The social, cultural and political developments of ancient Rome propelled Rome to wealth, prosperity and a level of scientific, mathematical and literacy development unattained for hundreds of years after its fall(Wilkes). These developments were of such crucial importance to the extent that they are widely regarded as the foundation of many democratic concepts, sciences and mathematical concepts and legal concepts of the modern day. The legacy of the Roman Empire pervades into multiple aspects of everyday life in Western society whilst simultaneously serving as an example of success and failure in a society through its contributions to the western legal systems, science and mathematics and language.
The Roman Republic …show more content…
Roman entertainment has acquired a well-deserved reputation for it’s violent, discriminatory, and populist nature. It was used to win the favour of the masses, distract the lower classes from their plight, and eliminate potential risks posed to the empire in a beneficial manner. The Roman gladiator games are the very embodiment of everything Roman entertainment was, violent, political, discriminatory, populist and gaudy. Prisoners, slaves, political opponents and unpopular members of society fight would fight amongst one another whilst wearing extravagant uniforms in effort to win appeal amongst the audience and the emperor, typically to attempt to attain freedom or fame. Whilst the emperor would utilise these games as a method to consolidate his power over Roman society and placate the Roman mob by showing amnesty or brutality towards popular or unpopular fighters (The games). Chariot races would be used as another method of the emperor to win over Roman society, they were brutal, entertaining and could be used to foster division amongst the Roman mob by encouraging divisions in their support of different drivers. The most brutal Roman games, however, would occur at the amphitheatre. This was where Romans would spectate events such as Christians being forced to fight off lions, in-arena naval battles done by filling the theatre with water, or gladiators fighting off wild animals. Whilst these spectacles may not always been as popular as the gladiatorial games, they were still immensely successful at winning over popular support and placating the Roman mom, eliminating components of society disliked by the empire whilst demonstrating the engineering ingenuity of the Romans(Roman