A violentconfrontationat a funeralfeelsprettymorbidtoday, buttheromanssawitasanhonoredritualtosendthenobledeceasedoffintothenextkindofexistenceandalsotohonorthedeceasedbysuggestingthattheirdeathissomethingthat's worthmarkingbytheentiresociety, notjustbythefamily.
TheexpansionofRomeandthetremendousamountofwealththatthatbroughtin, especiallyintotheromanelitesthatpresentedanopportunityforthemtoenhancetheirownpolitickingbymassivelybuildingup a spectacle.
Thecolosseumisthepremierexamplewithfacadesthatmakeuseofmoreexpensivekindsofstonethatsuggestsexpenseandpowerandartistrythatmakesitinto a premierculturalobject.
Thisis a veryvisibleandtangiblewayofshowinghowyou'rebenefitingfromtheromanempirediscoveriesofnewartifactsarebeginningtodetailGladiatorsandtheirclashes.
Theydohavetheequivalentoftimeouts, imageswherethereseemedtobehairsdrinkingwater, getting a quickmassage, taking a breatherandthenpresumablythey'regoingtoresumecombat.
Peoplewhowerefacedwithoverwhelmingamountsofdebt, soldthemselvesasGladiators, thereareotherswhowerefreebornwhochosethisforanenjoymentofcombatandperhapsaninterestinpotentiallybecomingfamous, making a nameforoneselfsocially.
Theemperorsandinfluentialpoliticianswhocontrolledthegameswillprobablyberememberedbyhistory, but a lookattheGladiatortellsanimportantpartofthestoryaswell.
Therearestoriesareimportantforustolearntodevelopempathyofpeoplewhoaremorethanjustthegreatshakersonthetop, buttheoneswhoareenablinghumansocietytocontinueon a on a daytodaybasis.