© Oxford University Press 2016 1
Oxford Big Ideas Humanities 7 Victorian Curriculum Teacher obook assess ISBN 9780190307363
Permission has been granted for this page to be photocopied within the purchasing institution only.
Student book questions
12.10 Public entertainment
Pages 384385
Check your learning 12.10
Remember and understand
1 Why did Roman rulers provide free entertainment for the common people?
2 For how many days per year was entertainment provided in Rome?
3 Historians disagree about when and where the tradition of gladiator fighting began.
a Why is this?
b What theories do different historians have?
c What theory do you believe is most reliable? Why?
4 Explain the meaning of the phase ‘bread and circuses’.
© Oxford University Press 2016 2
Oxford Big Ideas Humanities 7 Victorian Curriculum Teacher obook assess ISBN 9780190307363
Permission has been granted for this page to be photocopied within the purchasing institution only.
5 Conduct some research into the different types of gladiators that fought for the entertainment of
Roman crowds. Consider the different weapons and armour each gladiator had.
a If you were forced to fight in the Colosseum in Rome, which of these gladiators would you choose
to be?
b Compare your choice with other students in your class. Which was the most popular choice?
Why?