Jim LohmarJim Lohmarjmlohmar@ufl.edujmlohmar@ufl.edu

Turlington 3302Turlington 3302Tuesday 2:00-5:00Tuesday 2:00-5:00

Violence TodayViolence Today

From where comes this From where comes this fascination?fascination?

How much is too much?How much is too much?

Is it art or merely Is it art or merely entertainment?entertainment?

A “Silver Age”?A “Silver Age”?

““Silver Age” LatinSilver Age” Latin

Seneca (Nero)Seneca (Nero)

Lucan (Nero)Lucan (Nero)

Petronius (Nero)Petronius (Nero)

Statius (Domitian)Statius (Domitian)

Silius Italicus (Domitian)Silius Italicus (Domitian)

Intense fascination with Intense fascination with bloodshed and bloodshed and violenceviolence

Seneca’s Seneca’s HippolytusHippolytus

Lucan’s Lucan’s Bellum CivileBellum Civile

Statius’ Statius’ ThebaidThebaid

Some Statistical AnalysisSome Statistical Analysis

CutsCuts Amputa-Amputa-tionstions

PuncturePuncture

woundswounds

Crushing Crushing blowsblows

Misc.Misc. Lines/Lines/

CasualtyCasualty

HomerHomer 88 66 8181 99 ---- 2.12.1

VirgilVirgil 44 1010 4343 55 ---- 2.22.2

LucanLucan ---- 1010 1010 22 88 8.48.4

SiliusSilius 55 1313 7070 1212 88 3.13.1

StatiusStatius ---- 99 3737 22 33 2.92.9

Just to Give You an Idea…Just to Give You an Idea…Lucan’s Lucan’s Bellum Civile Bellum Civile 8.663-8.663-

675675Pompey’s head and chest Pompey’s head and chest resound from the steelresound from the steelSeptimius cuts open Septimius cuts open Pompey’s togaPompey’s togaPlaces neck upon bench Places neck upon bench inside of boatinside of boatBegins hacking at his neck Begins hacking at his neck with an axewith an axe““it was not yet an art…”it was not yet an art…”Nerves and Veins hacked Nerves and Veins hacked atatSeptimius takes Pompey’s Septimius takes Pompey’s head and exults with ithead and exults with it

Cultural ContextCultural Context““Literature does not exist in a vacuum”Literature does not exist in a vacuum”A few possible reasons for this intense interest:A few possible reasons for this intense interest:

- historical- historicalthe amphitheater and the amphitheater and ludiludi

- philosophical- philosophicalthe shattering of bodies reflects the the shattering of bodies reflects the disintegration of the world we are living in.disintegration of the world we are living in.the body of state is shatteredthe body of state is shattered

- rhetorical- rhetoricalSeneca’s Seneca’s ControversiaeControversiae

For our purposes, we’ll focus on the violent For our purposes, we’ll focus on the violent atmosphere of Imperial Rome and the atmosphere of Imperial Rome and the ludiludi

The Roman Penal SystemThe Roman Penal System

A variety of aims come through hereA variety of aims come through here

Retribution: “payback”; not necessarily Retribution: “payback”; not necessarily carried out in an official mannercarried out in an official manner

Seneca tells us this was the favorite Seneca tells us this was the favorite form of penalty for the Emperorsform of penalty for the Emperors

Galba would cut the hands off of Galba would cut the hands off of moneylenders and nail them to a tablemoneylenders and nail them to a table

this aim has multiple purposesthis aim has multiple purposes

Penal SystemPenal System

Humiliation: not for physical suffering, but Humiliation: not for physical suffering, but rather emotionalrather emotional

runaway slaves would be tattooed runaway slaves would be tattooed with with an “F” for an “F” for fugitivusfugitivusCorrection: preferred by the philosophersCorrection: preferred by the philosophersPrevention: keep someone from Prevention: keep someone from committing same crime (Galba)committing same crime (Galba)Deterrence: provide a negative Deterrence: provide a negative exemplumexemplum

crucifixioncrucifixion

Public Displays of PunishmentPublic Displays of Punishment

This is a major point of difference between This is a major point of difference between us and the Romansus and the Romans

