Classical Studies 2300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Falx, Highly Suspect, The Charioteers
5 Apr 2016
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No reservations about the need to destroy hostile animals or criminals. Childish/ a moral weakness, part of the roman character to watch amphitheater spectacle. There was a concern over the vices associated with the gladiatorial games, not objections based off of humanitarian grounds though. No call for the abolition of the games (no letters or anything) Emperors had no power here, were not willing to stop putting the games on for the people. (they liked it too much) Marcus aurelius hated blood sports but did not refuse to put them on because he knew that he needed to keep them going to stay on the good side of people. Why and how did thinking men oppose arena spectacle: games were non-intellectual, whole concept of otium (upper class version of leisure), upper class elite authors believed the games were non intellectual.
