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Marble relief (2nd century AD) of Roman children playing ball games: the girl at the far right is tossing a ball in the air [1] The ancient Romans had a variety of toys and games. Children used toys such as tops, marbles, wooden swords, kites, [2] whips, seesaws, dolls, chariots, and swings. Gambling and betting were popular games in ancient Rome
The Secular or Saecular Games [1] (Ludi Saeculares) was an ancient Roman religious celebration involving sacrifices, theatrical performances, and public games (ludi). It was held irregularly in Rome for three days and nights to mark the ends of various eras ( saecula ) and to celebrate the beginning of the next. [ 2 ]
The Roman Empire began when Augustus became the first emperor of Rome in 31 BC and ended in the west when the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by Odoacer in AD 476. The Roman Empire, at its height (c. AD 100), was the most extensive political and social structure in Western civilization.
The history of games dates to the ancient human past. [3] Games are an integral part of all cultures and are one of the oldest forms of human social interaction. Games are formalized expressions of play which allow people to go beyond immediate imagination and direct physical activity. Common features of games include uncertainty of outcome ...
The Capitoline Games were markedly different from other Roman games. For one thing, the Games were specific Greek-styled games instituted by Domitian in 86 AD during a time of remodeling. [3] From then on, these games were held every four years, a tradition held by today's contemporary Olympic Games. [4]
Harpastum, ancient Roman fresco. Harpastum, also known as harpustum, was a form of ball game played in the Roman Empire. The Romans also referred to it as the small ball game. The ball used was small (not as large as a follis, paganica, or football-sized ball) and hard, probably about the size and solidity of a softball and was stuffed with ...
Following is a month-by-month list of Roman festivals and games that had a fixed place on the calendar. For some, the date on which they were first established is recorded. A deity's festival often marked the anniversary ( dies natalis , "birthday") of the founding of a temple, or a rededication after a major renovation.
Ludi (Latin:games; plural of "ludus") were public games held for the benefit and entertainment of the Roman people (populus Romanus). Ludi were held in conjunction with, or sometimes as the major feature of, Roman religious festivals, and were also presented as part of the cult of state. The earliest ludi were horse races in the circus (ludi ...