This collection of Latin texts describes the gladiator riot at Pompeii in 59 C.E. They include an intermediate-level reading about the riot as well as tiers preparing students to read Tacitus’ account of the riot in Book XIV of his Annals. My latest novella, Atrox Caedes, is set on the day of this riot in Pompeii, and I first read Tacitus’ description of the riot while I was preparing for and researching the novella.
I don’t recall how I was first introduced to the gladiator riot at Pompeii, likely in this book about gladiators and the Colosseum, though I can’t be sure. Many high school students, however, encounter the riot while reading stories from the Cambridge Latin textbooks. Regardless, the story behind the story is a fascinating one because we have both visual and literary evidence describing the event. We have the famous fresco preserved in a Pompeian home and Tacitus’ description of the riot and resulting, somewhat puzzling 10-year ban on eius modi coetu and dissolution of the collegia.
Several articles and blog posts discuss Tacitus’ language and possible interpretations of his word choice describing this punishment (this older JSTOR article, this blog post, and this page, among others). My intention is not to provide a further, deeper analysis of the argument about whether this was a traditional gladiatorial fight or a bunch of youths showing off. That point is something I also avoided while I was writing Atrox Caedes. I wanted to provide some more accessible reading about a moment in history that may interest students, particularly if they are interested in gladiators in both the novella and these supplementary reading materials.
To me, what matters is the horror of the day that is immortalized more vividly, in my own opinion, in the frescoe than in Tacitus’ brief description of the wounded bodies of the Nucerians and the grieving families. In a way, it could be considered amazing at all that Tacitus does describe the multitudes (plerique) of children and parents who were bereft and demanding justice at the capital. What a horrific, compelling sight they must have been to have appeared in his annals and to have been given comparatively so much space in this paragraph when Tacitus is known for his conciseness and his brevity.
These reading activities can be done separately from the novella Atrox Caedes, but it could also be used in conjunction with it as a teaching exercise to preread and provide historical context or to prepare students to read some Tacitus with support after reading the novella. You could also provide only the reading about the simplified but longer explanation about the riot, or you could sequence the steps of the reading to move from the long reading sequentially through the tiers to reading Tacitus. If you’re not familiar with a tiered reading, you can check out this explanation here. Essentially, it’s providing easier support and scaffolding through repeated reading and achieving harder levels or tiers.
Also, as a total aside, I read Tacitus as very dismissive of those country bumpkins down in Pompeii and Nuceria, so you’ll see some of that in how I decided to structure the tiers of the reading. Oppidana is a loaded word in contrast to urbana, and it seems further a rebuke that such a great loss of life should come from such a levi initio.
Historia Longa sed Paulo Simplicior de Atroce Caede
Illo tempore pugna magna inter colonos Nucerinos et Pompeianos erat. Atrox—horribilis et saeva—caedes erat ubi multi homines interfecti sunt. Livineus Regulus edebat gladiatorium spectaculum. Quia Livineus Regulus spectaculum edebat, cum senatu Romae non erat sed Pompeiis. Apud Pompeios spectaculum edebatur, et illi Nucerini Pompeis venerant ut spectaculum videret, sed multi Nucerini numquam Nuceriam revenerunt. Mortui sunt.
Cur Nucerini et Pompeiani pugnaverunt? Initium parvum et stultum et leve erat. Haec pugna certe incepit quia illi rustici homines qui in illis oppidis habitabant clamaverunt mala et lascivia. O mos rustica! Quam probi sunt illi rustici oppidani! Illi homines inceperunt clamare illa mala, et deinde iacere saxa, et deinde capere gladios, et deinde interficere. Qui homines validiores et fortiores erant? Pompeiani validiores erant, ergo multi Nucerini domum non revenerunt. Multi Nucerini vulnerati et mutilati erant corpore. Portati sunt in urbem Romam. Multi filiorum aut parentum flebant et tristes erant quia parentes aut filii in illa atroce caede mortui erant.
Quid imperator Romae egit? Imperator rogavit ut senatus aliquid ageret. Et deinde senatus rogavit ut consules aliquid egit. Cum atrox caedes ad consules explicata esset, consules irati Pompeianis erant. Pompeiani non poterant edere spectacula decem annos. Prohibiti sunt. Omnia collegia dissoluta quoque sunt quia Pompeiani ea collega contra leges instituerant. Livineius et alii homines qui atrocem caedem inceperant poenam dederunt. Quid erat poena? In exilium missi sunt.
