Since my life is all about sports, I decided to do my Blog assignment on sports in Ancient Rome. Many assume that the highest paid athletes ever come from this century, and that assumption is one hundred percent wrong. According to the estimate published in the historical magazine Lapham’s Quarterly, Roman charioteers were and still are the highest paid athletes of all time. There salaries belittle those of modern day superstars such as Alex Rodriguez, Maria Sharapova, and Usain Bolt. Classical studies done at the University of Pennsylvania show that Tiger Woods was not sports first billion dollar man. In fact, that title was already taken by a second century charioteer named Gaius Appuleius Diocles. This man would take on an income of 35,863,120 sesterces which are ancient Roman coins in prize money per race. Though being a charioteer is much more dangerous than playing a round of golf it was very similar to NASCAR and just as dangerous. According to a monumental inscription erected in 146 A.D. Diocles was born in Lusitania and started his very successful career in 122 A.D. when he was 18. All in all, those of us here at RHS who dream to be in the pros and make salaries that equate to those of Darrell Revis, and Albert Hanyesworth should rethink that and hope to make as much a Diocles the ancient Rome charioteer.
2 comments:
36 Million per race? The Romans definetely could've put that money to good use elsewhere. I want to go pro in basketball, but that's probably not happening and I think sports stars shouldn't really need 10 million a year to play a game
I think the reason why Roman athletes were paid more than today’s athletes is because the world today has such powerful entertainment industries. Now, instead of going to see a chariot race, people just watch a T.V. show or a movie for fun. These new forms of entertainment have probably lowered the significance of our modern athletes.
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