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what changed in the world that ended these types of death spectacles?

somenameforme 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Christianity. When Emperor Constantine converted Rome to Christianity, he began laying out various restrictions on the games including prohibiting it being used as a punishment or even as an option for criminals, forbade the branding of gladiators, and so forth. Emperor Honorius would then completely ban the games, which had already dwindled by then, in honor of the martyrdom of Saint Telemachus. [1]

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Telemachus

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tptacek 10 hours ago | parent [-]

I guess, but the Catholics brought the death spectacles --- human sacrifice, essentially --- back in another form and kept them going until the 1600s.

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gadders 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

But they also ended the human sacrifice in Latin America.

	▲	tptacek 29 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		While continuing it themselves in a different capacity. (I'm Catholic; I'm not dunking on Catholicism.)

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red_trumpet 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Could you please elaborate what you are talking about?

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closewith 8 hours ago | parent | next [-]

The Catholic Church, amongst others, regularly executed heretics, often by immolation.

	▲	xaldir 7 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Most of the time it was not the church that did the execution. The church was more an expertise if you will and delivered the suspect to civil authorities with a judgement. The civil authorities then did what the law called for.

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Loic 8 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Witch burning, with the capacity to have any woman for any reason marked as a witch.

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Intermernet 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The last public execution in the USA was in 1936.

There have been recent (1990s and later) discussions on televised executions in the USA.

This is not only anathema, but also abhorrent to people who live in countries without the death penalty.

These "death spectacles" are far from ended. There are definitely people who would welcome their return.

Here's a serious analysis from the USDOJ in 1999 named "Televising Executions, Primetime "Live"?"

Its annotation is "This article examines the pathways to a televised execution, including First Amendment issues, principles of open government and victims' rights."

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/televisi...

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bazoom42 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Bullfighting is still a thing.

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gorfian_robot 11 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

lack of lions

	▲	patrulek 11 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Lack of gladiators?

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lifestyleguru 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> what changed in the world that ended these types of death spectacles?

I'm afraid that the only thing stopping it are legal barriers to transport and hold such animals.

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hulitu 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> what changed in the world that ended these types of death spectacles?

Nothing. Today we have Hollywood and "news" television. 24/7 violence.

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guappa 10 hours ago | parent [-]

We like to pretend that stuntmen do not get injured and die all the time in hollywood productions.

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rightbyte 7 hours ago | parent [-]

Are you sarcastic or is it that bad to be a stunt man?

	▲	guappa 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		It's rather bad.

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ars 11 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I think you should ask the reverse: What was unique about that time period that created these spectacles?

Entertainment and fighting have always existed (and still do), but usually not to the death.

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wqaatwt 10 hours ago | parent [-]

> and still do), but usually not to the death

It usually wasn’t to the death in ancient Rome either. Unless your were being executed.

I don’t think that the violence part was unique in any way, Romans were the first commercialize it and scale it up to such an extent though.

	▲	3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		[deleted]

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the_third_wave 11 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

The "news" brings you all the death you want, daily. If you want to try it out for yourself there's plenty of Antifa-type organisations to give it a go. If activism isn't your thing you can join a football (the real type, not that silly American game) hooligan tribe for your ritual combat urges. Still not your thing? Join a gang.

Gladiator 'games' were part of the 'panem et circensis' or 'bread and circuses/games' strategy to keep the populace from revolting against the powers that be. They've been replaced by the above, and more. If the silly plebs still seem to be restless there's always another crisis at hand to keep them down, from climate to COVID to whatever comes next.