The Roman Gladiator Referee’s Handbook

The Roman Gladiator Referee's Handbook

by

Oliver Hayes

Published by Bretwalda Books at Smashwords

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First Published 2013

Copyright © Oliver Hayes 2013

Oliver Hayes asserts his moral rights to be regarded as the author of this book

ISBN 978-1-909099-50-0

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CONTENTS

Foreword

1 Good Luck

2 Getting a Job

3 The Munus

4 Gladiators

5 Wild Animal Hunts

6 Chariot Racing

7 Festivals

8 Free Food for All

9 Executions

Foreword

How different life was in other ages. We are and were all human beings but we cannot begin to understand how in the Roman era people went to watch men being killed and or slashed to pieces for an afternoon’s fun entertainment.

But they did.

I expect they would think we are a bunch of weirdos for sitting in the half dark evening after evening looking at flickering lights on a glass screen.

But we do.

But the Roman gladiatorial games were not just crude battering. They had specialized types of combat and strict rules, all enforced by a referee who was down in the arena with the gladiators keeping an eye on them to make sure nobody cheated, award penalties when necessary and make a decision on outcomes. Watching them and appreciating all the skills took dedication and experience - rather as the understanding of the rules of offside increase the appreciation of a football match.

Would it not be fun and really increase our understanding of human nature if we knew a bit more about all these rules of Gladiatorial Combat. There was a set of rules once, all written up nice and neat for the referees to use. We know the Gladiator Referee’s Handbook existed once, but no copies of it have survived from ancient Rome.

But fortunately one of our authors, Oliver Hayes, had a vivid dream one night a few months ago - and a very long one. He dreamed that he was taking part in an archaeological dig on the desert fringes of Tunisia, not far from the famous ruined city of Dougga. He and his team were excavating a rather luxurious villa that had obviously been built by, and lived in, by a fairly wealthy family. One broken inscription indicated that it had been originally built about the year ad240 by a man named Aurelius Lucius Marcus. His three names marked him out as a Roman citizen, probably from a fairly old and respected family.

As Oliver was exploring the villa in his dream he came across a number of mosaics that depicted gladiatorial combat, wild animal hunts, chariot races and a number of other events. Nothing very unusual there as these were common decorative motifs for domestic rooms among the wealthy elite of the Roman Empire. What was unusual was that every single scene included a figure of a referee - a character that more usually appears only in a minority of scenes.

And this particular figure seemed always to represent the same person. The figure was accompanied by his name Lucius, or sometimes Luc. But dreams can be strange things.

Then Oliver dreamed that he was digging in a small outbuilding that appeared to have been used as a workshop when he found a hidden cavity low down in one of the walls. Inside was a bundle of papyrus. It had clearly been heavily used and in places was torn or the ink smudged. Pages seemed to be missing.

In Oliver’s dream he saw at once that the book had been written in two hands. The first, which made up the majority of the writing, was a stiff, formal handwriting typical of the professional scribes who copied out official documents by the dozen. The second, inserted here and there, was much looser and less formal. It seemed at first glance as if the owner of the book had scribbled in comments and opinions about the original formal document over the years.

Then Oliver realised that in his dream he had found the long lost Roman Gladiator Referee’s Handbook for which people had been searching for generations.

It had belonged to a referee named Lucius - presumably Aurelius Lucius Marcus - who had become a referee in around ad190 and remained one for the next 30 or so years before he retired to the villa we were excavating.

When Oliver awoke from his dream he began frantically writing down everything he could remember from his dream. What the Handbook said, what Lucius had scribbled in the margins, where bits were missing. Everything. Then he came dashing into our offices and asked if we were interested in publishing it. We leapt at the chance.

Here and there I, as editor, have added comments of my own to explain some of the more obscure references in the text. I mark my comments like this: [comment - editor].

Oliver says that in his dream Lucius did not write in only comments, he also added drawings and doodles. Oliver told me what these drawings were like and I got my friend Ken Wilkins to redraw them.

The book is a valuable addition to our knowledge of ancient Rome, revealing much that was previously hidden. It does so in a lively and enjoyable way far removed from the style of dull, modern text books. This is real life, not a history lesson.

So here for you to read both because it is gruesomely interesting and because it will help you to understand the people of another age - is

The Roman Gladiator Referee’s Handbook

There are those amongst us here who wonder if Oliver did just dream it - or if in his wanderings and scrapings about, he has really found something.

Who knows?

Certainly the scribblings of the Referee have the embittered feel of experience about them.

Perhaps one day Oliver will tell us.

Meanwhile just enjoy this insight into the Roman world.

There is one thing for sure.

If some of them ever came forward in time and met us for ever babbling into little hand held boxes (mobile phones) and ignoring real people standing next to us, they would think we were crazy.

Rupert Matthews

Editorial Director

Bretwalda Books

1

Good Luck!

Ave! And congratulations.

You have qualified as an Official Gladiator, Circus and Games Referee from the Ludus Magnus in Rome. This puts you at the very top of our profession.

Referees who qualify from other schools such as that in Neapolis or the one at Bononia will look up to you. You are fully qualified to preside over all aspects of the Games and will enjoy the respect of combatants, contestants and organisers alike.

As a product of the Ludus Magnus you have an unequalled knowledge of the Games. In particular you know how to referee the Games, but remember that you will be called upon to give advice on other aspects of the Games as well. Remember everything you have learned and you will do well.

Most important remember to charge the correct fee for your services. As a top ranking referee you should charge a decent fee for your work. Employers will respect you more if you demand a good fee than if you agree to work for small change. You must never forget that being a referee at the Games is a noble profession - and don’t let anyone else forget it either.

This handbook is the guarantee to your future employers that you completed your training at the Ludus Magnus. You must keep it with you at all times.

What a load of rubbish. Noble profession indeed. Who does old Didius think he is fooling? Working in the Games is right at the bottom of the heap. It is a disgrace that I, Lucius, have to do this job at all.

I wouldn’t be here if father had not lost all our family wealth gambling on the chariot races in the Circus Maximus. At least brother Verus got to join the army, but my bad back meant I could not do even that. So I am stuck with this rotten job.

Jupiter! What a life.

Lucius

The handbook also provides you with invaluable advice about your future career and the places you will be going to while working. You will find lots of useful advice in the pages of this handbook. Refer to it often. Use it wisely.

You should also add your own notes to this handbook as you go along. That will help you to remember things that you learn, people that you meet and mistakes that you make. Keep this handbook on you at all times.

Thanks to our wise and noble emperor Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus the Games are now fully restored to their proper place in society. Go forth and prosper.

Never forget your dignity. Never forget your training.

Ave

Didius Marcus

Lanista Major

Ludus Magnus

Rome

2

Getting a Job

The way our business is these days it has never been easier to get a job. Our beloved emperor Commodus has been spending lavishly in the Flavian Amphitheatre [now called the Colosseum - editor]. He simply loves the Games and has put on some of the most lavish ever held.

Not only that, but he has even gone into the arena and fought as a gladiator himself. Of course, the Referees have ensured that he always wins - they want to get a decent bonus at the end of the day like everybody else.

The opponents sent against Commodus are usually criminals who have been condemned to death. They are given blunt weapons and promised their lives will be spared if they go through with the fight. Of course, Commodus sometimes kills them in combat but since they were condemned to death anyway, who cares?

A few times his imperial highness has insisted that a famous gladiator be chosen to fight him. Commodus is a terrible show off and wants to prove to the mob how good he is in the arena. So the lucky man is told not to try too hard and to ensure the emperor wins. The referee’s job here is to stop the fight