Games

=Ancient Roman & Indian Games & Entertainment = = = =**Main Points** = = = = = toc
 * Rome and India both have similarities and differences within the games they invented and played.
 * There are many successful ways to compare and contrast the theatre of Ancient India and Ancient Rome.
 * The physical entertainment of Ancient Rome and Ancient India
 * shared many qualities yet differed from each other in many ways.

=Games =

To begin, ancient Rome an ancient India both have similarities and differences within the games they invented and played. First, Rome invented and played a variety of interesting games including dice, knucklebones and marbles. In today's world, knucklebones have evolved into the game of jacks. Dice are the same cube shape with the same design but are used for many different games. Marbles have become amazing for collections and playing. Along with Rome, India had many games such as snakes and ladders, shaturanga, and pachisi. Snakes and lad﻿ders is the earliest version of "Chutes and Ladders." Shaturanga is the earliest version of chess and it still is also played the exact same way today. Pachisi is the earliest version of the famous worldwide game of parcheesi. Finally, the games of Rome and India were in many ways the same because they both involved a lot of logic and thinking. The difference between the two is that Rome's games did not involve many rules or boards; but all three of India's games required both of these. Clearly, these two fantastic ancient civilizations, had very popular and loved games.

=Theatre =  Just as Ancient India and Rome had successful games their theater was also superb. Although India wasn't as known for their theater performances as Rome was, India had theater and ﻿acting that was a very popular source of entertainment. First of all, Rome had was pantomimes. Pantomimes were a type of performance where the actors were forbidden to talk and they could only act out their emotions and what they were saying. The performances were known to be extremely humorous. Second, Rome and India had completely different plays and acting. India had Sanskrit plays and hunting plays. Sanskrit plays represent everyday life such as washing cloths, doing dishes, cooking, and going to school. Hunting plays represented the lives of hunters, and their hardships. The hunters plays usually were acted out near a campfire at night time so it would represent how scary it was and how the hunters were susceptible to danger in the dark. The similarities and differences between India's and Roman theater and entertainment are vast. The differences were that India's plays were all about life. They described what a hunter or normal person had to go through. Rome's plays were all about entertainment and pleasure for the audience. The similarities were that they were both performed by humans. Also, no matter what the performances were displayed even in the rain. Overall, the plays were perfected over time and were a favorite part of the day in Ancient Rome and India.

=**Physical Entertainment** = 

Just as the plays were perfected and mastered, Ancient Rome and India both had physical entertainment that was widely known around the ancient world. Rome had gladiators, riding, fencing, wrestling, discus, track, and swimming. All of these activities were played in the Circus Maximus. Circus Maximus is a huge stadium where all the activities happened and most importantly where the gladiator event were held. The Colosseum also held many popular events. The Circus Maximus could hold around 30,000 people. This was reason that the events were so highly prized by all the civilians and even all of the government officials. So many people could fit into the stadium and there was a plethora of people in the crowd. Although Rome had so many forms of physical entertainment India as well had many forms of entertainment. They had dances, judo, and karate. Judo and karate were not only meant to sooth the mind from conflict but to find a center peace inside oneself. Also, they would help in self defense. Many of the perfo rmances that India displayed were about their past. They were also very formal in a sense that they were neat, clean, and performed in an orderly fashion. There were some differences such as that Rome had by far more physical activities then India. India's physical entertainment was centered around thinking and not being physical. There were similarities such as that all of these activities one needed to be fit both mentally and physically. Also, a plenty of people came to watch these events. Physical entertainment was a huge hit in Rome and India. Ancient Rome and India were both successful civilizations so there for they both had to have some source of entertainment.

=Compare And Contrast =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: normal;"> Ancient Roman Games and Ancient Indian Games

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> games were displayed. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> the games and dances were displayed. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Ancient Cities || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Contrast || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Compare ||
 * < <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Ancient Roman Games ||< <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Had many physical entertainment activities. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Rome had big places where the
 * < <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Ancient Indian Games ||< <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Had Judo and Karate that represented cleaning and making the mind think better. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">India also had big places where

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">**Bibliography**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">** Sources- **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">** websites: @http://www.roman-empire.net/society/soc-games.html , ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">**  @http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210200/ancient_rome/entertainment.htm , ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">**  @http://library.thinkquest.org/26602/entertainment.htm , ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">**  @http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/ancient_roman_games_entertainment.htm. ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">**  @http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/VirtualExhibits/Brueghel/knuckle.html   **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">** Books: Honan, Linda. Ancient Rome Projects and Activities That Bring the Past to Life. New York: John Wiley & Sons Company, 1998, pages 68, 78, and 87. **