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Could You Stomach the Horrors of 'Halftime' in Ancient Rome?
Live Science ^ | February 4, 2016 | Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz

Posted on 02/06/2016 10:26:13 AM PST by EveningStar

The enormous arena was empty, save for the seesaws and the dozens of condemned criminals who sat naked upon them, hands tied behind their backs. Unfamiliar with the recently invented contraptions known as petaurua, the men tested the seesaws uneasily. One criminal would push off the ground and suddenly find himself 15 feet in the air while his partner on the other side of the seesaw descended swiftly to the ground. How strange.

In the stands, tens of thousands of Roman citizens waited with half-bored curiosity to see what would happen next and whether it would be interesting enough to keep them in their seats until the next part of the "big show" began.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: History; Music/Entertainment; Science; Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: ancientrome; colosseum; cruelty; evil; godsgravesglyphs; romanempire; romangames; rome; sadism
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1 posted on 02/06/2016 10:26:13 AM PST by EveningStar
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To: SunkenCiv

ping


2 posted on 02/06/2016 10:26:39 AM PST by EveningStar (It's a cult.)
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To: EveningStar

What is worse... that or putting up with Lady Gaga for the halftime show?


3 posted on 02/06/2016 10:29:27 AM PST by GregoTX
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To: EveningStar

Evidently, the editors at Live Science are not football fans.


4 posted on 02/06/2016 10:33:58 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: GregoTX

There you go, trying to make us pine away for the good old days again.


5 posted on 02/06/2016 10:36:08 AM PST by MarDav
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To: EveningStar

Sounds like American TV. Which is in the home for the children to watch...

The Romans would be horrified.
(Glass houses and all that)


6 posted on 02/06/2016 10:38:53 AM PST by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: EveningStar

This year it is supposed to be Coldplay for the halftime show.


7 posted on 02/06/2016 10:39:43 AM PST by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: MarDav

Yikes... too soon? Its too soon right?


8 posted on 02/06/2016 10:39:56 AM PST by GregoTX
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To: GregoTX

I thought she was doing the anthem...

-JT


9 posted on 02/06/2016 10:40:00 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: GregoTX

Shouts of “Let ‘em play through the entire 4 quarters non-stop,” could be heard from the mezzanine section...


10 posted on 02/06/2016 10:42:12 AM PST by MarDav
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To: EveningStar

Reminds me of fake wrestling matches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMKFIHRpe7I


11 posted on 02/06/2016 10:44:46 AM PST by LowOiL ("Let us do evil that good may come"? ....condemnation is just - Romans 3:8)
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To: EveningStar
I have to admit, last year's Super Bowl would have been more entertaining with biting sharks than dancing sharks.


12 posted on 02/06/2016 10:46:17 AM PST by KarlInOhio (An orange jumpsuit is the new black pantsuit.)
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To: EveningStar

Fascinating read, thanks!


13 posted on 02/06/2016 10:52:10 AM PST by PROCON (Proud CRUZader!)
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To: GregoTX
What is worse... that or putting up with Lady Gaga for the halftime show?

It's worse than that! Some really dopey and awful new band called Coldplay is doing the halftime show (I checked them out on YouTube), with vastly overrated Beyonce joining him. Lady Gaga, believe it or not, will be singing the National Anthem! And all this for the 50Th ANNIVERSARY of the Super Bowl! They should have someone like the Stones doing halftime for the 50th Super Bowl.

14 posted on 02/06/2016 11:10:35 AM PST by ETL (Ted Cruz 2016!! -- For a better, safer America)
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To: ETL

Coldplay disdains everything about American football. It’s sort of amusing that they’d deign to play halftime on the one hand, but irritating on the other because they’ll no doubt get their little digs in.


15 posted on 02/06/2016 11:12:32 AM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: GregoTX; All

Whitney Houston - Star Spangled Banner (Super Bowl 25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lCmBvYMRs

“Among the annals of national anthems as a prelude to sporting events, few have topped the one delivered by Whitney Houston before Super Bowl XXV in 1991 in Tampa. Just a woman, her incredible voice and the bare minimum of
extraneous notes. Her rendition came at a particularly patriotic time, just after the onset of the Persian Gulf War, and was released as a single.

It was re-released after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Houston donated all proceeds to charity. She ranks among the best of all-time because of the circumstances and ... that voice!”


16 posted on 02/06/2016 11:15:30 AM PST by ETL (Ted Cruz 2016!! -- For a better, safer America)
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To: GregoTX

Oh, I don’t know. Put Crazy Uncle Bernie on one side and The Hillary on the other and...


17 posted on 02/06/2016 11:20:00 AM PST by Noumenon (Resistance. Restoration. Retribution.)
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To: EveningStar

Great article, one seems to forget the absolute evil of the Roman Empire. I was glad to see Christianity was not left out of the equation, it prevailed in the end.

Thanks for posting.

Also, please let Gaga (she is no lady) be dressed decently tomorrow. That is my only wish.


18 posted on 02/06/2016 11:22:59 AM PST by yellowdoghunter (I am a child of God. (Mrs. Yellowdoghunter))
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To: RegulatorCountry
Coldplay disdains everything about American football. It's sort of amusing that they'd deign to play halftime on the one hand, but irritating on the other because they'll no doubt get their little digs in.

I don't know anything about them, other than the crappy music of theirs I heard when I checked them out on YouTube.

As for Beyonce, not only is she tremendously overrated, she and her hubby JZ are big supporters of Fidel Castro. Well at least they don't have HER or him doing the National Anthem!

 photo JZ Che Shirt 01_zpsl5mxswas.jpg

 photo Beyonce and JZ in Cuba - animation_zpsf1ozhxix.gif

19 posted on 02/06/2016 11:24:06 AM PST by ETL (Ted Cruz 2016!! -- For a better, safer America)
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To: EveningStar

Except for the scale, it was quite a bit like ISIS.


20 posted on 02/06/2016 12:56:44 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
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