Roman Spectacles in Avodah Zarah 18b - What Were They?

The Talmud in Avodah Zarah 18b lists a series of Roman entertainments and declares that participation in them constitutes moshav letzim, the “seat of scorners,” invoking Psalms 1:1.[1] The list includes both familiar rabbinic categories and foreign terms that seem to reflect Roman cultural imports.

We begin with the more familiar terms:

איצטדיון (Istadion)

This term, derived from the Greek stadion (στάδιον), generally refers to a large public arena. However, Rashi specifically explains istadion as a "place where they gore the ox/bull" (מקום שמנגחין את השור). This points to arenas used primarily for animal contests and hunts, known as venationes. These spectacles involved pitting wild, often exotic, animals against each other or against human venatores (hunters). While such animal spectacles could occur in amphitheatres like the Colosseum, istadion may refer to a more generic stadium or arena dedicated specifically to these beast hunts and animal baiting. This distinct category of bloody entertainment, characterized by its cruelty and the public display of dominance over nature, clearly falls under the rubric of moshav letzim, due to its inherent violence and the values it promoted.

כרקום (Karkom)

What is Karkom? Phonetically, this would seem to be referring to the Roman circus.  However, later on the same page, the Talmud calls circuses קרקסיאות and not כרקום. Rashi explains karkom as a "siege" or "fortification" (מצור או מבצר). A secondary opinion is brought in the Talmud that permits Karkom, for יישוב מדינה, civic welfare. Rashi explains that since a siege is sometimes important for military and civil protection, one can go there for those purposes. At first glance, this might seem unusual in a list of entertainments. But it is historically attested that during extended sieges, the legions would engage in all sorts of objectionable behavior. Gambling, prostitution, entertainment and revelry were part of life there. Karkom thus emerges as a natural extension of the earlier prohibitions on blood sports, and the subsequent mentions of other entertainment. It is tempting to propose that perhaps Karkom points to a specific type of Roman spectacle: reenactments of warfare or military contests, held within an enclosed, fortified-like venue. This is distinct from the more common chariot races or theatrical performances.

This interpretation suggests that karkom refers specifically to the Roman amphitheater, particularly the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater). The amphitheater's circular or oval design could be metaphorically understood as a "fortification" or "enclosed battleground," perfectly suited for staging large-scale combat.

The Colosseum was renowned for its grand and brutal spectacles, including gladiatorial combat, massive venationes (beast hunts), and most notably, naumachiae (mock naval battles). In these naumachiae, the arena was flooded to re-enact historical sea-fights, serving as elaborate, large-scale military simulations and highly theatrical "war games." These events, often fought to the death, vividly brought Rashi's concept of "siege" or "fortification" to life within a public spectacle.

Beyond their violent nature, these Colosseum spectacles were deeply imbued with idolatrous significance. They were frequently dedicated to deified emperors or Roman gods, serving as overt expressions of state religion. The atmosphere was rife with public rituals, processions of pagan idols, and the ritualized shedding of blood, making attendance a direct participation in Roman paganism and a profound act of avodah zarah (idol worship) from a rabbinic perspective. Thus, karkom identifies this pinnacle of Roman idolatrous spectacle and its unique "war game" element, setting it apart from the U-shaped circuses (which are explicitly mentioned later as kirkisiaot) and other forms of public entertainment. However, the halachic leniency for yishuv medinah strongly suggests that the Talmud is describing literal military sieges, not theatrical representations.

מנחשים (Menachashim)

From the biblical term nichush — omen reading or divination.[2] Here, it likely refers to performers who claimed to read signs, foretell events, or interpret astrological phenomena. Rather than condemning private occultism, the Talmud points to public fortune-tellers or stage astrologers, offering their “gifts” as part of the spectacle culture.

חברין (Chaverin)

Derived from chover chaver (Deut. 18:11), usually translated as an enchanter or spellbinder. Rashi explains this as one who “gathers animals to a place using names” — likely referring to beast tamers, snake charmers, or magicians who controlled animals through performance and illusion.[3] These figures often appeared in Roman circuses or street fairs, blending awe with entertainment.

So far, the list makes sense in rabbinic categories: blood sport, fortune-telling, magical spectacle — all familiar concerns in halakhic and moral literature. But then the list takes a turn:

בוקיון, מוקיון, מוליון, לוליון, בלורין, סלגורין

These words are not Hebrew, nor Aramaic. They sound foreign — phonetically Roman or Greek — and their meanings are not explained. What kind of figures are these? Why does the Talmud group them with stadiums and omens? Are they also part of Roman spectacle culture?

To decode some of these terms, we must turn to the world of popular Greco-Roman comedy, and especially the tradition of the Atellan Farce. For others, a deeper dive into Roman festivals is required.

Introducing the Atellan Farce

The Atellan Farce (fabulae Atellanae) was a popular form of Roman theatrical comedy originating in Oscan-speaking southern Italy and spreading throughout the Roman world.[4] Characterized by masked performers, improvised dialogue, and broad, often crude humor, these farces relied on a set of stock characters—recognizable types who embodied social stereotypes and comic exaggerations.

Among the most famous Atellan characters were:

• Maccus: The foolish, gluttonous clown, known for slapstick and absurd antics.

• Buccus: A loud, boastful rustic figure, often paired with Maccus as comic foils.

These figures formed a standard comedic cast and were widely known across the Roman Empire. Their humor often centered on mockery, bodily excess, and social inversion—elements deeply at odds with rabbinic values.

The unfamiliar names in the Talmud’s list correspond closely to these characters and types, suggesting that the rabbis saw the Atellan Farce—and the broader spectacle culture it represented—as spiritually corrosive distractions that led Jews away from Torah study and reverence.

