Romans games and fun

The earliest types of games and entertainment included toys for children, dice, music and dance. There were also more physical activities like chariot racing.

In Roman times these games could be played at a number of locations much as one would today: at the public baths, the circus, the tavern or even at the forum. The Imperial Forums in Rome still have an example or two of simple games scratched into a paving stone the one I remember looks like naughts and crosses. Clearly, like the Greek heroes Achilles and Ajax, Roman soldiers were also likely to play various games in order to pass the hours of waiting.

Being every bit as human as modern man the ancient Romans also suffered the negative side of gambling games and in some cases lost whole fortunes. The Roman attitude to entertainment and games could also be quite moralistic: there were clear social rules as to what was acceptable from people of different social extraction though when push came to shove such restrictions softened through time. A particularly poignant moment was reached during the time of Emperor Nero though cases of women or upper class patricians and senators involvment in public games, sport and leisure occurred both before and after his reign also.

It cannot be said that the Romans actually invented any of the more common games but they certainly adopted them with a vengeance, so much so that laws had to be made in order to restrict them.

Cato refers to gaming dice as only being fit for the elderly, given that the young should be out in the fields practicing their arms. In ancient Rome, all gambling, except betting at the circus and races, were forbidden by law. Amongst others, the Lex Cornelia, Lex Publicia and Lex Titia forbade the game of dice and the penalty could have the perpetrator sent to jail or fined. Fines were a multiple of the amount of money being bet. The only time that the population could legally let off steam was during the carnival feast known as Saturnalia when all such games were allowed.

The game of dice and others were widespread, so much so that archaeologists have found a shop, complete with sign, which seems to have been an out and out gambling spot. Report Ad. You have a pending invite. Click here for details. Romans Numerals A perfect math game to teach Grade 2 students Even.. Often incorporated as part of wider public festivities, plays were attended by all, but class hierarchies were apparent in the seating arrangements.

Women and slaves tended to get seats at the back of the auditorium. Known either as thermae or balnae, bathhouses were popular ways for people to socialise, read and enjoy their leisure time. Almost every small town had at least one bathhouse, with major cities having hundreds. Wealthy individuals would have had their own private bath complexes, whilst many ordinary people would pay a few coins to enter.

Bath houses were built around three main rooms: the tepidarium warm room , the caldarium hot room , and the frigidarium cold room , with some having steam rooms or saunas too. There was also almost always a palaestra outdoor gym where men could exercise.

Bathing was a key part of Roman culture, and bath houses were convivial places. For the most part, men and women would use separate bathing facilities in order to maintain modesty, and many people went multiple times a week. First, the hunter for the easier animals was done, with stunning peacocks and fragile zebras chase around until maimed. Next, the dangerous leopards or tigers were brought out and put against either one gladiator or a group of human fighters.

The larger and more ferocious the beasts were, the better the games. These professional fighters were either free men fighting for glory and riches or salve fighters forced to fight until their death. There was a range of different games, from lightly armed fighters, to heavily armed, to lastly the traditional gladiator style fights. It was quite common for the dead or injured fighters to be dragged to the side after their loss to make room for the next fight.

Swimming For the Roman boys of Pompeii, swimming was all the rage. Swimming and diving through the water with ease. There are only a few women shown in history that were able to swim, but they said the majority did not learn. Hunting Hunting was one of the oldest sports among the richer citizens. With the elite men and their sons of Pompeii heading out to expeditions.

Fishing was also common in Pompeii due to their close proximately to the water. Wrestling Wrestling and boxing were popular sports back in the day, with it being a fitness activity as well as to build strength to impress others.

As there were no such things as boxing gloves back then, they merely used layers of cloth to wrap their hands.