The Colosseum: a Brief History of the Spectacle Machine

Exploring the various functions the Colosseum has been used for since 80 C.E. Note: The Indian-head test pattern introduced by RCA in 1939 for the calibration of TV sets makes an interesting analogy with the Ancient Roman Gladiatorial spectacles in that it includes a caricatured stereotype of a recently subjugated people. Just as American audiences watched caricatured stereotypical Indigenous "Indians" on their new TV sets in Western after Western during the 1950s, so too the Ancient Romans watched "Gauls", "Thracians", and "Samnites" as various forms of gladiators: Gallus or Murmillo; Thracian or Thraex; Samnite or Hoplomachus, etc. Music: Beethoven: 1. Sonata no. 17 in D minor 'The Tempest', Op. 31 no. 2 - III. Allegretto 2. Symphony no. 5 in Cm, Op. 67 - IV. Allegro Mykola Leontovych: Carol of the Bells Bach: The Well Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 846-869 - Prelude in Fugue No.3 in C sharp major Mozart: Piano Sonata no. 11, K. 331 - III. Alla Turca Scott Joplin: The Entertainer. From [https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Sc...] Peer Gynt: Suite no. 1, Op. 46 - IV. In the Hall Of The Mountain King Uuriter: Routine Drone, from Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Uu... CC image attribution: Alessandroferri: Colosseum [CC BY-SA 4.0; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosse...] Bengt Nyman: Colosseum 2013 [CC BY 2.0; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosse...] Shakko: Villa of the Mysteries [CC BY-SA 4.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...] Djampa: Old Jerusalem Jewish Quarter, street Mosaic of symbols of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel [CC: 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...] David Monniaux: Temple at Delphi [CC BY 3.0; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi#...] Dosseman: Orpheus with Lyre [CC BY 2.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...] Steerpike: Arch of Titus Menorah[Creative Commons Attribution 3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...] Rached Msadek: Leopard Attacking a Criminal [By attribution; https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...] Mary Harrsch: 3rd Century CE Roman mosaic floor from Villalaure France depicting a wild beast hunt [Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RomanBeastHuntMosaicVillalaureFrance3rdcenturyCE.jpg] Klaus D. Peter: Two Gladiators in giant mosaic with whip Mosaic depicting a gladiators fight [CC BY 3.0] Poniol60: Naumachia [CC by 4.0] Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com; Vespasian Coin [CC BY-SA 3.0://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespasian#/media/File:Sestertius_-_Vespasiano_-_Iudaea_Capta-RIC_0424.jpg]