Physical Education in Ancient Rome

THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Historian note that the most outstanding cause of the fall of the great Roman Empire was due to moral decay and physical deterioration. The fall of the Roman Empire in the West around AD 476 resulted in a period of history which is frequently referred to as a DARK AGES , this period however was anything but dark in respect to the physical rejuvenation brought about by the over running of the Roman Empire by the Teutonic Barbarian.

IN CONCLUSION

RISE OF THE CHRISTIANITY

Parallel with the decline and fall of the Rome was the rise of the Christianity and the church with an influence and more powerful than all Roman religion.

In conclusion physical education would not be what it is today if it had not been for the Etruscan people and early Roman people. As well as the Roman’s adoption of the Gladiators and their fighting techniques and how they founded the physical education and training mentality

into the minds of children at such a young age and the development of women in physical education. Without these revolutionary landmarks in history our sports and physical training would not be the same as what it is today.

ROMAN PHILOSOPHERS IN CONTRARY TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION

A great and well-discipline army with great leaders brought about the grandeur of the Roman empire at the time when almost all of the Europe was under its influence.

HORACE

Felt the Greek system did not develop endurance and stamina enough for the Romans.

CICERO

Thought that physical exercise performed by the Greek was absurd.

TACITUS

Criticized the habits of taking off one's cloth to exercise.

SCIPIO

Criticized Greeks for going to palaestra.

FLAVIUS THEODOSIUS

Emperor of the Rome known as "Theodosius the Great"

He also issued decrees the effectively made Christianity, the official state religion of the Roman.

MARTIAL

Referred sarcastically to the wrestling ground.

HISTORY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN ROME

OBJECTIVES AND IT'S NATURE

• The notion of mutual dependence between a sound mind and a healthy body persisted in Rome throughout the Republican and Imperial periods yet the Romans were intent on making practical use of physical trainings, beyond it's favorable impact on general health. Roman political ambition incorporated physical education into a national program for military preparedness. Centering on boys and men, physical education focus on activities that build and maintained warriors.

The objectives of physical education in Rome affected the sound objectives held by the Greeks whom they conquered.

Army life was considered very important to the Romans and health also important to the military

Roman soldiers had to engage in various physical activities following rigid schedule of trainings.

The Roman was never famous as an athlete but admired good performance by other promoted its professional basis.

THANK YOU

and

GOD BLESS

The Roman disliked of Greek physical education was voice in numerous ways.

The enormous amount of money as reward and prizes in game competition pointed to the influence of wealth and materialism of the Romans.

The famous stadium was CIRCUS MAXIMUS.

Gladiator combat was held in arena or colesium.

Thermae a public bath.

Wealth became the objective of most citizens and vulgar display became e essence of wealth. Luxury corruptions, extravagance and vice became common place in the carious phase of Roman live

THE GLADIATORS

After the conquest of Greece, Greek gymnastics were introduce to the Romans, but they never were like received.

They did not believe in developing the "body beautiful". They prepared to be spectators rather than participants.

They preferred cruel, glory, gruesome games rather to clean wholesome event which were played for the benefits of the participants.

IMPERIAL TRAINING

FOR WAR

These men were a source of entertainment were two men would fight to death. The spectators demanded that one of the men must die in the fight and the winner shall be reserved for the next game.

Although the Romans adopted large swaths of Greek culture, war fighting was not among them.Greeks fought in phalanxes, which were large and densely packed infantry formations sorrounded by a wall of shields.As the Roman army grow in size and professionalism, it adopted versatile strategies, many requiring a soldier to fight out in the open. As the Roman empire expanded from 27 C.E onward, training of boys aimed at developing loyalty, discipline and physical prowess through activities like running, jumping, boxing, wrestling, equestrian handling, swordmanship and use of bow and arrow.Boys as young as 10 years old were taught to race chariots.

ROMAN WOMEN IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The only training that a female could practice was mainly aquatics, acrobatics and dance but for a brief period women were thought to have participated in the gladiator sports.

REPUBLICAN PERIOD

Upon throwing off the rule of the Etruscan kings in 510 BCE, Rome found herself in a perpetual state of hostility with her Italian neighbors, with secession movements and later embroiled in a series of Punic and Macedonian wars. Places for exercise and physical fitness were limited to the properties of the patrician class and only then in the waning days of the republic. These well-to-do Romans built gymnasiums and palaestrae n keeping with the Greek ideal of mind-body synergy.

Physical Education in Ancient Rome

Prepared by:

LIZA BALLADARES

ANA MARIE VILLARANTE

JAY-R VILLAGRACIA