16 episodes

The ancient Romans constructed some of the first ever purpose-built venues for mass-entertainment. How do these structures enhance the audience’s experience of the spectacle? This album looks at famous Roman buildings like the Colosseum, a venue designed to impress, where vast numbers of people congregated for gladiatorial combat, chariot-racing and theatrical shows. Structures such as the Circus Maximus and even the Baths were designed as striking symbols of civic pride, glorifying the power of the Emperors who built them. This material forms part of The Open University course A219 Exploring the classical world.

Power and people in ancient Rome - for iPad/Mac/PC The Open University

    • Education

The ancient Romans constructed some of the first ever purpose-built venues for mass-entertainment. How do these structures enhance the audience’s experience of the spectacle? This album looks at famous Roman buildings like the Colosseum, a venue designed to impress, where vast numbers of people congregated for gladiatorial combat, chariot-racing and theatrical shows. Structures such as the Circus Maximus and even the Baths were designed as striking symbols of civic pride, glorifying the power of the Emperors who built them. This material forms part of The Open University course A219 Exploring the classical world.

    Power and people in ancient Rome

    Power and people in ancient Rome

    An audio introduction to this album.

    • 54 sec
    Transcript -- Power and people in ancient Rome

    Transcript -- Power and people in ancient Rome

    An audio introduction to this album.

    • video
    The Colosseum of Rome

    The Colosseum of Rome

    The most impressive structure in ancient Rome

    • 1 min
    Transcript -- The Colosseum of Rome

    Transcript -- The Colosseum of Rome

    The most impressive structure in ancient Rome

    • video
    Roman amphitheatres

    Roman amphitheatres

    How Roman theatres evolved from informal spaces to formal monumentalised structures.

    • 3 min
    Transcript -- Roman amphitheatres

    Transcript -- Roman amphitheatres

    How Roman theatres evolved from informal spaces to formal monumentalised structures.

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