In ancient times, the Greeks had absolute and undeniable respect for their gods and they demonstrated this tremendous admiration by putting in place many rituals and celebrations to respect them and to pledge accordance with them. To openly make apparent this reverence for the gods a series of four festivals were formed and the Pan Hellenic Games were then adopted into Greek lifestyle. All in great honour of a particular god, the athletic entertainment that assembled the Pan Hellenic Games were the Pythian games held at Delphi in honour of Apollo (every four Years); the Nemean games at Namea in honour of Zeus (every two years); The Isthmian games at the sanctuary of Poseidon on the Isthmus of Corinth (every two years); and above all were the Olympic Games also held in honour of Zeus at Olympia (Ancient Olympic Games, nd, online). The ancient Olympic Games originated in the year 776 BC however contrary evidence, both literary and archaeological, suggests that the games may have existed at Olympia much earlier than this date; perhaps even as early as the 10th or 9th century BC (The Real Story of The Ancient Olympic Games, nd, online). Olympia was a rural sanctuary site in the western Peloponnesos and was named in antiquity after Mt. Olympos, the highest mountain in mainland Greece. Olympia became the principal site for the adulation of Zeus and over time the Games flourished. A single foot race was the only athletic event until the fifteenth Olympiad although eventually there were 23 Olympic sports events (The Ancient Olympic Games, nd, online). These games represent their society as a dignified, orderly civilization that utilized this form of public entertainment to show their respect to the gods and skill and determination as athletes. Public entertainment of this kind seems very honourable and gentle in comparison to Roman entertainment that forced brutality and epitomized their lust for blood and gore.
With such a tolerance for violence embedded in the Romans which was attributable to the military essence that encircled the Empire, the gore of gladiatorials had to be extreme in order to surpass the easiness of the Roman spectators’ view of violence. This was most commonly held in display at the Colosseum which was built by members of the Flavian dynasty and was finished in 80 AD after nine years of construction. The aura of death was strong in the amphitheater which could hold 50 000 spectators. This was especially so when spectators played the role of determining whether or not the losing gladiator would die. An eminence of such a kind enthralled the Romans, especially the poor, and they would chant “Iugula Iugula” which meant kill him, kill him (Malam, J. 2002; page 6). The conditions of the Colosseum in contrast to those presented at the stadion (stadium) in Olympia seem luxurious. When the odor of blood became unbearable scented sprays of misty water would be sprayed on spectators and incense burnt to dilute the smell. However a lot of the time the sponsor of the games would not allow these deaths to occur due to the fact that the sponsor himself was responsible to pay for any loss in gladiator. In effect the Gladiator could be spared to Die Another Day. Not only did spectators assemble to watch fierce violence but this was also the common citizens chance to air complaints and make known their attitudes toward the emperor and his regime (Cameron , K). The spectators of the Olympics in Greece however played a very different role during public entertainment of such a mass kind.
The Olympic festivals were so revered that before and during each one, a truce was announced to allow visitors and athletes to travel safely to Olympia. Although this was a treacherous, mountainous journey over rough terrain spectators still flocked by the thousands to take part in the Games. Excluded however from playing role as spectator were married women. This exclusion has not been substantiated to any certain effect however it is known that it was not because athletes competed naked (Ancient Olympic Games, nd, online). In simple terms the spectator’s role was to support athletes and contribute in showing the mass respect the Games intended to offer to Zeus. Gladiator spectators and Olympic spectators played different roles in the sense that the Romans role was to advocate gore whereas Greek spectators’ role supported peace. Again this reflects the peaceful nature of the Greeks as opposed to the violent nature of the Romans.
Gladiators were usually the lowest scum of Ancient Rome and were recruited as criminals, slaves, and prisoners of war yet if became popular enough were respected and thought of as a member of a cohesive group that was known for its courage, good morale, and absolute fidelity to their master to the point of death (Roman Gladiatorial Games, 2002, online). Criminals, having lost their citizen rights and slaves and prisoners of war having none, had no choice about becoming a gladiator if they possessed the potential physique for the profession, as it was sometimes classed in those days. Many months of rigorous, grueling training had to be undertaken before the gladiator was finally ready to enter the arena in combat. Most of the time those forced to take on the role of gladiator were in strong protest but had no choice but to die if they did not kill first. Contrary to this Olympians quite willingly volunteered to compete in the Games
Athletes had to arrive in Elis a month before the games to undergo spiritual, moral, and physical training under the supervision of the judges, who then decided which of them were genuinely qualified to compete. Each competitor had to swear an oath that he was a free-born Greek who had committed no sacrilege against the gods. Ancient athletes competed as individuals, not on behalf of teams; this is a reflection of the emphasis on individual athletic accomplishment through public competition which was a prominent connection to the age old Greek ideal of excellence. Athletes competed nude although they originally wore shorts but, according to one ancient writer, Pausanias, “A competitor deliberately lost his shorts so that he could run more freely during the race in 720 BC, and clothing was then abolished” (Roman Gladiatorial Games, 2002, online).
In conclusion gladiatorial conquests were merely a form of public entertainment that gave the citizens a sense of power and emperor a sense of control. Note these two feelings; power and control reflect Rome’s unrelenting desire to dominate the Mediterranean region and their violent fight in gaining that. These games that the Romans enjoyed so much are unmistakably a mirror image of a society in chaos. The Ancient Olympic Games however reflect a more respectful society in harmony. When the two civilisations are placed side by side the hidden connotation of the age old saying good verses evil is evidently apparent. Roman public entertainment of gladiatorials was evil and Greece’s ancient Olympic entertainment was of high morale. Proved in this essay is that the public entertainment enjoyed by these two civilisations clearly reflects their societal values and individual way of life.
