The Roman Games
- The geographic and historical context of the Roman games, including their origin as funerary commemorations, Etruscan influences, Caesar’s games for Julia, the violent nature of Roman society, types of gladiators (male and female) and their training, the role of amphitheatres as foci within Roman towns, and the significance of the Colosseum and Circus Maximus as venues
The nature of the sources most relevant to the interpretations and representations of the games, for example the writings of Juvenal, Cicero and Tacitus; the graffiti from Pompeii; and statuettes and mosaics
The different interpretations and representations of the games (from the ancient past to the present), including the cruelty of the gladiatorial games (Seneca and Christians), the political nature of the games as ‘bread and circuses’, the role of blood sports in Roman society, and modern portrayals in novels and films
The historical context of the interpretations and representations and why these have changed, for example romantic representations, Christian interpretations, and modern versions of gladiatorial contests
The reliability and contestability of interpretations and representations of the games, including the origins of the games (foreign or Roman); debates about the political significance of the games and the power and authority of the Emperor, the senatorial class, and the masses; and the significance of source selection, omission, emphasis and gaps in evidence