Tier 1
Illo tempore atrox caedes creata erat inter colonos Nucerinos et Pompeianos gladiatorio spectaculo. Livineius Regulus spectaculum edebat. Illi homines certe exclamantes rustica, stulta, et oppidana mala inceperunt iacere saxa, et deinde capere gladios. Spectaculum apud Pompeianos edebatur, et plebs Pompeianorum validior erat. Ergo multi Nucerini deportati sunt in urbem Romam corporibus vulneratis. Multi filiorum aut parentum flebant mortes familiae. Imperator permisit iudicium atrocis caedis senatui, et senatus iudicium consulibus permisit. Atroce caede iterum ad consules explicata, Pompeiani prohibiti publice gladatorio spectaculo sunt in decem annos. Collegia, quae Pompeiani contra leges instituerant, dissoluta sunt; Livineius et alii homines qui seditionem inceperant in exilium missi sunt.
Tier 2
Sub idem tempus (illo tempore) atrox caedes orta est (creata est) inter colonos Nucerinos et Pompeianos gladiatorio spectaculo. Initium stultum et leve erat. Livineius Regulus, quem ego iam descripsi motum senatu, spectaculum edebat. Homines certe incessentes (exclamantes) oppidana lascivia in vicem (primum Pompeiani, deinde Nucerini), deinde ceperunt saxa et deinde gladios. Validiore Pompeianorum plebe, apud quos (Pompeianos) spectaculum edebatur. Ergo deportati sunt in urbem Romam multi e Nucerinis vulnerato corpore, et multi liberorum (filiorum) aut parentum mortes deflebant. Princeps (imperator) iudium rei permisit senatui, senatus iudicium consulibus permisit. Et iterum re (caede) ad consules relata (explicata), Pompeiani prohibiti publice in decem annos spectaculo, et collegia, quae Pompeiani contra leges instituerant, dissoluta sunt; Livineius et qui alii homines seditionem conciverant (inceperant) in exilium missi sunt.
Tier 3
Sub idem tempus levi initio (initium stultum erat) atrox caedes orta (est) inter colonos Nucerinos Pompeianosque (et Pompeianos) gladiatorio spectaculo, quod (spectaculum) Livineius Regulus, quem motum senatu (ego, id est, Tacitus ille scriptor) rettuli, edebat. Quippe (certe) oppidana lascivia in vicem incessentes probra (illi homines oppidani probi stulti erant!), dein saxa, postremo ferrum (gladios) sumpsere (sumpserunt, ceperunt), validiore Pompeianorum plebe, apud quos (Pompeianos) spectaculum edebatur. Ergo deportati sunt in urbem multi e Nucerinis trunco (vulnerato, multilato) per vulnera corpore, ac plerique (multi) liberorum aut parentum mortes deflebant. Cuius rei (atrocis caedis) princeps iudicium senatui, et senatus consulibus permisit. Et rursus (iterum) re ad patres (consules) relata, Pompeiani prohibiti (sunt) publice in decem annos eius modi (spectaculi) coetu (grege, turba, conventu) collegiaque (et collegia), quae contra leges instituerant, dissoluta (sunt); Livineius et qui alii seditionem conciverant exilio multati sunt (in exilium missi sunt).
Tacitus: Final Tier via the Latin Library
Sub idem tempus levi initio atrox caedes orta inter colonos Nucerinos Pompeianosque gladiatorio spectaculo, quod Livineius Regulus, quem motum senatu rettuli, edebat. Quippe oppidana lascivia in vicem incessentes probra, dein saxa, postremo ferrum sumpsere, validiore Pompeianorum plebe, apud quos spectaculum edebatur. Ergo deportati sunt in urbem multi e Nucerinis trunco per vulnera corpore, ac plerique liberorum aut parentum mortes deflebant. Cuius rei iudicium princeps senatui, senatus consulibus permisit. Et rursus re ad patres relata, prohibiti publice in decem annos eius modi coetu Pompeiani collegiaque, quae contra leges instituerant, dissoluta; Livineius et qui alii seditionem conciverant exilio multati sunt.
English Translation via Lacus Curtius
17 About the same date, a trivial incident led to a serious affray between the inhabitants of the colonies of Nuceria and Pompeii, at a gladiatorial show presented by Livineius Regulus, whose removal from the senate has been noticed. During an exchange of raillery, typical of the petulance of country towns, they resorted to abuse, then to stones, and finally to steel; the superiority lying with the populace of Pompeii, where the show was being exhibited. As a result, many of the Nucerians were carried maimed and wounded to the capital, while a very large number mourned the deaths of children or of parents. The trial of the affair was delegated by the emperor to the senate; by the senate to the consuls. On the case being again laid before the members, the Pompeians as a community were debarred from holding any similar assembly for ten years, and the associations which they had formed illegally were dissolved. Livineius and the other fomenters of the outbreak were punished with exile.
