Risk and appreciation of ancient Roman sport

Alongside drawing acclaim as one of the greatest ancient civilization, Rome also practiced sports that among other things entertained the masses. Furthermore, this society was founded on its militaristic ambitions, which also came across in their organization of sporting spectacles. Fundamentally, it was the prospect of risk and uncertainty that kept the masses entertained as events lacking in either were comparatively less popular. Hence, it is high-risk that helped make Roman sporting events more entertaining for the masses.

Physical violence has been used in entertainment across several civilizations. In the context of ancient Roman sport, violence was the source of fun and celebration as well as a means of cruelty and despair as thousands would converge at different venues to witness several sporting forms based on physical violence (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.5). Not only were sporting gatherings important to this civilization, but they provided violent entertainment that helped form and maintain its societal structure. This is underscored by the fact that such sporting events were part of daily life among ancient Romans. Because entertainment is a reflection of the society itself, sports were a brutal expression of Roman ideals. Furthermore, the militaristic cultural passion was self-evident in the gladiatorial games arena and influenced all aspects of ancient Roman life (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.83). Therefore, high-risk situations associated with sports in ancient Rome served political, social and religious functions.

Sports involves competition and performance. Competition introduces uncertainty in the performance of sports such that athletes must exert effort, skill, and blood to secure a victory. Ideally, this makes the outcome of sporting events uncertain. Therefore, based on competition among rival athletes, sporting events present high uncertainty, not only among the rivals but also among the spectators (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.12). Furthermore, the latter always form their own opinions before such events and this usually amplifies such uncertainty. Therefore, for spectators to develop any appreciation for any sport, modern or ancient, it must present uncertainty. The compulsion to resolve such uncertainty by witnessing sporting events influences spectator appreciation. In the event they unanimously agree that victory was appropriately awarded, then the victor also gains the spectators’ honor.

The manner of sports development is such that it can accommodate divergent views. For the athlete to engage in ritualistic exercises and participate in competitions, there must have been tangible rewards for them to contend, which ideally, was awarded on actual merit. Besides performance payments, there was something additional that inspired athletes to participate in events with high-risk of either success or failure; the passion of the supporters (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.31). Among other things, this creates strong feelings amongst spectators as to how athletes should behave. Because of the passion-based relationship between fans and athletes, the former comes to regard the latter to possess those qualities spectators value like integrity, skill, strength and the mental courage to participate in high-risk sporting competitions (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.122). Crucially, sports enabled a sense of community as it connected those outside sporting venues to connect with those inside plainly based on what their participation. Conversely, just as it had the effect of creating a community, it equally had a negative effect of alienating other constituencies of society.

Considering Roman military and cultural heritage as well as the community creating effect of sports, it is inevitable that the elites attempted to use sports to demonstrate their power. Typically, it was the elites that possessed the resources, economic or political, to organize such events and they did so primarily as a demonstration of their power either among their contemporaries or to the society at large (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.167). As Potter observes, Sulla and Caesar granted privileges as a show of either beneficence and superiority over other Roman aristocrats for attaining political power was the primary motivation among the political elite (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.169). Furthermore, it was only he had taken control of Delphi that Phillip the 2 nd used his presidency of the Pythian games to assert his political dominance over Greece. Significantly, to formalize his rule, Phillip the 2 nd also commissioned a self-commemorative monument in Olympia; the Philippeon, which was constructed next to the temple of Hera. Equally, a couple of years prior to his assassination, Phillip the 2 nd had entered the winning chariot at Olympia, Alexander used the same chariot in his formative announcements (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.171). Therefore, the rich and powerful of ancient Roman society also used sporting events to enhance their visibility and power among their peers.

Brutal public displays of power are what was used to maintain social structure in ancient Rome. Pankration, gladiators, and charioteers are emblematic categories of athletes and games of this era (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.129). Considering that this was a society exposed to both persistent displays of brutality in the form of power displays to maintain social structure and control, it stands to reason that the above-mentioned athletes participated sporting competitions that were equally or more brutal. Advancing this notion further, because fan interest was the basis for the development of interest in ancient sports and uncertainty was a compelling factor in drawing fans, it is only logical that the organizers of such events used high-risk to attract spectators. Therefore, based on fan interest, organizers encouraged athletes to participate in increasingly dangerous performances. This pattern was only limited by among other things increased costs or dangers that clashed with societal values. For instance, Potter suggests that the cost and dangerous nature of gladiatorial competition were dependent on the efforts of the imperial authorities (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.321). Put differently, being a political body, it was cognizant of the weight public opinion had in its operations and intentionally avoided contradicting the spectators.

The spectators gained power by attending and supporting these games. They were able to experience the adrenaline rush and excitement associated with being in danger without actually exposing themselves to precarious situations. Because the organizers of such sporting events motivated the athletes to attempt increasingly dangerous performances for the benefit of the spectators, it gave the latter a sense of control in such events. Coupled with the freedom to leave performances that were boring, it is easy to understand how spectators might have drawn power from attending and supporting ancient games (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.17). Critically, however, it was the organizers of such events, the elites who were using ancient Roman cultural sophistication to exert political power over the masses. According to Potter, after Caesar secured a series of significant victories around 49 BC, his actions were typical of the Roman elites’ desire for planning events that were increasingly unique and dangerous (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.210). Therefore, the games that were used to commemorate his triumph were held across several venues to avoid judgment from those who had already witnessed. The games consisted of gladiatorial combats, mock land and sea battles along with beast hunts. Significantly, it was the scale with which Caesar exhibited these games as testament to his political power and social control. Furthermore, the majority of the people involved in the games hosted by Caesar, in this instance, were mostly people who were condemned to death because of his triumph (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.212). He was using the context of a military victory to entertain the masses and assert his political supremacy over his rivals. To make the games more appealing to the spectators, he allocated considerable resources.

As the development of sports in ancient Rome was based primarily on spectator interest, organizers were compelled to hold competitions with increasing levels of risk. This increased the uncertainty that compelled spectators to attend and support such games. Furthermore, societal values or costs were the only limitations to organizers with regards to holding high-risk sporting events. Keen to exploit the power of sporting events, the Roman elite often sponsored sporting events that were meant to boost their political power and exert social control on the masses. They were also keen to promote high-risk performances to attract and sustain spectator interest. Conversely, Potter suggests that it was economic and social changes that led to the demise of Roman appreciation of high-risk sporting activities (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.312). Economically, most of the places that historically sponsored such games could not afford to organize them anymore. Socially, the society had advanced in terms of taste and adopted circus at the expense of traditional Roman games (Potter, The Victor’s Crown p.312). This suggests that it become more logical for the athletes to join the several circus factions that were then dominant in both the urban and rural setting. The development of ancient Roman sport was solely based on spectator interest and this was exploited by increasingly high-risk performances. Hence, once social changes meant that spectators were no longer interested in such sporting events and the previously available economic resources dedicated to organizing these events became unavailable, or the events became too costly to host.

Among societies, the development of any sports culture is determined by spectator interest. Additionally, the organization of sports requires the involvement of sponsors and athletes. Apart from seeking to generate and exploit fan interest, the former also seeks to prove their power among their peers while the latter is also motivated by the quest for a connection with the fans. Critically, both athletes and organizers use high-risk performances to exploit spectator interest.

Reference

Potter, D. (2012). The Victor’s Crown . New York: Oxford University Press.