CLASS ACT Question and Answer For it was neither every kind of fame nor fame from every source that he courted, as Philip did, who plumed himself like a sophist on the power of his oratory, and took care to have the victories of his chariots at Olympia engraved upon his coins; nay, when those about him inquired whether he would be willing to contend in the foot -race at the Olympic games, since he was swift of foot, 'Yes,' said he, 'if I could have kings as my competitors.' - Plutarch, Life of Alexander First Tarquinius waged war on the Latins and captured the town of Apiolae. Because he brought back more plunder than expected from what seemed like a small war, he pu t on more extravagant ludi than previous kings had done. It was then that the place now called the Circus Maximus was marked out. There were separate sections of seats for senators and knights to watch from, with benches on supports as much as 12 feet from the ground. There were horse races and boxers brought in from Etruria. These games are still held annually, and called the Ludi Romani or the Great Ludi. - Livy, History of Rome - "But now the procession is coming —keep silence all, and attend! The time f or applause is here —the golden procession is coming. First in the train is Victory, borne with wings outspread —come hither, goddess, and help my love to win! Applaud Neptune (Poseidon), you who trust too much in the wave!I will have nothing to do with the sea; I choose that the land keep me. Applaud thy Mars, O soldier! Arms I detest; peace is my delight, and love that is found in the midst of peace. And Phoebus Apollo —let him be gracious to augurs, and Phoebe gracious to huntsmen! Minerva (Athena), turn in applause to thee the craftsman's hands! You country dwellers, rise to Ceres (Demeter) and tender Bacchus (Dionysos)! Let the boxer court Pollux, the horseman Castor! But we applaud thee, mild Venus (Aphrodite) and thy children potent with the bow.... - Ovid • "But even those who have triumphs, and who on that account keep the generals of the enemy alive a longer time, in order that, while they are led in triumph, the Roman people may enjoy an ennobling spectacle, and a splendid fruit of victory; nevertheless, when they begin to turn their chariot from the forum towards the Capitol, order them to be taken back to prison, and the same day brings to the conquerors the end of their authority, and to the conquered the end of their lives." - • Cicero • "For in time long past, in accordance with the belief that the souls of the -dead are propitiated by human blood, they used to purchase captives or slaves of inferior ability and to sacrifice them at funerals. Afterwards, they preferred to disguise this ungodly usage b y making it a pleasure. So, after the persons thus procured had been trained --for the sole purpose of learning how to be killed! -- in the use of such arms as they then had and as best as they could wield, they then exposed them to death at the tombs on the day appointed for sacrifices in honor of the dead. Thus they found consolation for death in murder." - Tertulian • "So the Romans made use of the splendid armor of their enemies to do honor to the gods; while the Campanans, in consequence of their pride and hatred of the Samnites, equipped after this fashion the gladiators who furnished them entertainment at their feasts, and bestowed on them the name of Samnites." - Livy - "The ordered that armor and weapons should be made ready, and took down temples a nd porticoes of ancient spoils of enemies. The levy wore a strange appearance, for owing to the scarcity of free men and the need of the hour, they bought, with money from the treasury 8,000 young and stalwart slaves and armed then, but asked them first if they were willing to serve. They preferred the slaves for soldiers, though they might have redeemed the prisoners of war at less expense." - Livy • "The last day was that of the elephants, and on that day the mob and crowd was greatly impressed, but mani fested no pleasure. Indeed, the result was a certain compassion (misericordia) and a kind of feeling that the huge beast has a fellowship with the human race." - Cicero - Cicero, letter to Marcus Marius • "But Pompey's elephants, when they had lost all ho pe of escape, tried to gain the compassion of the crowd by indescribable gestures of entreaty, deploring their fate with a sort of wailing, so much to the distress of the public that they forgot the general and his munificence carefully devised for their h onor, and bursting into tears rose in a body and invoked curses on the head of Pompey for which he soon afterwards paid the penalty." - Pliny - The insurrection of the gladiators and their devastation of Italy, which is generally called the war of Spartac us,1 had its origin as follows. A certain Lentulus Batiatus had a school of gladiators at Capua, most of whom were Gauls and Thracians. Through no misconduct of theirs, but owing to the injustice of their owner, they were kept in close confinement and rese rved for gladiatorial combats. Two hundred of these planned to make their escape, and when information was laid against them, those who got wind of it and succeeded in getting away, seventy -eight in number, seized cleavers and spits from some kitchen and s allied out. On the road they fell in with wagons conveying gladiators' weapons to another city; these they plundered and armed themselves. Then they took up a strong position and elected three leaders. The first of these was Spartacus, a Thracian of Nomadi c stock, possessed not only of great courage and strength, but also in sagacity and culture superior to his fate, and more Hellenic than Thracian - Plutarch
