Stephen Fry's 7 Deady Sins - I will take each one of the Seven Sins in turn, lay them out on the surgical table and poke, prod, pry and provoke in an attempt to try to anatomise and understand them; I hope and believe it will be, if nothing else, delicious fun and something of a change from the usual run of podcastery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A Day At The Races In Ancient Rome
Manage episode 504298160 series 3686167
Content provided by Vespucci. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Vespucci or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Think ‘Roman sport’ and images of Kirk Douglas, Russell Crowe, Paul Mescal and other Hollywood gladiators may come to mind. But while the Romans were partial to blood-sports, chariot-racing was the really big thing.
The archaeological remains of chariot-racing tracks have been found all over the Roman Empire, but none suggest a scale or grandeur close to the Circus Maximus in Rome. At full capacity, we think it could take a quarter of a million people - that’s twice the largest football stadium today.
In this episode, Mary and Charlotte recreate what a day at the races was actually like for the Romans. They describe how chariot-racing worked as a sport, what the experience may have been like for the spectators (courtesy of the poet Ovid), although remain stumped by the not insignificant issue of how a quarter of a million people went to the loo when archeological labour has - so far - only discovered one, solitary toilet.
They also describe how the chariot-racing industry worked, and the phenomenal wealth that prize charioteers acquired (Cristiano Ronaldo looks underpaid in comparison).
Ultimately, it is impossible to draw comparisons with sporting events today because chariot-racing at the Circus Maximus was far more than entertainment. It played a hugely important role in the political life of the empire as one of the few places where the people in large numbers could encounter the emperor . As a consequence, it was not only a site for chariot-racing but for mass public protest. How the emperor behaved, before the gaze of the city, was critical to his popularity. While no emperor was ever unseated at the Circus Maximus, it gave his enemies a chance to see whether the people would mind if something unpleasant happened to him later.
@instaclassicpod for Insta, TikTok and YouTube
@insta_classics for X
email: [email protected]
To join the Instant Classics Book Club and share our trip into Homer’s Odyssey, go to https://instantclassics.supportingcast.fm/
New episodes will be published every other Tuesday, and available exclusively for members beginning 30th September. Sign up now with the promo code EARLYBIRD25 to receive a 25% discount on membership.
Mary and Charlotte’s recommended reads:
For good introductions to the “sport”, try:
F. Meijer, Chariot Racing in the Roman Empire (Johns Hopkins, 2010)
J. Toner, The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino: understanding the Roman Games (Johns Hopkins pb, 2015)
The career of the super successful Diocles is the theme of an online article by Peter Struck:
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/greatest-all-time
Mary discusses the problems that emperors had at the races in her book Emperor of Rome (Profile pb, 2024)
Instant Classics handmade by Vespucci
Producer: Jonty Claypole
Executive Producer: Jo Meek
Senior Producer: Natalia Rodriguez Ford
Video Editor: Jak Ford
Theme music: Casey Gibson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6 episodes
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Manage episode 504298160 series 3686167
Content provided by Vespucci. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Vespucci or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Think ‘Roman sport’ and images of Kirk Douglas, Russell Crowe, Paul Mescal and other Hollywood gladiators may come to mind. But while the Romans were partial to blood-sports, chariot-racing was the really big thing.
The archaeological remains of chariot-racing tracks have been found all over the Roman Empire, but none suggest a scale or grandeur close to the Circus Maximus in Rome. At full capacity, we think it could take a quarter of a million people - that’s twice the largest football stadium today.
In this episode, Mary and Charlotte recreate what a day at the races was actually like for the Romans. They describe how chariot-racing worked as a sport, what the experience may have been like for the spectators (courtesy of the poet Ovid), although remain stumped by the not insignificant issue of how a quarter of a million people went to the loo when archeological labour has - so far - only discovered one, solitary toilet.
They also describe how the chariot-racing industry worked, and the phenomenal wealth that prize charioteers acquired (Cristiano Ronaldo looks underpaid in comparison).
Ultimately, it is impossible to draw comparisons with sporting events today because chariot-racing at the Circus Maximus was far more than entertainment. It played a hugely important role in the political life of the empire as one of the few places where the people in large numbers could encounter the emperor . As a consequence, it was not only a site for chariot-racing but for mass public protest. How the emperor behaved, before the gaze of the city, was critical to his popularity. While no emperor was ever unseated at the Circus Maximus, it gave his enemies a chance to see whether the people would mind if something unpleasant happened to him later.
