The Emperor, the Church, and Chariot Races: The Imperial Struggles with Christianity and Entertainment in Late Antique Constantinople (original) (raw)
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Ancient Rome Entertainments in the cultural studies discourse: Chariot racing., 2020
The scientific and popular science literature is devoted to entertainment ancient culture and its individual forms. The authors of some of these cultural studies, philosophical, historical, literary and pedagogical studies have already become classics and indisputable authorities in this field: F. Cowell, O. Losiev, Th. Mommsen, G. Hyofling, I. Schiffman, R.C. Beacham, J. Nelis-Clement, T. Wiedemann, G. Woolf. Therefore, the author of this thesis aims to define the genesis and evolution of the chariot racing as the entertainment form in the ancient Rome, to investigate its functions, to establish how the Antiquity chariot racing arose in the cultural tradition of their social universe. The genesis and evolution of chariot racing as the entertainment form of events of Antiquity, functional features of cultural and leisure practices, specific features of spectacular culture of Antiquity can be investigated by analyzing the historical works of Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, annals of Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Cassius Dio, letters of Gaius Pliny the Younger, poetry pages of Publius Ovidius Naso and others. Chariot racing as the entertainment form of the Ancient Rome became an effective instrument of political domination. This sphere is truly a Roman art sphere, as it shows with utmost clarity and expressiveness, according to A.F. Losiev, how legal absolutism is synthesized in Rome with sensual diversity and internal sensual exaltation [3]. The Imperial Rome is a country of complete and true absolutism, kingdom of some state mysticism, before which a separate individual simply does not exist, he is only a screw in this universal machine. The chariot racing as the entertainment form of events in the era of the ancient Rome were not just a form of everyday or social behavior, realization of religious and public festivals and mass spectacles, but largely reflected certain life positions, served as an important criterion for assessing the social role of person in the community, specified political power, reflected social and cultural transformations in society. The Roman entertainments were a public demonstration of power, including military. Quite often chariot racing are carried out at the expense of the state, which significantly distinguishes them from the spectacles of sacred content, or are organized due to allowances of the officials who dream of relevant state positions. New leisure paradigm is being created that depends on many factors – social conditions, cultural resources, dominant ideologies and beliefs. In the ancient Rome, labor and events differentiate becoming independent spheres of human life. They are closely intertwined with popular culture, folklore and folk festivals in the representatives of the broad circles. The leisure of wealthy and noble people takes new forms enriching with new content. The professions are born, the representatives of which are engaged in organization of entertainment of nobility in free time, as well as engaged in artistic crafts, art and philosophy. The specialists organizing public festivals and mass entertainment appear. The state plays an important role in organizing the chariot racing, honoring festivals, as it is interested in formation of appropriate stereotypes of thinking and behavior of citizens, and forming public opinion. For citation: Goncharova O. M. Ancient Rome Entertainments in the cultural studies discourse: Chariot racing. Relevant trends of scientific research in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Riga, Latvia: Baltija Publishing, November 20, 2020. р. 60-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30525/978-9934-26-002-5-19 http://www.baltijapublishing.lv/omp/index.php/bp/catalog/view/78/1876/4123-1 Goncharova Olena Mykolaivna, Doctor of Science in Cultural Studies, professor, professor of the Event Management and Leisure Industry Department, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Ukraine, Kyiv, 01601, E. Konovalets Str., 36. ORCID. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8649-9361 Researcher ID: F-6473-2015 Scopus ID: 57217102458 o.m_goncharova@yahoo.com
The Emperor and His People at the Chariot Races in Byzantium
The International Journal of the History of Sport, 2020
The hippodrome, where Byzantine chariot races took place, was central to the relationship between the emperor and his people. They all watched races and cheered for their favorite racing teams, with both people and emperors sometimes notorious for their rabid fandom. Some of the direct dialogue between emperor and people in the hippodrome also revolved around racing – for example, which racing team might be ‘gifted’ a particular skilled charioteer. In addition to conversation about the sport, the people expected the emperor to hear their complaints and requests and even exercised their collective power in the hippodrome to try to topple an emperor on occasion. The emperor showed up, despite the potential danger of the peoples’ anger, because this dialogue with the spectators was an important part of the legitimization of his power. To refuse to attend the races would have been to cut himself off from the people, which would have been considered unacceptable and caused him even more serious problems. Among many examples of this phenomenon, the dialogue between Emperor Anastasius and the people in the hippodrome in 512 stands out (John Malalas, Chronographia 16.19).
2013
This series provides sophisticated and authoritative overviews of periods of ancient history, genres of classical literature, and the most important themes in ancient culture. Each volume comprises between twenty-five and forty concise essays written by individual scholars within their area of specialization. The essays are written in a clear, provocative, and lively manner, designed for an international audience of scholars, students, and general readers.
