Roman Sports and Spectacles: A Sourcebook

by Anne Mahoney

Roman Sports and Spectacles: A Sourcebook contains numerous translations from the Latin, including famous authors, such as Cicero, Seneca, Tertullian and Augustine, and the not so famous, including graffiti, advertisements and tombstones to paint a world view of what sports Romans played and what they thought of them. The world of Roman sports was similar in many ways to our own, but there were significant differences. For one thing Roman sports centered during religious festivals and the participants were most often slaves. Roman sports were not team sports, but individual competitions. And sports like chariot racing and gladiatorial competitions were very dangerous. Each document includes an introduction to the source material.

Genres: Roman History, History

119 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Marian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generally a good, quick option for direct sources for the time period. I question the accuracy of some of the added commentary, especially when it comes to the assertion that death in the arena was common, or that "ludi" was never used for gladiatorial events (when similar "ludus" came to mean a gladiatorial school). I definitely prefer to use this for the heavy block quoting over anything else.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I read it for a course in university, even if you do not have a great understanding of Roman and Greek literature and culture the book is very comprehensive and easy to understand.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book--generally a compilation of ancient commentaries--was a quick, handy read. On one hand I appreciated how there are so many direct primary sources compiled, as that might prove very handy if I ever do eventually write a book set during ancient Rome. On the other hand, though, I felt there wasn't enough commentary or context, as there were plenty of selections where I got lost of what they were saying or what the relevance of it was.
It was interesting to read ancient commentary that really could apply directly to our times, such as how a sports fan usually cheers not for individual players but for "a bit of cloth", and if the players suddenly switched teams we'd switch our allegiance. Ever had that happen to you? It has to me.

[Faith Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting research/source book with excerpts of classical writing, inscriptions, and graffiti about Roman sports and spectacles. I would have liked a little more context to the translations, but any researcher can look up the writers and assess their biases on her own. I would have given the book four stars, but the translations felt too modern for me--something the author did on purpose and explains in her introduction. She translates poetry as prose. If I use any of it, I'll look up older translations. The glossary was particularly useful and she provides a good "further reading" section for more context.