Linguistic Note: Latin Roots with Greek Suffixes

In Mishnaic and Talmudic literature, foreign terms — especially those describing Roman or Hellenistic phenomena — often appear as Latin roots with Greek or Aramaicized suffixes, due to the multilingual environment of the eastern Roman Empire. This explains how names like Maccus and Buccus appear in the Talmud as מוקיון (<em>mokion</em>) and בוקיון (<em>bokion</em>). The -ion suffix is a common Greek diminutive or nominal ending, added to Latin roots to form new vernacular terms. This linguistic blending helps us identify these entries more precisely within Roman comedic and theatrical traditions.

Decoding the Unfamiliar Terms

Following the familiar categories of istadion, menachashim, and chaverin, the Talmud lists several foreign-sounding names:

• מוקיון (Mokion)

  Derived from the Latin Maccus, a stock character in the Atellan Farce representing the foolish, grotesque clown.[5] This figure was known for grotesque antics and comic buffoonery.

• בוקיון (Bukion)

  From Latin Buccus, another Atellan character, a loud-mouthed, coarse rustic fool, often paired with Maccus in comic duets.[6]

• מיליון (Milyon)

  Possibly from the name Milo, referring to a strongman or wrestler, suggesting a circus performer or athlete known for feats of strength.[7]

Ludi: Variations of Roman Games

The remaining foreign terms in the Talmudic list, לוליון (Lulyon), בלורין (Blorin), and סלגורין (Selgurin), can be compellingly interpreted as referring to various forms of Roman Ludi – the general term for public games, festivals, and spectacles. This grouping suggests the Talmud is listing not only specific types of performers or arena events, but also major Roman festivals by name or through proposed textual corruptions.

• לוליון (Lulyon)

  Likely derived from Latin ludi or ludiones, meaning jesters, tumblers, or acrobats—public entertainers who performed physical feats for the crowd. In this grouping, it serves as a general term for various types of Roman games or performances, setting the stage for the more specific ludi that follow.[8]

• בלורין (Blorin) and the Ludi Liberalia

  Interpreted by Jastrow as a textual corruption of Liberalia, missing the opening L. Thus, it refers to the Latin Ludi Liberalia – the Liberalia Games. The Liberalia was an ancient Roman festival celebrated annually on March 17th in honor of Liber Pater (an ancient Roman god of viticulture, wine, and male fertility, often associated with Bacchus). This festival was characterized by its emphasis on freedom and coming-of-age rituals for young men (who would assume the toga virilis). It involved processions, mask-wearing, and often boisterous public revelry, including theatrical performances and less formal amusements, potentially involving licentious behavior. The nature of the Liberalia, with its pagan dedication, ritualistic elements, and associated revelry, aligns well with the Talmud's concern about moshav letzim. This interpretation provides a strong direct link to a significant Roman religious and civic spectacle, fitting the pattern of the Talmud's condemnations.[9]

• סלגורין (Selgurin) and the Saeculares Ludi

  According to Jastrow, סלגורין is a textual corruption of סֶגוּלָרִין where a few letters were transposed. Indeed, this is the way it appears in R' Hananel. This directly refers to the Latin Ludi Saeculares – the Secular Games. These were monumental Roman spectacles, celebrated rarely (typically once a century) over several days and nights. They encompassed a vast array of events, including theatrical plays, grand chariot races, and elaborate animal hunts, all performed with profound religious and civic overtones, often involving sacrifices and prayers to various deities. Their immense scale, infrequency, and deeply pagan nature made the Saeculares Ludi a quintessential example of idolatrous Roman entertainment for rabbinic thought. This likely corresponds to the festival mentioned in Avodah Zarah 11b, described as occurring once in seventy years.[10]

Bringing It All Together

The rabbis’ list in Avodah Zarah 18b, therefore, names a wide spectrum of Roman public entertainments: from deadly gladiatorial contests to magical performances, from comic farce characters to major Roman festivals, all encompassing cultural markers of Roman excess and vanity.

This mosaic reflects a fundamental rabbinic concern: these entertainments constitute not just idolatry or immorality but a culture of spectacle—a world of mockery, distraction, and assimilation that threatens the primacy of Torah study and spiritual discipline.

The moshav letzim — the seat of scorners — is more than a place; it is a cultural condition that the rabbis warn against. By engaging in these spectacles, a person places themselves among those who scorn sacred values, trading them for empty laughter and transient thrills.

Footnotes

1. Avodah Zarah 18b; Psalms 1:1.

2. Deuteronomy 18:10-11; Jastrow, M. Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Yerushalmi, and Midrashic Literature (1903).

3. Rashi on Avodah Zarah 18b; Jastrow, Dictionary.

4. Wiseman, T.P. The Roman Audience. Routledge, 1995; La Penna, Antonia. Fabulae Atellanae. Oxford Classical Dictionary.

5. Jastrow, Dictionary; Bowersock, G.W. Roman Drama and Comic Characters.

6. Ibid.

7. Cicero, Pro Cluentio 72; Scholarly discussions on Roman athletes and strongmen.

8. Sidonius Apollinaris, Epistles; “Ludiones” as public performers.

9. Jastrow, M. Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Yerushalmi, and Midrashic Literature (1903), p. 696, s.v. לִיבֵּרַלְיָא, and scholarly discussions on textual corruptions of בלורין in Avodah Zarah 18b.

10. Jastrow, M. Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Yerushalmi, and Midrashic Literature (1903), p. 977, s.v. סֶגוּלָרִין, where it is connected to Latin saeculares ludi. This textual variant and interpretation are discussed in various scholarly commentaries on Avodah Zarah 18b, and in Avodah Zarah 11b.