What comparisons and contrasts can be made between the entertainment in classical Pompeiiand nowadays? Which would you have preferred?

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Thomas Rolfe        Year 11        Classics

What comparisons and contrasts can be made between the entertainment in classical Pompeii and nowadays?  Which would you have preferred?

From what we know of classical Pompeii, we are given a good idea of their interests and their entertainment.  They had theatres which held large amounts of people such as the Circus Maximus.  This had the capacity to hold more people than many of the football stadiums we have today.  I think this is extremely impressive as they would not have had the machines to build them that we have today.  The Romans would have used an incredible amount of manpower.

The Amphitheatre was basically a large hole in the ground, but it could seat 20000 people, almost the whole population of Pompeii, as well as the gladiators and exotic animals.  The Amphitheatre was, and still is, surrounded by a parapet more than two meters high, originally painted with scenes of hunting’s, gladiatorial matches and animal fights.  I believe this was a way of marketing what was on offer within the Amphitheatre.  Just as today, we market our films and theatre productions using bill boards, television and radio as an advertising medium.

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The spectacles that they would have watched would have been Gladiatorial fights, Plays and speech recitals.  These were all pretty ‘usual’ things to watch, apart from the fights according to today’s society.  This is because it contained bloodshed which was extremely appealing to the Roman Empire.  Yet this would be appalling in today’s society.  I believe this is why we have replaced it with spectacles such as sport, film and opera.  Although in places such as Spain there are regular bull fights, where there is much bloodshed from the animals.  I know Animal Rights Activists find bull fighting appalling ...

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