Spectacles in ancient Rome

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/spectacles-in-ancient-rome

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What were the biggest places where Romans watched shows?The Colosseum could hold 50,000 to 80,000 people, and the Circus Maximus could hold up to 250,000. These huge arenas let many Romans watch games and shows together.
2. Why did Romans give free food and shows?The Roman leaders gave free food and fun shows to keep everyone happy and stop them from fighting. This helped the rulers stay in charge.

Panem et circenses: A political strategy in ancient Rome involving the provision of food and public entertainment to maintain popular support and social order.
Venationes: Public spectacles involving the hunting and killing of wild animals, often exotic, in arenas.
Naumachia: Elaborate staged naval battles, often re-enactments of historical conflicts, conducted in flooded arenas or natural bodies of water.
Gladiatorial Combat: A form of public entertainment in which trained fighters, often slaves or prisoners, fought each other, sometimes to the death, in arenas.