THE LUST FOR BLOOD

Taylor House, Foothill College: "The Bloodiest Displays of Public                    Amusement Known to Man"

The games in Rome were among the bloodiest displays of public amusement known to man. Professional wrestling and boxing today, can not even come close to the disgusting horrors that the people of Rome took so much pleasure in taking part in during the beginning of this century.

Men, women and children flocked to the Colosseum in Rome from different ethnic and financial backgrounds to exploit the blood thirsty fighters, promoters, and fans of public death. The Colosseum, among the greatest architectural masses ever built, was erected during the ruling of Vespasian and his son Titus. The Colosseum or Flavian amphitheater. The huge coliseum seated 50,000 people, who came from all over the Roman Empire and provinces of Italy, Africa and Rome itself.

It is hard to explain or even contemplate the excess that these people went to. In today's society of rights and norms, it would never be allowed. With the exception of some gory underground systems today, nothing comes close. The games were for entertainment purposes, not only for the wealthy, but for the common person as well. The main promoters were the rich families, who not only invested financially but also supplied the fresh meat. The main participants were slaves and criminals. There were also some common men and women who volunteered in hopes that they would get popular off of the fame of winning. Unfortunately, many died trying.

Not only did the people fight each other, but animals including bears, buffalo's, and other huge vicious animals. What these games caused was not purely entertainment purposes. It promoted a certain want for blood that aided in the need and want for political warfare. People were stimulated by the pure victory of the human masses, and in what was a conspiracy of sorts, it ultimately influenced Romans in later wars and fighting. What I mean, is that it taught the masses that bloodshed was normal and tolerated, and even prosperous for the underclass. The ultimate accomplishment: political psychological brain washing.

Why would civilized people be entertained by the bloodshed? It was a way of the political rulers to take the masses minds off the political unrest. In laymen terms, it was a huge distraction. What started, as pure entertainment became a diversion from the political problems that Rome was facing.

On individual terms, it gave the wealthy something to do. They used their slaves, their main resource in the public popular culture for their own private gain and entertainment. When their slave won, they won. For the slaves and criminals of the time, there was little control over their lives to begin with, and in many ways the games were there two ways of getting out. Death and success in their owners eyes. For criminals, they were already in trouble, what could they do? If they won, they were still in trouble. And for the average commoner, he or she was just making a play for popularity among the wealthy.

If I were alive, I would probably have been a slave or criminal. I would most likely be fighting for my life against a bear, or another human, with nothing to lose. I doubt I would want to fight too hard though. The life of a slave was about as being a criminal. You had no rights, and no power. I would probably have preferred my flesh being ripped apart than working until my death for a pretentious rich person.

March 1998, By Dr. K. Feig

LUST FOR BLOOD