Latin

People visited the baths in the mid afternoon. Paid a small admission fee and headed for:

Palaestra

• Play games with friends
• Throwing a heavy ball
• Fencing
• Wrestling
• Discus etc
• The games were meant to be fun and not taken too seriously

Apodyterium

• Long changing room
• Clothes handed to a slave attendant
• Places in recesses along the walls

Tepidarium

• Warm room
• The people sat on benches in a steamy atmosphere
• Good place for chatting
• Prepares them for the caldarium

Caldarium

• The Hot room
• Large recctangular marble bath at one end
• This was the full width of the room and filled with hot water
• After soaking they called a slave to rub them down on marble bench with oil
• The oil and dirt is moves away with a strigil (blunt scraper)
• Then there is a masseur
• Stone basin at other end for a cold rinse

Frigidarium

• Cold room
• Take a plunge in a deep circular pool
• Unheated water
• Then they would dry and redress them selves

Hypocaust

• Fires lit beneath floor held up by bricks
• The hot air rises in gaps or flues between the floor and walls heating the rooms
• It was efficient because the Caldarium was closest to the fires and the Frigidarium was furthest away meaning temperatures were correct.

Why did people visit?

People visited the public baths as many couldn't afford to have private naths at home. But they didn't just visit to get clean!

• Social event
• Larger baths had restraunts, libraries and snack bars
• Many met up with friends

Plan

The Elections

• Held every year in mid March
• Only adult men could vote and stand
• If those who were elected could not take satisfactory control then the central government in Rome took charge of the area
• 2 Aediles and 2 Duoviris were elected by the local people
• Men who wanted to stand needed to be walthy as the were expected to contribute
• 

The Council

• This consisted of around 100 leading male citizens
• Many were old aediles or duovires
• The council elected new members itself, no votes were held

Election fever

• Many people wrote graffiti on shop walls to show their support or dislike of certain candidates, this was often at night so as not to get caught
• Candidates greeted voters
• Gave out illegal bribes of money
• Made promises tp put on more shows etc
• The candidates wore special chalk whitened togas
• The modern word candidate comes from the latin candidus-bright white
• 

The Winners- successful candidates got and were expected to:

• Put on shows
• Repair or build public buildings
• High importance yet no pay
• Good seats at the theatre and amphitheatre

Aedile

They were in charge of:

• Police Force
• Public Baths
• Places of Entertainment
• Supervising Markets
• Sewage and Water works
• Other public services
• Ensuring local taxes were spent wisely

Duoviri

• They were the senior pair of officials

They were in charge of:

• Hearing evidence in the law court
• Giving judgement in the law court

Theatre

• Performances were put on several times a year by wealthy people, often those who wated support in the elections
• Shops were closed and no business was done
• People left early in the morning to get good seats
• Many took food and drink as performances went on all day
• People sometimes took cushions to sit on as the stone seats could be uncomfortable
• Important people and town councillors received bone tokens reserving them a wider seat with a better view

Keeping Cool

• Plays went on into the afternoon, the hottest part of the day
• To provide shade and keep spectators cool there were large awnings on ropes and pulleys
• These awnings were not operated on windy days
• Attendants sprinkled scented water to cool people and to make the theatre smell less sweaty

Pantomime Actors

• The actors mimed as a chorus sang the lyrics
• An orchestra provided a rhythmical beat
• They were admired for their skill and stamina
• The were usually Greek slaves or freedmen
• They travelled around giving shows in many different areas

Comic Actors

• Performed rude jokes
• Slapstick
• Often mocking country life
• They wore vulgar masks
• These masks were probably made from linen covered with plaster
• They were then painted
• The masks made characters instantly recognisable

Shows

• Amphitheatres seated the whole town
• No admission fee as wealthy people hosted them to gain popularity
• Shows were advertised on walls
• There were gladiatorial shows
• Sometimes there were sea battles
• 

On the day

• Trumpet blared and priests performed a religious ceremony
• Gladiators paraded the arena saluting the sponsor
• Gladiators were paired to fight
• Many people placed bets on the outcomes
• The contests began

Gladiators

• Gladiators were often slaves
• Prisoners of war
• Or Free volunteers
• 

Ludus Gladiatorius

• Gladiator School
• Taught to fight with a wooden sword and straw man
• Supervised by ex gladiators

Gladiators armour

Samnites

• Oblong shield
• Short sword

Thracians

• Round shield
• Curved sword or dagger

Gladiators Armour cont...

Murmillo

• Sword and shield
• Wore helmet with a crest like a fish
• 

Retiarii

• Retia (nets)
• 3 pronged trident

There were sometimes gladiators with spears, on horseback or on chariots. Sometimes, to add variety there were women gladiators

End of the Fight

• The fight ended with the death or surrender of one of the gladiators
• If they surrendered they could appeal to the audience by lifting their arm
• Spectator showed their wishes by putting their thumbs up or down
• The final decision fell to the sponsor of the show
• A gladiators life would only usually be spared if he was well known with many victories to his name.
• 

End of a Career

• If a gladiator survived for a long time he was presented with a wooden sword
• This was a high honour
• It meant he woiuld not have to fight again

Venatio

• Wild animal hunts
• Wild animals (bestiae) were released from their cages in the arena
• Trained beast fighters (bestiarii) hunted them
• Common animals were, lions, hares, bulls, boars and wolves

Bestiarii

• Wore light clothing
• Relied on a thrusting spear and agility
• The fight ended when all the animals and some hunters had been killed

The forum was the towns centre of business, local government, religion, commercial and adminstrative life. It was very important.

Layout

• Entered through large bronze gates
• Surrounded on 3 sides by colonnade
• Important buildings surrounding
• Open area in centre with commemorations to Emperor, his family and prominent citizens of the community

Typical Buildings/Shops

• Wooden Stalls for Ironware, Knives, Hammers, Shoemakers etc
• Temples (To Jupiter, North End)
• Permanent stalls for meat, fish, veg etc
• Weights and measures table to ensure fair measures
• Colonnade of white marble for shade and a place to talk business
• Pedestrians only, high upright stones preventing wheeled traffic
• Basilica (Law courts)
• Municipal offices
• Polling station