision Architecture has to accommodate to the local clime, particularly the tropical clime has changeless rainfall and sunshine throughout the old ages. In fact, the tropical clime has a comparatively comfy temperature. But the sunshine could be intense sometimes. We will write a custom essay sample on Climate Issues and their Effects on Architecture or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this context, the inactive design should in line with the tropical clime to heighten the indoor thermic comfort in order to forestall the indoor temperature become higher than the out-of-door temperature. The design of the auditorium has to be sensitive to the climatic specialnesss and the site context ; in this context, it is able to supply passively comfy status for the residents. Climatic issues have to set in serious history in order to make the auditorium edifice envelope that are thermally comfy and bring forth the least impact on the environing environment. With the consequence and influence of â€Å"Global Warming† and the escalating monetary value of electricity, maintaining the indoor to be cool will turn as an of import issue in the hereafter. The largest energy consumer in the edifice, particularly the auditorium is the air-conditioning system. However, the air-conditioning system besides has the largest nest eggs possible sing to this issue. The 2nd largest energy consumer in the auditorium is the illuming system. When unreal lightings are runing, it consumes electricity and generates heat into the indoor infinite. Therefore, the energy ingestion is increased as there is a demand for more cooling burden. For an enclosed edifice like an auditorium, other steps are resorted, like the energy-efficient electrical contraptions. For illustration, energy-saving lightings, high efficiency air-conditioners and last but non least, the sophisticated edifice services control system. However, before sing neither the electrical contraptions nor the chilling system, a inactive method should be the get downing point to supply an efficient edifice envelope. Assorted architectural solutions have been used in the tropical clime to chair the consequence of the intense Sun on the auditorium design. Orientation of the edifice, light colour wall pigment, proper shadowing devices and the well-insulated edifice envelope. The design of the auditorium, which integrating the inactive methods should be adhered to before put ining the energy efficient mechanical and electrical edifice system. It is decidedly assisting to cut down energy ingestion in a right manner. Material like the polished aluminum sheet used as external facing is a fillip point as thermic insularity in the tropical clime. It has high value of coefficient of reflection and aesthetically nice in looking. If the budget is allowable, insularity bed can be put in the wall building and a plaster board on the internal wall surface as a dual insularity bed. Additionally, mineral wool and fiber board have a positive influence on the OTTV analysis. It has been found that utilizing insularity can heighten the internal comfort status by increasing the thermic opposition of the wall. Surprisingly, the dual wall system for the auditorium is non the best system in the tropical clime. If there is budget restraint, a simple brick wall building with 13mm thick plaster applied on both sides of the wall of the auditorium can run into a satisfactory degree. White coloring material is ever the best coloring material for the tropical clime. Besides, dual glazed clear glass with low-e is the best glazing which suit to tropical clime. Double glassy glass should be the pick of glazing type for the auditorium as it depends to the full on the air-conditioning system. It is really of import to protect the window from direct solar heat addition. The gaps of the wall should take into serious consideration. Opening at East-West lifts must be avoided as it brings in direct heat and serious solar radiation. If the gaps are ineluctable for the East and West lift, shadowing devices should be attached to supply the proper shading consequence. By agencies of suited shadowing devices aid relieve the comfort status in the auditorium. In this context, the horizontal shading devices suit for East and West lifts while the perpendicular shading devices are the better option for North and South lifts. Proper pick of edifice stuffs can cut down the solar radiation penetrates to the internal infinite of the auditorium. It is really important for the auditorium in tropical clime. Materials with low thermic transmittal and low heat capacity are the most preferred to forestall the heat accumulate in the edifice envelope during daylight. The heat, which accumulated would radiate into the internal infinite of the auditorium in the dark when the air current velocity tends to be lower. Consequently, hot air temperature and high humidness caused hapless indoor air quality in the auditorium. When there is a map in the dark, it utilizes more energy in order to unclutter the unwanted air in the auditorium. As the UBBL is amended to follow with OTTV computation at the design phase before the building, construct environment in Malaysia is now concerned about a more energy-efficient and sustainable edifice, in term of the building stuff, edifice design, energy efficient edifice services and contraptions and so on. Now the to the full active manner edifice like auditorium is deriving its attending to be a green edifice. There will be lesser and lesser energy wastage created by auditorium in the hereafter. The smart system like the Building Automation System ( BAS ) in the auditorium should be implemented good. It would be ineffectual if no 1 to supervise the uninterrupted public presentation of the edifice system. The BAS system needs regular monitoring and bettering the position quo. The Energy Management System ( EMS ) is now a tendency for energy efficient edifice. On the other manus, renewable energy is now a manner frontward in order to prolong the ecological environment. It is particularly of import for the auditorium, which consumes higher energy than the other type of edifices. A sustainable auditorium is of import as it leads the betterment to the other to the full active manner edifices like the shopping complex and hotel. The probe and surveies done on the sustainability of the auditorium are for the endurance of thuman in the hereafter. The physique environment which helps planetary heating should be reduced. DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY It is undeniable that the figure of surveies and publications on the relationship of clime to architecture, people and energy usage is really extended. Undoubtedly, a assortment of theoretical and proficient jobs should be solved before a existent ecological architecture can be created in the tropical states. In order to hold the decision of future surveies even more useable, different auditorium should be tested to obtain more complete informations sets. Additionally, it is advisable to utilize questionnaires as parallel subjective surveies to acquire the subjective comfort informations. Future surveies can include a more elaborate survey of the hair-raiser works room control, included more informations from the hair-raiser operation on the behavior of the rooms’ airing systems. In a nutshell, the probe of this survey was limited to merely one instance survey auditorium. Further surveies on assorted instances of auditorium in Malaysia are recommended to derive more accurate rating. How to cite Climate Issues and their Effects on Architecture, Essay examples