CLASS 1516

FWS: Are You Not Entertained: Gladiators in Ancient and Modern Society

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025.

Gladiators executed stunning fight sequences, defied death, oozed sex appeal, stole wives (and husbands), and even, in the case of Spartacus, attacked the heart of the Roman empire. But who were the real gladiators? What was it like to be one? What does the popularity of gladiatorial fights tell us about Roman society and our world today? We will examine ancient literature, art, and archaeology like the Colosseum alongside The Hunger Games, Gladiator, and other modern media. We will compare that to evidence for gladiators' lived experiences, including their graffiti, curses, weapons, living quarters, tombs, and skeletons. Students will write a diagnostic essay, close reading essay, an interpretation of archaeological evidence, a historical argument, a research paper, and a pitch for modern media about gladiators.

When Offered Fall.

Satisfies Requirement First-Year Writing Seminar.

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