A few things are needed for such a culture A few things are needed for such a culture to exist:to exist:

- person or administration to mount the spectacle- person or administration to mount the spectacle

- venue with adequate facilities- venue with adequate facilities

- supply of people to be displayed- supply of people to be displayed

- an approving audience- an approving audience

The The munerariusmunerarius

The person who would pay for the The person who would pay for the ludi ludi (games)(games)

Derived from Derived from muneramunera; Latin for “gifts”; Latin for “gifts”

Display of one’s largessDisplay of one’s largess

Gain the Gain the favor populifavor populi

Attempts to outdo one another in grandeur Attempts to outdo one another in grandeur of gamesof games

The AmphitheaterThe Amphitheater

Nero’s Nero’s lacus lacus draineddrained

The Flavians give site The Flavians give site over for public useover for public use

Opens during the reign Opens during the reign of Domitianof Domitian

A symbol of the city of A symbol of the city of RomeRome

The Flavian AmphitheaterThe Flavian Amphitheater

189 meters long189 meters long

156 meters wide156 meters wide

50,000 – 60,000 people50,000 – 60,000 people

(Swamp: 91,000)(Swamp: 91,000)

Harena Harena 83 x 48 meters83 x 48 meters

TrapdoorsTrapdoors

TunnelsTunnels

VelaVela for shade for shade

The Circus MaximusThe Circus Maximus

The Circus was also a The Circus was also a site of gamessite of games

The The spina spina or or euripus euripus as as obstacleobstacle

600 m x 80 m600 m x 80 m

Capacity: 250,000Capacity: 250,000

The Circus MaximusThe Circus Maximus

The Supply of PerformersThe Supply of Performers

Condemned criminalsCondemned criminals

Captured prisoners of Captured prisoners of warwar

Damnati ad bestiasDamnati ad bestias

Great majority of these Great majority of these sentences are capitalsentences are capital

VenatoresVenatores

GladiatoresGladiatores

Supply of PerformersSupply of Performers

This was both a tax on and display of the This was both a tax on and display of the Romans’ powerRomans’ power

Two different statuses of criminalsTwo different statuses of criminals

honestiores: honestiores: higher status; would not higher status; would not show up in the arenashow up in the arena

humilioreshumiliores: lower status; would show : lower status; would show up in the arenaup in the arena

What could you see?What could you see?

Morning: Morning: venationesvenationes

beasts hunted as if in beasts hunted as if in the wildthe wild

Noontime: public Noontime: public executionsexecutions

Afternoon: Afternoon: GladiatoresGladiatores

man against manman against man

Damnati ad BestiasDamnati ad Bestias

Criminals that were Criminals that were thrown to animals in a thrown to animals in a controlled controlled environmentenvironment

Nero would starve dogs Nero would starve dogs and let them loose on and let them loose on a wounded criminala wounded criminal

Mythological scenes Mythological scenes also stagedalso staged

GladiatoresGladiatoresThe “main event” so to The “main event” so to

speakspeak

Variations existedVariations existed

naumachiaenaumachiae: : staged sea staged sea

battlebattle

gladiatorial combat gladiatorial combat en en massemasse

The The morituri morituri salutationsalutation

Some could become Some could become quite prolificquite prolific

The Fascinating HorrorThe Fascinating HorrorSo, why watch?So, why watch?

endorse the justice endorse the justice systemsystem

fascinated by the fascinated by the gruesome naturegruesome nature

St. AugustineSt. Augustine

chance factor: the chance factor: the person might not person might not actually dieactually die

desire to witness death desire to witness death first-handfirst-hand

Violence Today (Revisited)Violence Today (Revisited)

The Romans confronted The Romans confronted gruesome death gruesome death scenes first handscenes first hand

Today we have the filter Today we have the filter of television and filmof television and film

Again, why the Again, why the fascination?fascination?