Ludi
ludi latingames plural ludus public game held benefit entertainment roman people populus romanus ludi held conjunction sometimes major feature roman religious festival also presented part cult state earliest ludi horse race circus ludi circenses animal exhibition mock hunt venationes theatrical performance ludi scaenici also became part festival entertainment competitive game ludi may also translated generally show day ludi held public holiday business could conducted—remarkably noted considering imperial era day might spent entertainment year although entertainment value may overshadowed religious sentiment given moment even late antiquity ludi understood part worship traditional god church father thus advised christian participate festivity singular form ludus game sport play several meaning latin plural used game sense analogous greek festival game panhellenic game lateantique scholar isidore seville however classifies form ludus gymnicus athletic circensis held circus mainly chariot race gladiatorius gladiatorial scaenicus theatrical relation gladiatorial game ludi complex see gladiator originally ludi seem votive offering ludi votivi staged fulfillment vow deity whose favor sought evidenced bc ludi romani became first game placed religious calendar annual event sponsored state whole game circus preceded parade pompa circensis featuring competitor mounted youth roman nobility armed dancer musician satyr chorus image god product military victory ludi often connected triumph first recorded venatio staged beast hunt presented bc fulvius nobilior part ludi votivi paid booty displayed triumph religious ceremony ludi organized first various college priest republic later presented consul became associated responsibility aediles although public money allocated staging ludi presiding official increasingly came augment splendor game personal fund form public relation sponsor able advertise wealth declaring intended share public benefit although men eye consulship skipped office aedile reason massive expenditure expected sufficient resource spent lavishly cultivate favor people religious festival ludi attached also occasioned public banquet often public work refurbishing building temple following assassination julius caesar ides march bc marcus brutus realized significant segment populus regarded liberator murderer beloved champion among gesture goodwill toward people arranged sponsor ludi apollinares held annually july – caesar heir octavian upstaged ludi victoriae caesaris game honor caesar victory ran july – conjunction festival honor venus genetrix caesar patron deity divine matriarch julian gen ludi also served funeral game comet famously appeared announce caesar newly divine status octavian recognized value festival unifying people augustus instituted new ludi within program religious reform public spectacle entertainment thus subsumed imperial cult ludi compitalicii crossroad game entertainment staged neighborhood community association rome vici conjunction compitalia new year festival held movable date saturnalia january honor crossroad lares late republic performance held main intersection neighborhood throughout city day civil war ludi gave rise often unruly plebeian political expression neighborhood organization freedman played leading role even slave participated festivity bc compitalia disrupted riot ludi also scene disturbance – bc unrest first occasion response trial manilius backed reform pertaining voting right freedman second attached murky event later referred misleadingly first catilinarian conspiracy along form occupational guild collegia neighborhood association ludi compitalicii consequently banned senate bc unnamed tribune pleb supported effort stage ludi bc consuldesignate metellus celer squelched attempt bc clodius pulcher given patrician status become one people tribune restored right association even law enacted aide sextus cloelius prepared way organizing newyear ludi consul calpurnius piso fatherinlaw caesar permitted game even though organization ran still outlawed caesar banned collegia ludi bc bc augustus reorganized rome administrative purpose district replaced still called vici image genius augustus stood lares crossroad shrine ludi considered dangerously subversive became expression imperial piety ludi circenses game presented circus circus maximus primarily venue chariot race athletic event race beast hunt might offered well game preceded opening parade pompa circensis ludi circenses regularly featured celebrating triumph dedicating major building part important holiday festival floralia ludi romani roman game ludi plebeii plebeian game imperial era circus game often added festival traditionally celebrated republic circus game held various province throughout empire indicated archaeological remains track supporting structure although many area would lacked costly permanent facility instead erected temporary stand around suitable ground following list ludi exhaustive unless otherwise noted source matthew bunson dictionary roman empire oxford university press pp – roland auguet cruelty civilization roman game routledge pp – listed order month appear roman calendar ludi megalenses april – established bc honor magna mater conjunction megalensia ludi ceriales april – established bc conjunction cerealia april ludi florales april –may established bc honor flora conjunction floralia may atmosphere primitive license pastoral orgy ludi piscatorii june honor father tiber ludi apollinares july – first celebrated bc honor apollo secure aid hannibal made annual bc senatorial decree ludi victoriae caesaris held july – bc julius caesar dedication temple venus fulfillment vow made battle pharsalus made annual augustus ludi romani september – bc september – th century ad established according legend th century bc honor jupiter perhaps father liber first held occasionally annually ludi triumphales september – commemorate victory constantine licinius chalcedon ludi augustales october – established ad death augustus based augustalia ludi plebeii originally november ides jupiter expanded run november – established bc held circus continued th century christian era ludi capitolini established bc honor jupiter help retaking capitol siege gaul held irregularly reestablished domitian ad fouryear basis ludi pontificales ludi actiaci established augustus bc held every fourth year commemorate augustus victory actium see actia ludi decennales celebration year anniversary emperor reign begun augustus ludi saeculares held infrequently supposedly held soon expulsion king schedule determined variously sibylline book influence etruscan great year year cycle explicated augustan quindecimviri presented famously bc augustus choral carmen saeculare horace performed mark important occasion th th anniversary founding rome last held christian emperor honorius permitted conducted according tradition ludi taurii game featuring horse race honor underworld god following ludi held ludi volcanalici held august bc within temple precinct vulcan augustus mark treaty parthia return legionary standard lost battle carrhae bc lusus troiae equestrian event called troy game roman festival spectacle ancient rome