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1992
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Amusements Manifestations culturelles Divertissements Réjouissances Distractions Récréations Passe-temps Attractions SpectaclesCiter ce document
Christophe Hugoniot, « Saint Augustin et les spectacles de l’amphithéâtre en Afrique romaine », Histoire de l'art, ID : 10.3406/hista.1992.2498
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Saint Augustine and the spectacles in the amphitheatres of Roman Africa. Thanks to inscriptions and mosaics, we know that hunts were the principal type of spectacle staged in the African amphitheatres of the Byzantine Empire. Saint Augustine never specifically refers to gladiator fights in Africa. In one of his sermons he condemns the organizers of these spectacles. Instead of giving their money to the poor, they dress the hunters in the arena in sumptuous costumes. This in no way diminished the popularity of the events. This text, along with an inscription on the Smirat mosaic, is proof of the permanence, during the Byzantine Empire, of popular pressures on the municipal notables. Two other documents, illustrating the luxurious garments being given to the hunters, justify Saint Augustine’s criticisms of the wastefulness resulting from the persistence of municipal « évergétisme » (benevolence).