The Penn Stater Magazine

Public Hangings at Lunchtime, and Other Roman Charms

June 8, 2009 at 2:33 pm Tina Hay 1 comment

One of the parts of Traditional Reunion Weekend that I always enjoy is the chance to hear faculty talk about their research. Mary Jane Stout ’82 of the Alumni Association staff always lines up some interesting talks for the alumni who are back on campus, and I like to show up in search of story ideas for the magazine.

On Thursday, we were treated to a session by Garrett Fagan, who teaches history, classics, and ancient Mediterranean studies. Lately he’s been doing a lot of work on Roman gladiators, for a book that will be published in a year or so called The Lure of the Arena.

Fagan looks at what he calls the “psychological currents running through the Roman games”—what attracted people back then to such things as public hangings at lunchtime and often-deadly gladiator fights in the afternoon? But he also suggested that, while those ancient Romans were definitely a bloodthirsty lot, they weren’t that much different from some elements of our culture today. We still have bullfighting, and mixed martial arts (where the only rules are “no biting, no gouging”) , and bear baiting (which still takes place in some parts of Pakistan, though it’s supposedly illegal), and Michael Vick.

Even in football, Fagan points out, “we all appreciate the artistry of a good touchdown, but we also appreciate the intensity of a good hit.” (Fagan did a postdoctoral fellowship in Canada, where DVD compilations of hockey fights are big sellers.)

And we’re not that far removed from the days of public executions. Fagan showed a slide of the last public execution in the United States (see photo above)—it took place in 1936, in Owensboro, Kentucky. A black teenager was hanged for killing an elderly white woman, and 25,000 people showed up to watch.

There was a lively question-and-answer session after Fagan’s talk. People wanted to know: Would people still follow hockey if fighting weren’t allowed? What will scholars 2,000 years from now think of football? Where do violent movies fit in to all of this?

When he finally got tired of answering questions, Fagan said with a smile, “I recommend a book called The Lure of the Arena….”

Tina Hay, editor

Entry filed under: Alumni Association, Campus events, College of the Liberal Arts, Faculty research, Penn State alumni, The Penn Stater magazine, University Park campus. Tags: bear baiting, Garrett Fagan, Michael Vick, mixed martial arts, NHL hockey, public executions, public hangings, Roman gladiators, Traditional Alumni Reunion.