Ludi Romani

This article is about a religious festival in ancient Rome. For gladiatorial games, seeGladiator.

Roman Games(Ludi Romani)
Observed by	Roman Republic, Roman Empire
Type	Classical Roman religion
Date	September 4–19
Related to	the god Jupiter

TheLudi Romani( "Roman Games"; seeludi) was areligious festival in ancient Romeheld annually, starting in 366 BC, from September 12 to September 14. In the last 1st century BC, an extra day was added in honor of the deifiedJulius Caesaron 4 September and extended to September 19. The festival first introduced drama toRomebased on Greek drama.

Origins

These games—the chiefRoman festival—were held in honor ofJupiter,and are said to have been established byTarquinius Priscuson the occasion of his conquest of the Latin town ofApiolae.However,Dionysius of HalicarnassusandCicerodate them to the Roman victory over theLatinsatLake Regillusduring the earlyRepublic,ca. 496 BC.

The games were originally organized by theconsulsand later by thecurule aediles.At first they lasted only a day. A second day was added on the expulsion of the kings in 509 BC,and a third after the firstsecession of the plebsin 494 BC.From 191 to 171 BC they lasted ten days,and shortly before Caesar's death they apparently lasted fifteen days,from September 5 to 19. After Caesar's death a day was added.This day must have been September 4, because Cicero says in "Against Verres"that there were 45 days from theLudi Romanito theLudi Victoriae Sullanaeon October 26. Thus, when this speech was composed in 70 BC, September 19 was already the last day of theLudi Romani.

In calendars of theAugustanera, the days of the games are noted as September 4 to September 19. TheEpulum Joviswas celebrated on the 13th and theEquorum probatio(a cavalry revue) on the 14th.Circus gameslasted from the 15th to the 19th. In theCalendar of Philocalus(354 AD) they run from September 12 to 15.

When and why

These games were not necessarily held every year from their inception. In many cases, games were based on a vow(votum)by a military commander, and were celebrated as a special festival after histriumphalprocession. As the army used to go forth as a general rule each summer, it became customary when it returned in autumn to celebrate such games, though connected with no triumph, and though no signal victory had been gained. But still in all cases they were celebrated as extraordinary games, and not as games regularly established by law. They weresollemnes,"customary," but had not yet becomeannui,"yearly".Livy identifies the two kinds, theludi magniand theludi Romani,and so do Cicero (Repub. ii. 20, 35), Festus (l. c), andPseudo-Asconius.In all his other books, however, Livy observes a distinction which has been pointed out byFriedrich Wilhelm Ritschl(Parerga zuPlautus,&c. p. 290), thatludi magniis the term applied to extraordinary games originating in a vow (ludi votivi), whileludi Romaniis that applied to the games when they were established as annual (ludi stati).Ludi Romaniis first used by Livy in viii. 40, 2 (see Weissenborn ad loc); and after that the terms varied according as the games arestati(e.g. x. 47, 7; xxv. 2, 8) orvotivi.The distinction drawn by Ritschl is to be considered proven, but it is unclear when the "established" games became annual.

Most probably, says Mommsen,the games became annual when the firstcurule aedileswere appointed in 367 BC, as these officials – distinct from the existing plebeianaediles– were described ascuratores ludorum sollemnium.In the oldest Roman calendars, which likely date from the time of theDecemvirsin 450-449 BC (cf. Mommsen,Die römische Chronologie,&c. p. 30), these festivals are engraved in small letters rather than capitals, so they must be additions made after that time. Also, in 322 BC, theludi Romaniare mentioned as a regular annual festival, so they must have become established by then. Therefore, the most reasonable date for their institution is 367 BC, when many changes in government and society were effected, including the addition of one day to the games and the appointment ofcurule aedilesto superintend them.

Facts of Ludi Romani

Yet Livy and the other authors who identify theludi magniandRomaniare not altogether in error: for the arrangement of the two kinds of games was similar. An incidental proof of this is that whenGnaeus Pompeius Magnusludi votiviin 70 BC, they lasted 15 days (CiceroIn Verremi. 1. 0, 31), like the ludi Romani; and we find similar sums, viz. 200,000asses,bestowed for bothludi magniandludi Romani.The actualludi Romaniconsisted of first a solemn procession(pompa),then achariot racein which each chariot inHomericfashion carried a driver and a warrior, the latter at the end of the race leaping out and running on foot (Dionysius of Halicarnassus,Roman Antiquitiesvii. 72; and cf.Orelli,2593, where a charioteer is spoken of aspedibus ad quadrigam). This is a practice confined to theludi Romani.In the exhibitions of riding, each rider had a second horse led by the hand (Festus, s. v.Paribus Equis), as it appears theRoman horsemenin early times often used two horses in battle,like theTarentiniin Greek warfare (Livy xxxv. 28, 8). Such riders were calleddesultores.

Most likely, originally there was only one contest of each kind, and only two competitors in each contest (Liv. xliv. 9, 4), since at all periods in the Roman chariot-race only as many chariots competed as there were so-calledfactions,which were originally only two, the white and the red (Mommsen,Roman Historyi. 236, note). These few events allowed further minor exhibitions, such as boxers, dancers, competition in youthful horsemanship (ludus Trojae). It was allowed that the wreath the victor won (for this in Greek style was the prize of victory) should be put on his bier when dead (Twelve Tables,10, 7, and Mommsen's remarks, Staatsrecht, i.2 411, note 2). Also, during the festival the successful warrior in real warfare (as opposed to imaginary warfare) wore the spoils he had won from the enemy, and was crowned with achaplet.

After the introduction of thedramain 364, plays were acted at theludi Romani,and in 214 BC we know thatludi scenicitook up four days of the festival (Liv. xxiv. 43, 7). In 161 BC thePhormioofTerencewas acted at these games.

History of scholarship

The classic work on theLudi Romaniis Mommsen's article "Die Ludi Magni und Romani" in hisRömische Forschungen,ii. 42-57 = Rheinisches Museum, xiv. 79–87; see also hisRoman History,i. 235-237 (where the Greek influences on the Roman games are traced), 472, 473; and Friedländer in Marquardt'sStaatsverwaltung,iii. 477, 478.

Notes

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William,ed. (1870). "Ludi Romani".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities.London: John Murray.