FUN WITH LATIN #1: FUN WITH SAND

Fun with Latin #1

Thirty-five years after my last course, I’m making a halfhearted attempt to relearn Latin. I’m surprised how much Is coming back to me.

Anyway, I’ve come across some “fun facts” about Latin that I wanted to share. Well, they’re fun for me! Potentially disturbing content follows.

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In Ancient Rome, the ground level of the Colosseum was covered with sand. This impacted the events in several ways. It gave gladiators, hunters and animals traction but could also slow them down if laid thick. It could limit visibility when it got kicked up, too

Sand served a more macabre purpose, though: it absorbed blood. By some estimates, half a million people lost their lives in the Colosseum over roughly 4 centuries. The vast majority were condemned criminals. Yes, some gladiators lost their lives, but they were expensive to train and maintain (think today’s professional athletes), so their bouts ‘only’ ended in death about 10-15% of the time.

Staggering numbers of animals - roughly 1 million - were also slaughtered as part of the popular wild beast hunts. At least that meat was typically prepared and provided to the masses, many of whom might go hungry otherwise.

But between humans and animals, that’s a lot of blood! Sand absorbed the gore and was readily swept away by slaves between the killings, and a new layer laid for the next bloodletting.

Finally to the point: the Latin word for ‘sand’ is ‘arena,” and that’s the source of our modern term for an event venue.