vii, 65 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Roman gladiatorial games had significance far beyond that of mere spectacle and
were more than savage and brutal entertainment for depraved emperors and bloodthirsty
crowds. Classifying the games as a form of ritual, and by extension a means of
communication, this study approaches Roman gladiatorial games as a type of text and
employs literary theories regarding allusion to bring to light the more profound
implications of the games. I focus on the ways in which gladiatorial games alluded to
funerary and sacrificial ritual as well as to the idealized representations of masculine virtue
in Roman literature and the native myths and legends that Romans used to define
themselves. The gladiator was both the community's ideal agent and its sacrificial offering,
and gladiatorial combat was the embodiment of Roman social values, religious practice,
and national identity. / Committee in Charge:
Dr. Mary Jaeger, Chair;
Dr. Lowell Bowditch;
Dr. Cristina Calhoon
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uoregon.edu/oai:scholarsbank.uoregon.edu:1794/10637 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Gerner, Desiree E., 1978- |
| Publisher | University of Oregon |
| Source Sets | University of Oregon |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Classics, M.A., 2010; |
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