It is common place for a contemporary society to truly believe that they were the first to come up with an idea. By their innate nature, civilizations and individuals within those civilizations believe that the problems, joys, likes, and dislikes that their society experiences are somehow unique and different from issues of the past. Societies always believe that they have progressed well beyond those societies of the past. What is even more common than the belief that problems are far worse than they ever have been before. The world, in the view of most people, is going to hell in a hand basket. Throughout time many believe that the end of the world is right around the corner. Individuals seem to believe that the problems that their society faces are far worse than those that civilizations experienced in the past. With such rampant violence, salacious material, prostitution, alcohol, and gang related saturating society, people feel justified in believing that the world is about to come to a close. However, the world has continued to turn and time has marched on not taking into consideration the thoughts and opinions commonly held by masses of civilization.
While the world is ever changing and many issues that contemporary societies face are unique in comparison to other issues at other times, individuals of the modern time are connected to the past far more than they freely admit. The belief that society which people live in is far worse than any society has previously experienced is a reflection of that society’s ignorance or denial of events that have transpired throughout the past. As one becomes a student of history they realize that the issues that plague society may not be as unique to the realm of history as they appear. He realizes that prostitution has been a part of nearly every society since prior to biblical days. With further investigation the student of history realizes that decimations of cultures have been common place in history from the burning of Carthage to the attempted genocide of Armenian citizen at the hands of the Turks. Slavery and racial inequality dominated the globe for hundreds of years. As one learns these facts, he is humbled. What is even greater is the fact that he can learn from the history and attempt to change the problems that modern society faces.
One common fallacy believed by contemporary society gangs and other criminal organizations are a development only confined to the past hundred or so years. However, with further investigation, a person realizes that gangs have existed from the beginnings of the Byzantine Empire. Through studying the gangs of Byzantium, the actions that rulers took against these gangs, and the amount of influence that these gangs possessed within their society, it is apparent that not only do these gangs resemble the gangs of modern time, but also had more political influence than any gangs of the modern period have.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about gangs is the fact that most gangs do not begin as gangs. In other words, rarely if ever, is it a group of peoples intentions to start a gang. Rather, gangs tend to slowly evolve. Usually the foundations of gangs begin in a group of individuals who share commonality. For instance race, class, or socioeconomic status tend to be fertile soils for the beginnings of gangs. Usually from this race, class, or socioeconomic status a band of oppressed or despariging peoples begin to unite together from a common interest. In some cases this formation is an attempt to become politically active and speak out against oppression or whatever the gang may be experiencing. In other cases the gang forms out of a socioeconomic class that share a common passion. For this reasons sports provides a perfect ground by which gangs may form. Concerning this SO AND SO states. Somehow a standard hobby becomes something greater. Sports becomes an insatiable passion that reveals the problems that exist with a common group of people living in a common area. The chants and taunts directed to oter people begins to reveal differences in socioeconomic status’. Thus the group of individuals tend to lash out against other teams. Certain areas become exclusively devoted to a certain team and any other team may be considered a real and major threat. Sports factions soon evolve into political and social factions and resentment towards other groups of people quickly insue.
By no means are the factions of the Greens and the Blues an exception to the fact that many gangs form from a common hobby. Long before the Roman Empire had ever moved its capital from Rome to Byzantium the greens and the blues existed in society as horse racing teams. While gladiatorial events are far more remembered by pupils of roman history, chariot racing rivaled gladiators in popularity during the time of the Roman Empire.[1]
Gladiatorial conflict tended to place the independent valor and glory of the individual over teamwork. It was the chariot races that provided the entertainment and teamwork where roman citizens could so adamantly be a part of. Chariot racing was held within the circus, a roman stadia specifically built for these events. As the sport of chariot racing evolved so to did its teams. Individuals competing within the circus were assigned to specific colors. Red, White, Yellow, Green, and Blue were all teams that would compete in the chariot races. The earliest sighting of the two racing teams was in 35 C.E.[2]
It took very little time for politicians to side with certain chariot teams competing within the circus. Obviously showing citizens that they were truly fans of the sport would help them to gain favor in the public eye. However, it is also likely that politicians did truly enjoy cheering for the sport. Various geographical areas in rome would root for specific teams and it is likely that the politicians hailing from that area would be predisposed to rooting for the team.
Even emperors tended to take part in the festivities. The list of notable emperors who favored the greens included “Caligula, Nero, Domitian, Verus, Commodus, Elagabalus.[3]”
Stilo, Aelius. “Circus Factions.” Penelope/ University of Chicago.http://penelope.uchicago.edu/...grout/encyclopaedia_romana/circusmaximus/factiones.html(accessed January 18, 2012).
[1] Find Something from Rufus J. Fears
[2] Aelius Stilo, “Circus Factions,” Penelope/ University of Chicago,http://penelope.uchicago.edu/...grout/encyclopaedia_romana/circusmaximus/factiones.html (accessed January 18, 2012).
[3] Ibid “Circus Factions”
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