2022
Chariot races were the earliest, most popular, and longest-lived of all forms of ‘spectacles’ in the Roman world. This essay surveys the spatial and architectural framework of the Circus Maximus, the primary chariot racing venue at Rome, and circuses around the empire; the organization of the races, including the role of the factions; the symbolic representations of victories and athletic victors, as well as the charioteers’ actual prizes; and the horses that were bred for racing. Throughout I also briefly discuss the sport’s spectators and fans, for whom the sport was a socially binding religion. The essay focuses on the first through the fourth centuries A.D., with the bulk of the evidence (literary, epigraphic, artistic, and archaeological) drawn from the first two centuries. In keeping with current directions in the study of ancient sport and spectacle, the approach adopted here places less emphasis on the legal and technical aspects of the chariot races (‘event-oriented sport history’) and more on these competitions as ‘part of a broader social canvas’ (the ‘social history of sport and spectacle’).
Spectatorship and Fandom of the Roman Chariot Races
2020
This dissertation is concerned with the spectators of the Roman chariot races throughout the empire. It addresses how the sport was experienced and engaged with in the Roman context, with consideration of the everyday lives of circus fans, social networks and consumer patterns. By making use of a variety of sources, including the structural remains of circuses, material culture, epigraphic evidence, and both literary and historical writings, it is possible to gain a picture of a vibrant community of circus fans that as a group were able to make an impact on the sport as well as on Roman society and culture more broadly.
2020
Chariot races were the earliest, most popular, and longest-lived of all forms of ‘spectacles’ in the Roman world. This essay surveys the spatial and architectural framework of the Circus Maximus, the primary chariot racing venue at Rome, and circuses around the empire; the organization of the races, including the role of the factions; the symbolic representations of victories and athletic victors, as well as the charioteers’ actual prizes; and the horses that were bred for racing. Throughout I also briefly discuss the sport’s spectators and fans, for whom the sport was a socially binding religion. The essay focuses on the first through the fourth centuries A.D., with the bulk of the evidence (literary, epigraphic, artistic, and archaeological) drawn from the first two centuries. In keeping with current directions in the study of ancient sport and spectacle, the approach adopted here places less emphasis on the legal and technical aspects of the chariot races (‘event-oriented sport history’) and more on these competitions as ‘part of a broader social canvas’ (the ‘social history of sport and spectacle’).
CHARIOT RACING AS THE ENTERTAINMENT FORM OF ANCIENT ROME EVENTS IN THE CULTURAL STUDIES DIMENSION.
National Academy of Culture and Arts Management Нerald., 2021
Goncharova O. (2021). Chariot racing as the entertainment form of ancient Rome events in the cultural studies dimension. National Academy of Culture and Arts Management Нerald: Science journal, 1, 3-12. [in English]. https://nakkkim.edu.ua/images/Instytuty/nauka/vydannia/visnyk/Visnyk\_1\_2021.pdf#page=3 The purpose of the article is the introduction into the cultural discourse of analytically processed and summarized information on the genesis and evolution of chariot racing as the form of entertainment events in ancient Rome, their functional features, specific features of mass events of Antiquity in the context of entertainment culture of Rome. The methodological basis consisted of the methods of critical analysis of cultural, historical, and literary sources, specific and historical analysis, and interdisciplinary synthesis, induction, and deduction. The problematic and chronological, system and structural, comparative, descriptive methods and methods of social and phenomenological analysis were applied from specific and scientific methods. Scientific novelty. The article analyzes the genesis and evolution of chariot racing as a form of events in the context of entertainment culture in ancient Rome. Based on the ancient literary reflection, through the prism of works of culturologists, philosophers, historians, poets, writers of the ancient Rome Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, annals of Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Cassius Dio, ethic works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, letters of Gaius Pliny the Younger, poetry pages of Publius Ovidius Naso, epigrams of Marcus Valerius Martialis and others. The author revealed the essence and content of chariot racing as an entertainment form of events in ancient Rome, statistics, and specific features of entertainment events and instruments of ruling the Roman emperors. The author describes the moral aspects of chariot racing in the context of the entertainment culture of antiquity. Conclusions. The place of entertainment culture of Antiquity in the system of cultural knowledge and cultural tradition of their social universe is revealed. The transformations of chariot racing as a social and humanitarian experience of ancient society, the political instrument of government in Rome are explored. The role of entertainment of Antiquity for modern cultural practices is established. Key words: chariot racing, gladiatorial shows, events, entertainment, mass spectacles, spectacular events, morality, Roman emperors, ancient Rome. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c7b7/528d67a270f3de323cb34e614e0745ed6bd2.pdf Гончарова Олена Миколаївна, доктор культурології, професор, професор кафедри івент менеджменту та індустрії дозвілля Київського національного університету культури і мистецтв. Перегони на колісницях як розважальна форма івентів Давнього Риму у культурологічному вимірі. Метою статті є введення до культурологічного дискурсу аналітично обробленої та узагальненої інформації щодо ґенези та еволюції перегонів на колісницях як форми розважальних івентів у Давньому Римі, їх функціональних особливостей, особливостей масових подій Античності в контексті розважальної культури Риму. Методологічну основу склали методи критичного аналізу культурологічних, історичних та літературних джерел, конкретно-історичний аналіз та міждисциплінарний синтез, індукція та дедукція. Проблемні та хронологічні, системні та структурні, порівняльні, описові методи та метод соціального та феноменологічного аналізу застосовувались із конкретних та наукових методів. Наукова новизна. У статті проаналізовано ґенезу та еволюцію перегонів на колісницях як форми подій у контексті розважальної культури у Давньому Римі. Використовуючи античну літературну рефлексію, крізь призму творів культурологів, філософів, істориків, поетів, письменників Давнього Риму Гая Светонія Транквілла, анналів Публія Корнелія Тацита, історичних праць Кассія Діона, моральних творів Луція Аннея Сенеки, листів Гая Плінія Молодшого, елегій Публія Овідія Назона, епіграм Марка Валерія Марціала та ін. Розкрито сутність та зміст перегонів на колісницях як розважальної форми івентів у Давньому Римі, статистику й особливості розважальних заходів та інструменти правління римських імператорів. Описано моральні аспекти перегонів на колісницях в контексті розважальної культури Античності. Висновки. Розкрито місце розважальної культури Античності в системі культурологічних знань та культурних традицій їх соціального універсуму. Досліджено трансформації перегонів на колісницях як соціального та гуманітарного досвіду античного суспільства, політичного інструменту управління в Римі. Встановлено роль розваг Античності для сучасних культурних практик. Ключові слова: перегони на колісницях; гладіаторські шоу; івенти; розваги; масові видовища; видовищні івенти; розважальні івенти; мораль; римські імператори; Стародавній Рим. https://nakkkim.edu.ua/images/Instytuty/nauka/vydannia/visnyk/Visnyk\_1\_2021.pdf#page=3 Olena M. Goncharova, Doctor of Science in Cultural Studies, Professor, Professor of Museum Studies and Examination of Historical and Cultural Values Department, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. Ukraine, Kyiv, 01601, E. Konovalets Str., 36. ORCID. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8649-9361 Researcher ID: F-6473-2015 Scopus ID: 57217102458 o.m_goncharova@yahoo.com
Constantinopolitan Charioteers and Their Supporters
Studia Ceranea, 2019
Support in sport is certainly one of the oldest human passions. Residents of the eastern Roman imperial capital cheered the chariot drivers The passion for supporting the drivers was common for all groups and social classes. The hippodrome was visited by the representatives of the aristocracy, artisans and the poor of the city alike. The popularity of chariot racing is evidenced by their frequency 66 days were reserved for circenses, that is racing. Organizing the competition along with all the accompanying events has been an essential task of circus factions (demes) In the empire, there were four factions named Blues, Greens, Whites and Reds. These factions were real sports associations, which can be compared to modern clubs. They had significant financial resources at their disposal. Each faction had their own racing team. They paid for and supported a number of drivers, runners, trainers of horses and wild animals, mimes, dancers, acrobats, poets, musicians and singers. They care...
Horse Races and Chariot Races in Ancient Greece: Struggling for Eternal Glory
Routledge eBooks, 2021
The essay is about ancient Greek horse and chariot races. The architecture of Greek hippodromes was very rudimentary, but-at least at Olympia-the organizers put much effort in constructing a starting mechanism which was meant to guarantee all starters equal chances for winning. Concerning the prizes, symbolic prizes were common as well as valuable prizes. In ancient Greece, it was the owner of the horses who counted as the participant. The jockeys' and charioteers' strength and skill obviously had a strong impact on the outcome of the race, but they are very rarely mentioned in the ancient texts. Equestrian victors had two means of representation at their disposal: the erection of agonistic victor monuments or the commission of epinikia. It is equally true for both forms of representation that the way the victor was showcased was not up to the artistic license of the poets, but was controlled by the victors. Victory poetry was poetry on commission for which the victors reached deeply into their pockets. The poems dealt with important political implications. This is why epinikia and victory monuments constitute amazing pieces of evidence for the ancient historian, since they allow him to reconstruct the protagonist's view.