Everyday or Unusual? Some Reflections about the Odours in the Entertainment Buildings (Circus, Theatre, and Amphitheatre) of the Roman Empire
FORICHON, Sylvain
LabEx Sciences archéologiques de Bordeaux [LASCARBX]
Ausonius-Institut de recherche sur l'Antiquité et le Moyen âge
Patrimoine, Littérature, Histoire [PLH]
LabEx Sciences archéologiques de Bordeaux [LASCARBX]
Ausonius-Institut de recherche sur l'Antiquité et le Moyen âge
Patrimoine, Littérature, Histoire [PLH]
FORICHON, Sylvain
LabEx Sciences archéologiques de Bordeaux [LASCARBX]
Ausonius-Institut de recherche sur l'Antiquité et le Moyen âge
Patrimoine, Littérature, Histoire [PLH]
< Reduce
LabEx Sciences archéologiques de Bordeaux [LASCARBX]
Ausonius-Institut de recherche sur l'Antiquité et le Moyen âge
Patrimoine, Littérature, Histoire [PLH]
Language
en
Chapitre d'ouvrage
This item was published in
The Spectacle of Everyday Life in the Roman Empire: Sport and Spectacula in Material Culture, the Built Environment, and Social Practice, The Spectacle of Everyday Life in the Roman Empire: Sport and Spectacula in Material Culture, the Built Environment, and Social Practice. 2023
Brepols
Date
2023English Abstract
Whereas the research about the senses during roman spectacles have proliferated for many years, a paradox remains about the odours. On the one hand, it seems to be accepted by several scholars that the ambient air in the ...Read more >
Whereas the research about the senses during roman spectacles have proliferated for many years, a paradox remains about the odours. On the one hand, it seems to be accepted by several scholars that the ambient air in the circuses, theatres and amphitheatres during spectacles, especially during the gladiator fights and the hunts, was filled with foul odours, in particular those of blood, faeces and urine of animals, not to mention those would have been emitted by the crowd in the stands (perspiration odours, flatulence…). On the other hand, the testimonies of ancient authors about the ludi and the munera mention rarely explicitly some smells. This study suggests several explanatory factors in order to explain this disparity. According to me, the probability is that the ancient writers reported in their texts only the smells which seemed to them the most unusual in this context. Other scents, probably because they were most frequently perceived during spectacles or in other places, are not related, because they did not retain their attention.Read less <
Keywords
Odeurs
Spectacles romains
Rome ancienne
Cirque romain
Théâtre romain
Amphithéâtre antique
English Keywords
Scent
Smell
Odour
Spectacle Buildings
Ancient Rome
Ancient Senses
Roman Spectacles
Audience
Performers
Roman Circus
Roman Amphitheatre
Roman Theatre
Origin
Hal importedCollections