Roman society operated as a patriarchy, and therefore maintaining male dominance and superiority was of great importance. Hegemonic masculinity required males to display self-control, valor, strength, and discipline. Such attributes could be attained and developed through military efforts. The encultured state of violence within Rome resulted in the transcendence of combat from the battlefield to the entertainment industry. Gladiatorial exhibitions served as a method of preserving and demonstrating masculinity. Gladiators were able to display courage, mastery and skill of their craft, and were given the opportunity to assert dominance over their opponent.
Ancient Rome's history is composed of centuries of conflict, resulting in imperial expansion. These wars, as documented by Roman historian, Titus Livius, include, but are not limited to, the Frontier Wars, the Samnite Wars, and the Macedonian Wars. In reference to Rome's position as a warrior state, Livius produces the claim that Mars, the Roman God of War, acted as the father of Rome. The Roman army's harsh disciplinary practices accounted for their numerous victories. If a soldier exhibited weakness in battle he would be bludgeoned to death by his peers. Titus Livius produced a compilation of 142 books entitled The History of Rome, which documented seven centuries of Roman annals.
[...] Tertullian, an early Christian author, wrote at length in his work De Spectaculis, regarding the spiritual connotations of gladiatorial combat. He identifies the belief that spirits of the deceased could be appeased with the sacrifice of human blood.[9] As a result, prisoners and slaves were executed at funerals, and their blood was decanted on to a statue of Jupiter Latiaris, the primary deity of Roman state religion. Gradually this custom transitioned from a religious practice to one of entertainment.[10] As a culture preoccupied with violence and aggression, masculinity within Rome was of great importance. [...]
[...] Hopkins 18. Livius 341. Livius 464. Tertullian, trans. S. Thelwall, De Spectaculis, Buffalo: Christian Literature Publishing Co Ibid. Livius 128. Ralph Jackson, Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome, Berekely: University of California Press Tertullian. Seneca, trans. R. Campbell, Seneca Letters from a Stoic, New York: Penguin Classics,1969, Letter IV. Tertullian. Juvenal, trans. A.S. [...]
[...] The iconography, sculptures, and paintings of Roman gladiators also provide a glance into the gladiatorial realm. This marble relief, created between 20 and 50 AD, depicts two gladiators in combat[19]. The minimal armour leaves the chest and abdomen bare, emphasizing the athletic physique and well formed abdominal muscles of the gladiators. Allowing such a large area to be vulnerable appears to be strategically imprudent; however, it allows for more movement and mobility. Ralph Jackson, Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome, Berekely: University of California Press The absence of chest armour also serves to accentuate the masculine form of the gladiators. [...]
[...] Policing Roman Masculinity through gladiatorial events Roman society operated as a patriarchy, and therefore maintaining male dominance and superiority was of great importance. Hegemonic masculinity required males to display self-control, valour, strength, and discipline. Such attributes could be attained and developed through military efforts. The encultured state of violence within Rome resulted in the transcendence of combat from the battlefield to the entertainment industry.[1] Gladiatorial exhibitions served as a method of preserving and demonstrating masculinity. Gladiators were able to display courage, mastery and skill of their craft, and were given the opportunity to assert dominance over their opponent. [...]
[...] The Roman preoccupation with maintaining masculinity was initially policed in their war efforts. Soldiers were trained to exude courage, strength, discipline and valour. However, as conflict subsided there existed the need to continue preserving masculinity. Gladiatorial bouts occupied this requisite, allowing men to demonstrate their masculine prowess. Originally enacted as sacrificial and celebratory acts upon the death of an imperial member of Roman society, gladiatorial combat transcended into the realm of entertainment. Men exerted their manly dominance by overpowering their opponent, exhibiting courage when faced with death, and by establishing their opponent as a submissive partner in their act of penetration. [...]
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