@instaclassicpod for Insta, TikTok and YouTube
@insta_classics for X
email: [email protected]
To join the Instant Classics Book Club and share our trip into Homer’s Odyssey, go to https://instantclassics.supportingcast.fm/
New episodes will be published every other Tuesday, and available exclusively for members beginning 30th September. Sign up now with the promo code EARLYBIRD25 to receive a 25% discount on membership.
Mary and Charlotte’s recommended reads:
For good introductions to the “sport”, try:
F. Meijer, Chariot Racing in the Roman Empire (Johns Hopkins, 2010)
J. Toner, The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino: understanding the Roman Games (Johns Hopkins pb, 2015)
The career of the super successful Diocles is the theme of an online article by Peter Struck:
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/greatest-all-time
Mary discusses the problems that emperors had at the races in her book Emperor of Rome (Profile pb, 2024)
Instant Classics handmade by Vespucci
Producer: Jonty Claypole
Executive Producer: Jo Meek
Senior Producer: Natalia Rodriguez Ford
Video Editor: Jak Ford
Theme music: Casey Gibson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6 episodes
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Similar to Instant Classics
Stephen Fry's 7 Deady Sins - I will take each one of the Seven Sins in turn, lay them out on the surgical table and poke, prod, pry and provoke in an attempt to try to anatomise and understand them; I hope and believe it will be, if nothing else, delicious fun and something of a change from the usual run of podcastery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
…
continue reading
From long-lost Viking ships to kings buried in unexpected places; from murders and power politics, to myths, religion, the lives of ordinary people: Gone Medieval is History Hit’s podcast dedicated to the middle ages, in Europe and far beyond. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, The Ancients, and Betwixt the Sheets. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of origi ...
…
continue reading
“LA Made” is a series exploring stories of bold Californian innovators and how they forever changed the lives of millions all over the world. Each season will unpack the untold and surprising stories behind some of the most exciting innovations that continue to influence our lives today. Season 3, "LA Made: The Other Moonshot," tells the story of three Black aerospace engineers in Los Angeles, who played a crucial role in America’s race to space, amid the civil unrest of the 1960s. When Joan ...
…
continue reading
A podcast for all ancient history fans! The Ancients is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, each episode covers a specific theme from antiquity. From Neolithic Britain to the Fall of Rome. Hosted by Tristan Hughes. New episodes every Sunday and Thursday. From History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets. Sign up to History Hit fo ...
…
continue reading
America is divided, and it always has been. We're going back to the moment when that split turned into war. This is Uncivil: Gimlet Media's new history podcast, hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika. We ransack the official version of the Civil War, and take on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the ...
…
continue reading
History is full of the extraordinary. Each week, we'll transport you back in time to witness history's most incredible moments and remarkable people. New episodes Mondays, or a week early for Noiser+ subscribers. With Noiser+ you'll also get ad-free listening and exclusive content on shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started or head to noiser.com/subscriptions For advertising enquiries, email [email protected]
…
continue reading
What is it like to be famous before you’re famous? What is it like to walk in the shoes of another person? Each episode of Imagined Life takes you on an immersive journey into the life of a world-famous person. It’ll be someone you may think you know, even admire -- or maybe the opposite. You’ll get clues to your identity along the way. But only in the final moments will you find out who “you” really are. So sit back, let go, and -- imagine your life, with our hosts, Oscar nominated Virginia ...
…
continue reading
It’s 1982, and a man bursts into an East Village storefront apartment and shoots punk musician Billy Balls. Author and activist iO Tillett Wright and Crimetown Producer Austin Mitchell unravel a mystery of love and loss, the tender binds of family, and the stories we tell ourselves just to survive. Created by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier.
…
continue reading
Our lives can be crazy, but you can take a break from it all with Wondery’s new series, Even the Rich, where co-hosts Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia Skidmore-Williams pull back the curtain and chat about someone else’s craziness for a change. They tell stories about some of the greatest family dynasties in history, from the Murdochs to the Royals to the Carters (Jay-Z and Beyoncé, that is). Because as Queen Elizabeth once said, “A good gossip is a wonderful tonic.” Listen to Even The Rich on the ...
…
continue reading
In 1997, thirty-nine people took their own lives in an apparent mass suicide. The events captivated the media and had people across the planet asking the same question... ‘Why?’ 20 years later, those who lost loved ones and those who still believe - tell their story. Hosted by Glynn Washington of Snap Judgment. "Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults," is now a four-part docuseries inspired by this podcast, streaming on HBO Max.
…
continue reading
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