The Roman and Greek Views of Leisure - Coursework Example

The Roman and Greek Views of Leisure Name: Course Professor’s name University name City, State Date of submission Introduction Leisure is free time when one can engage themselves in an activity free from obligations in the form of work, chores; with the exception of time spent sleeping. People engage in different forms leisure activities that vary depending on cultural practices and technological advances in different regions. In the eras of Roman Empire, there were very distinct social status in place and played a key role in determining the kind of leisurely activities one could enjoy. This study will limit its self to two cultures, namely the Roman and the Greek cultures. This paper will also only focus on the period within which the Roman culture existed. This paper seeks to discuss the similarities and difference between the Roman views of leisure to those of the Greek’s. The Roman and Greek Views of Leisure The concept of leisure is said to have originated from ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. The Greeks generally viewed leisure as an opportunity to further themselves individually to develop their intellect[CIN06]. They saw leisure time as an opportunity to greater expand their horizon as well as recover from fatigue caused by working. This view later spread and influenced the various forms of leisure practiced by the Romans. In this sense both the Roman and Greek cultures shared quite a few similarities as well as some differences as to their approach toward leisure. Both cultures had a great impact on modern culture or modern approach and practices of leisure One of the earliest forms of leisure practiced by the Romans was the athletic games which were held regularly. However, these games were not very popular in Rome, but were more welcomed and practiced in Greece stadiums. By comparison, the Greeks showed greater enthusiasm toward gymnastics and sport than the Romans as a form of leisure. In Greece the athletic events were carried out in stadiums built for those particular events and were limited to energetic men in the upper class of society. The Greeks viewed leisure as an opportunity to foster good character and gain knowledge through every leisure activity. This view was also shared and practiced by the Romans. In both cultures participation in these games was not only a display of physical prowess and pride, but also served to guide people away from immoral forms of leisure that were cropping up within the society. Both Greek and Romans leisure practices were greatly stratified depending on social status, age or region[CIN06]. The introduction of holidays through the Roman calendar, created an opportunity to remove these classes and all people in the empire could rest and enjoy the festivities. Some of the holiday’s days were set aside for public games while others were set up for the festivities. The creation of these leisure times created a moral gray area in the urban areas. The leisure’s offered in the urban regions of the empire attracted people from the rural areas, who wanted to work less and enjoy a life of luxury[Ton02]. The holidays set aside for public games provided a variety of leisure activities to engage in. One of the most attractive activities provided by the public games was gladiator combat. The combat was either between slaves or a slave versa an animal or animal verses animal[CIN06]. People of all genders attended this fight for their leisure without bias of social class. Chariot races were also quite common during such days. Worries were offered an opportunity to display their prowess in chariot riding and combat for peoples entertainment. These Roman games were carried out in Arenas. The arenas were built using the public funds and were supervised by members of the priesthood[McL11]. The thrill and entertainment offered by the theater was a leisure activity enjoyed in both the Romans as well as the Greeks of all states[Ame07]. The performances offered variety as some were comedy, others tragedy and others drama. However, as much as both cultures offered a leisure activity, the Greeks also used the opportunity to educate the masses as they got entertained. Another leisure activity both ideologies shared is music performance. Musical performances were done for all people without bias to enjoy in the theater. Not only was the introduction of the public games and theater for public leisure, but also served the purpose of reducing the gap between the elite and the underclass. These festivities offered a unique opportunity for the governors in the region to educate and engage the masses on political matter[Ton02]. Although this was done with good intentions, it ended up creating an ever greater rift between them. Some differences that appear between the Greek and the Roman perspectives to leisure come about due to differences in attitude toward leisure. While the Romans ideology to leisure originated from competitiveness and masculinity and honor, the Greeks idea came from their desire to portray intellect and talent[Ray05]. In both Greek and Roman ideology, the pleasure of leisure depended upon the social class one was in. This clearly depicted by the Romans, the experience of enjoying the leisure of fine dining on terraces of well furnished houses was reserved for the elite, while the commoners could only meet up in small dining establishments for a drink[CIN06]. The Greeks viewed the practitioners of the arts, education and contemplation as the most elite, thus perceived to require more leisure time as compared to others[Ray05]. In both the Roman and Greek cultures, bathing was considered a popular means of spending free time[McL11]. Bathing provide an opportunity for people to play board games as well as socialize and meet with friends. However, the people whom one could interact with were limited to the social status of the location of the bath. These baths were located in different districts but all in all, all were welcome. Reading in both public libraries and private libraries offered a productive means of leisure for both the Greeks and the Romans. The Greeks greatly valued education in the fields of science, arts and mathematics[Rus09]. They also studied religion as a form of leisure. They study myths and stories about their gods and goddesses. The studies of their gods later inspired the creation of the Olympic Games in honor of their god Zeus. This day was commemorated by various sporting activities. As the idea of leisure continued to grow, some of leisure practices became immoral and were condemned by both law and idealists. The Romans claimed that the immoral forms of leisure such as excessive drinking and prostitution, came from the Greeks[Knu13]. Gambling, betting and various other board games were a regular pass time in ancient Rome. Gambling and betting later came to be deemed illegal since they encourage the practice of other immoral activities such