(no subject)
I think there is some sign or insight into human behavior to be gained from the study of the romans. Were their gladitorial "games" symbolic? I think human nature is revealed in it's ugliest, truest form. The people are faced with an inefective government and society. Class systems abused them, and the majority of people lived in flimsy wood huts likely to colapse or catch fire. Yet they did not rebel because they were ofered "bread and circuses" Politicians gave them some free or inexpensive food, enough to live, enough to make the politicians look like heros, and then they ofered "circuses" or free entertainment. Citizens in the roman empire celebrated 130 holidays per year. On these holidays common activities included watching gladiators (often captives) be forced to fight to the death or fight large wild animals. The slaughter of large animals greatly amused them. Several predatory species (such as certain species of lions and tigers) were pushed to extinction for the people's amuzement. The cruelty, bloody, and pain served to entertain the people, making them happy enough not to rebel. Yet their blood lust could not truly be quenched by watching animals be brutally destroyed, no, the people were at their most content when they could watch a human kill another. When a man tore another to peices and rolled in the blood, this is when the roman citizens were content and the politicians could feel safe in their regime, knowing there would be no rebelion. What does this say about humans??