Ludi publici

Ludi publici ( Latin for "public games"; short: Ludi ) were games held for public entertainment in the Roman Empire , often in connection with large festivals or celebrations. The first Ludi were circus games ( ludi circenses ) with chariot races , which took place in the 5th century BC. . AD in the Roman Circus Maximus took place. Later on, animal baiting , theater performances ( ludi scaenici ) and gladiator fights ( ludi gladiatorii ) were added.

Annually held Ludi were for example

• the Ludi Apollinares from July 6th to 13th in honor of the god Apollo ,
• the Ludi Augustales from October 3rd to 12th in honor of the Emperor Augustus ,
• the Ludi Cereris from April 12th to 19th in honor of the goddess Ceres ,
• the Ludi Consualia on August 21 and December 15 in honor of the god Consus ,
• the Ludi Florales from April 28th to May 4th in honor of the goddess Flora ,
• the Ludi Megalenses from April 4th to 11th in honor of the Magna Mater ,
• the Ludi Piscatores in June,
• the Ludi Plebeii from November 4th to 17th,
• the Ludi Romani from September 4th to 19th in honor of the god Jupiter ,

while the Ludi Capitolini and the Ludi Secularaes took place irregularly.

The Roman satirist Juvenal (1st to 2nd century AD) criticized that the Roman people had been depoliticized and only wanted “bread and circus games” - panem et circenses . This expression became a popular phrase as “bread and games”, as did the opening motto ludi incipiant (“ Let the games begin”).

See also

• List of festivals and holidays in the Roman Empire
• Roman games in the empire

literature

• Frank Bernstein : Ludi publici. Studies on the origin and development of the public games in republican Rome . Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 978-3515073011 .