What Everyone Already Knows… or Think they Know
Everyone knows that the Colosseum is the most well known amphitheaters in the world, and is an architectural masterpiece in many ways. Its now visible, highly complex underground passages and levels draw tourists from great distances to visit. It is also one of the many Roman innovations that fascinate people to this day, and makes Ancient Rome appear to be highly civilized, complex empire.
An Alternative Perspective
If the Colosseum is a supposed representation of a highly civilized Roman society, then why did my mother have chills—and not the good kind—when she visited? This is a question I have asked myself numerous times, and Tanner’s post provided me with a framework for conducting further exploration. It’s easy to get caught up in the grandeur of the Colosseum, but if we get critical, like Tanner, we can be just as spooked as my mother was when we see this amphitheater for what it truly was: darker than it seems.
Is Rome Actually Civilized?
As explained by archaeologist David Wengrow, we are taught to believe that inequality “was the necessary price of civilization.” We need to remove the idea from our heads, based on his words, that social inequality is vital in order to have a civilization. Even I can admit that without the lens of Tanner’s post, I would have honed my focus on the highly sophisticated structure of the amphitheater and looked over the inequality that it entails.
The People of Rome, The Spectators
Following Wengrow’s viewpoint, if the Romans were truly civilized, everyone who entered the Colosseum would have had the same experience; their daily lives should have been “mutually beneficial,” as Wengrow likes to say. Alas, the seating arrangement based on class and the horrifically violent nature of the gladiator games is, in my opinion, a bad look for the Colosseum. A better way to determine whether or not Rome’s social stratification goes against its civilization potential might be imagining ourselves in the shoes of the people who visited the Colosseum during its prime time…
A Senator
My wine is sloshing around in the cup, but I don’t mind because I happen to be walking into the Flavian Amphitheater. My seat is on the podium, as close to the front as it gets, and I have a spectacular view of the arena where the event of the day will shortly unfold. My anticipation eases when I learn of today’s entertainment: a common thief is going to face a tiger. That should be even better than yesterday’s gladiator fight, which I heard was boring because one guy died after only thirty minutes. The next few hours are filled with fighting and cheering, all alongside our emperor who gave us this wonderful gift. Today was the best event yet—it was messy and violent, and we got to enjoy the drawn out victory of the tiger, while the thief did not have such a lucky finish.
A Woman
I’m trying to keep my spirits high as I enter the side of the Flavian Amphitheater, despite the fact that the wealthy men are shoving their way in front of me. Once I finally make my way up to the highest level, I am out of breath, but at least the velarium awning is keeping the sun from beating down on me. The fight between the tiger and the common thief will be talked about for many days after today, so I do my best to see as much as possible, though it is hard because we are very high up. My head is continually colliding with the others around me, as we are all trying to get a better view of the arena. All I can hear is the roar of the crowd below me followed by the “what just happened?” replies from the other women and poor men in my section. I am grateful to my emperor for allowing me to experience this event, but I will always wonder what it would have been like to watch the tigers win from the podium alongside my husband.
Putting it All Together
I now understand that while the Romans were undoubtedly technologically advanced and artistically skilled, their monuments and structures should not be an indication of how civilized they were. If the intense social inequality doesn’t explain my mother’s chills, the horrifying brutality enacted on criminals, slaves and animals spectators certainly does. While the Colosseum is beautiful on the outside, I agree with Wengrow’s point: the bone chilling events that took place within should not be the price of a successful civilization.
Hi! My name is Abby Hanson and I am a sophomore planning to major in biology. I am very fascinated by the ancient world, and am enjoying everything that I have been discovering about it through my studies of art.
