Septima: theatrica.
The Name and Places of Play
Theatrica takes its name from the celebrated theater, though games were historically held across a variety of public spaces.
Theatrica is the term for the knowledge of games, named after the theater where people used to gather to play—not because games were held only in the theater, but because it was a more celebrated place than the others. Games, moreover, were held in various places: some in theaters, some on stages, some in gymnasiums, some in amphitheaters, some in arenas, some at banquets, and some in temples.1
Games for Every Venue
Each venue hosted its own distinct form of recreation, from poetic recitations and dances to athletic contests, musical feasts, and sacred hymns.
In the theater, deeds were recited—whether in poems, through masks, or by ghosts; on the stages, they led and danced choruses, or used small figures.2 In the gymnasiums, they wrestled. In the amphitheaters, they competed in races—either on foot, on horseback, or with chariots; in the arenas, boxers were trained.3 At banquets, they played to rhythms and musical instruments and sang odes, and they played dice. In the temples, at solemn times, they sang the praises of the gods.
Why Games Were Counted Legitimate
Games were sanctioned either to nourish the body's natural heat and restore the spirit, or to provide public venues that prevent secret, shameful gatherings.
They counted games among legitimate activities for this reason: because natural heat is nourished in the body by moderate movement, and the spirit is restored by joy; or, which seems more likely, because it was necessary for the people to gather for play sometimes, they wanted designated places for playing to exist, lest by making secret gatherings in inns, they would commit something shameful or criminal.4
Read the original Latin
Theatrica dicitur scientia ludorum a theatro ubi populus ad ludendum convenire solebat, non quia in theatro tantum ludus fieret, sed quia celebrior locus fuerat ceteris. fiebant autem ludi alii in theatris, alii in gabulis, alii in gymnasiis, alii in amphicircis, alii in arenis, alii in conviviis, alii in fanis. in theatro gesta recitabantur vel carminibus, vel personis, vel larvis, vel oscillis in gabulis choreas ducebant et saltabant. in gymnasiis luctabantur. in amphicircis cursu certabant vel pedum, vel equorum, vel curruum, in arenis pugiles exercebantur. in conviviis, rhythmis et musicis instrumentis et odis psallebant et alea ludebant. in fanis tempore solemni deorum laudes canebant. ludos vero idcirco inter legitimas actiones connumerabant, quia temperato motu naturalis calor nutritur in corpore, et laetitia animus reparatur; vel, quod magis videtur, quia necesse fuit populum aliquando ad ludendum convenire, voluerunt determinata esse loca ludendi, ne in diversoriis conventicula facientes probrosa aliqua aut facinorosa perpetrarent.
Notes
- 1 ↩The rare word 'gabulis' likely refers to temporary wooden stages or scaffolds used for performances.
- 2 ↩The syntax of this sentence is elliptical and the terms 'larvis' (ghosts/masks) and 'oscillis' (small faces/swings) are ambiguous; the translation supplies the most plausible performance context.
- 3 ↩'Amphicircis' is a rare term for amphitheaters (literally 'encircled on both sides').
- 4 ↩The translation reflects the most plausible sense of the corrupt or elliptical 'conventicula facientes probrosa aliqua aut facinorosa perpetrarent', treating 'conventicula facientes' as 'making secret gatherings' and 'probrosa... facinorosa' as the objects of 'perpetrarent'.
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