Gimnasio griego, Campania romana

Zusammenfassung

South Italy was a crossroads in ancient times, where cultural elements from the pre-Roman, Greek and Roman civilizations coexisted. In imperial Magna Greece and Sicily still lasted certain aspects of the Greek culture, although in a new political context. In cities like Naples, Greek religion, traditions and especially language were flourishing under the Roman rule, and even Roman elites were pleased to imitate some of the Greek uses. Regarding education, many of the Southern cities had inherited the Hellenistic gymnasium, where young Greeks were taught on the principles of paideia. Even some of the institutional experiences related to education also came from the indigenous world -among them the Pompeian "veriia"- although they found Greek models of architectural expression. The first century AD still detects the existence of Greek "ephebia", the gymnasium typology and particular professionals related ro it, such as the gymnasiarch, in many cities. This officer assumed a series of responsibilities linked to the direction of the gymnasium, such as maintaining order among the young, distribute oil as well as military and sport equipment, wood for bathrooms, or take charge of the decoration of the building consecrating herms and statues of gods and heroes; He also dealt with religious rituals officiate in the gymnasium. However, Rome tried to impose on Magna Greece its pedagogical way to create a sense of Roman identity. Although Roma could accept the athletic performances and a few forms of physical activity inherited from Greece, it was not willing to allow the "ephebia" settle in West education. Added to this the political program of Augustus focused on the renewal of the moral principles of the society in which youth played a key role. Especially in Pompeii this process is clearly detected through two buildings. The Samnite Palestra and the Great Palestra. The former still reveals a cultural instruction characteristically ephebic; even several scholars have suggested that physical activities could have been developed at the nearby Triangular Forum und the "porticus" of the Large Theatre, The Great Palestra, however, is the affirmation of the "Campus", the translation to the provincial sphere of the "Campus Martius" in Rome, where Roman "Collegia Iuvenum" developed their own physical exercises: chariot racing, horse riding, weapons training, discus and javelin throw and even swimming, Its features consisted of large areas enclosed by walls and gates, equipped with one or more semicircle exedras or "scholae", a pool for swimming, and sometimes imemal walks ("ambulationes") and bathing facilities, often outside the city walls but also close to the amphitheatre.