LUDI ROMANI
The Latin word ludus means "game," "play" (as opposed to work),
or "sport." The nominative plural of this word was also applied to
certain religious festivals that emphasized formal competitions and performances,
as opposed to feriae, religious holidays like the Saturnalia and
the Lupercalia, that did not. Ludi normally lasted over a
number of days (as did certain feriae like the Saturnalia), with
certain days devoted to various games, like chariot races, gladiatorial
contests and animal hunts in the amphitheater, dramatic performances, military
parades, and street entertainments. Public banquets were a feature
of both ludi and a holiday (feriae) like the Saturnalia.
In general, the ludi were more popular than feriae because
of the great variety of state-funded entertainments that were available
for all.
There were a number of regularly scheduled celebrations called ludi
throughout the year, dedicated to various gods like Jupiter, Apollo, Ceres,
Flora, and Cybele, and some that were given spontaneously to celebrate
certain occasions, like a military victory or the birthday of an emperor.
The oldest of these games was the Ludi Romani ("Roman Games") or
Ludi Magni ("Great Games") dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus
("Jupiter the Best [and] Greatest"), Juno, and Minerva. This
trio of divinities is called the "Capitoline Triad" because statues of
all three divinities were housed in the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
on the Capitoline hill.
Since only scattered fragments of the temple survive, the only evidence
we of the way the temple looked is on coins, like the one above.
If you look carefully through the four central columns, you will see the
three cult statues that were installed in each of the three separate rooms
(cellae) in the temple (normally a temple had only one cella).
Jupiter is in the center, while Juno is on the left and Minerva, on the
right.
The Ludi Romani took up half the month of September (5th to
19th). In 100 BC various ludi took up 57 days of the year,
while by the fourth century AD they occupied 177 days.
Return
to Contents.