Arts and humanities
> Thursday, April 10, 2025 - 4 p.m.
Interview with Sylvain Forichon, PhD in Roman history, who will present his book "One audience or many audiences? The Reception of Spectacles in the Roman World Between Plurality and Unanimity"
Spectacles in the Roman Empire (athletic competitions, theatrical performances, gladiatorial combats, and circus games) generally drew diverse crowds that included magistrates, senators, knights, plebeians, slaves, women, children, and others. But did all these strata of Roman society have easy access to the stands? Did they experience these entertainments under the same conditions? Did they feel the same emotions and sensations? To what extent did the composition of provincial audiences differ from those in Rome? These are the main questions raised by the authors of this book, who draw on all types of sources at their disposal to answer them: graffiti, inscriptions, literature, iconography, archaeological data, and more.
Each contribution examines different categories of the audience and offers a more detailed and nuanced understanding of Roman spectators and their diverse receptions of performances in antiquity.