as prostitution[CIN06]. The need for leisure increased among Roman citizens and people strived to entertain rather than labor. Working hours reduced and leisure activities were slowly but surely integrated into life. Professionals in the fields of entertainment were accepted and paid to entertain people. Commercialization of the sport led to the decay of the entertainment as a form of leisure. The need for new forms of leisure led to the creation of morally depraved activities. Gladiator fights among slaves and criminals were fought to the death. Wild animals were introduced in the arenas to fight versa each other or against slaves and criminals. Parades and feasts became more extravagant leading to the creation of brothels. The reason as to why only wealthy families could participate in sports was because they were the only ones who could afford the trainers [DOE09]. Athletes who specialized in sport were criticized by Greek philosophers due to their disinterest in education deeming them as being useless[DOE09]. Hunting of wild animals was a leisure practice of most elite men in Rome[Bar12]. Another leisure that could only be enjoyed exclusively by the Roman social elites was the visual pleasure experience, though well furnished and designed houses over a festive meal. Such leisurely activities came at a high expense and only done occasionally. The appreciation for fine art and design was however much greater appreciate by the Greeks due to their dedication to learning the arts. Private dinner parties were common leisure activities that varied in diversity. While some were simple gatherings, others, such as banquets were accompanied with song, dance and other forms of entertainment. In Roman dinner parties, both men and women dinned together while the Greeks did not. The lower class of society also held dinner parties, though were not as flamboyant. They would look for small pubs or inns or taverns where they could be served with food and wine. In Greece women did not enjoy the leisure activities of men. The right for leisure activities such as education and participation in sporting activities were reserved to citizens; whom were defined to be only men[McL11]. At first, any Greek born was allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, but later on participation in the games and theater performances were limited to skilled individuals only. These changes came about due to specialization and commercialization. By creating professionals in such fields, larger crowds were attracted to performances. Women in Greece were viewed as inferior to men and as such were burned from participating in the Olympic Games. Women were considered their husband's property. However, regardless of their disposition, they held their own sporting competitions at Olympia and dedicated them to the goddess Hera. They are believed to have held these games as a way to show their strength and ability to bear strong worries. Children in Greece and Rome enjoyed similar leisure activities. All children were exposed to these leisure activities without bias or limitation. They engaged in activities such as playing with toy carts, dolls, hobby horses and stilts. The boys were participating in some more aggressive leisurely activities such as horseback riding, swimming, sword play and wrestling[McL11]. The Roman views towards leisure though greatly similar to those of the Greeks, had some major differences especially when it came to participation. One such case is that the Romans are believed not to have actively participated in theater as a leisurely activity. They enjoyed the shows and visited the theaters, but left the theatrics to Greek performers. The Romans view gladiator fight as being glorious, an entertaining form of leisure and offering an opportunity to train their worriers. This view was however not shared by most Greeks, especially philosophers who viewed them as barbaric. In Rome, circuses and gladiator fights were used as distractions for the masses. Politicians took advantage of people’s desire for leisure and used it as a means of displaying Roman superiority. The fact that people only worked the day on only half the numbers of days in a year added the Roman peoples time for leisure activities for their entertainment[DOE09]. This behavior of wasting away leisure time was clearly different from the Greeks believed that leisure time should be used for self development and improvement. Conclusion The Romans attitude toward leisure can be said to for the entertainment of the masses, while that of the Greeks focused on individual excellence through proper management of leisure. In addition, participants in the Roman sport were mostly slaves or criminals while the Greeks recruited participants from the wealthy section of the community. These findings clearly show that the difference in attitudes toward leisure. The participation of Greeks in theater as a leisure activity is brought out as a form of personal growth whilst the Romans are would be spectators only for their amusement. Moreover, the Roman’s upper class was mostly focused on the promotion of the source of leisure; that is, setting up the fights in arenas, setting up arenas and theaters, but did not actively participate. Despite these differences there are certain obvious similarities between the Greek and Roman views towards leisure. The social stratification clearly depicted when it came to participation is one such similarity discussed. Social classification plays a major role as to the leisure activities one could engage in the two societies. The creation of public baths as a leisure activity that could be enjoyed by anyone in society played a major role in removing the social classes. Bathing areas offered a place where all could mingle without bias. It is also clear that leisure time engaged both the Romans and the Greeks in similar activities. The differences that occurred in their practices came about due to difference I think and attitudes towards leisure. These differences come about due to the intentions of their respective leaders. The Greek leaders were primarily scholars thus pushing them towards approaching leisure as a means of self improvement. On the hand the Romans were mostly wealthy politicians thus their use of leisure as a political tool. References CIN06: , (Cinici, 2006, pp. 16-17), CIN06: , (Cinici, 2006, p. 17), Ton02: , (Toner, 2002), CIN06: , (Cinici, 2006, p. 20), McL11: , (McLean & Hurd, 2011, p. 54), Ame07: , (American Federation of Arts, 2007, p. 10), Ton02: , (Toner, 2002, p. 127), Ray05: , (Raychaudhuri & Samdahl, 2005, p. 1), CIN06: , (Cinici, 2006), Ray05: , (Raychaudhuri & Samdahl, 2005), McL11: , (McLean & Hurd, 2011, pp. 54-56), Rus09: , (Russell, 2009, p. 14), Knu13: , (Knust, 2013, p. 33), CIN06: , (Cinici, 2006, p. 25), DOE09: , (Coakley, 2009, p. 66), DOE09: , (Coakley, 2009, p. 67), Bar12: , (Baraz, 2012, p. 32), McL11: , (McLean & Hurd, 2011, p. 56), DOE09: , (Coakley, 2009, p. 68), Read More