Did gladiators really do product placement?

[antisocialmunky]

http://au.movies.ign.com/articles/035/035289p1.html

Can someone find a citation?

[Mulceber]

I was more surprised by the idea that the Romans had something approaching a newspaper - I find that hard to believe given that paper was expensive and they had no printing press. But who knows, I could be wrong. Anyone care to verify?

edit: just wiki'd it - they were written on clay or soft metal and were posted in the forum. Also, the article listed above described them badly, as it suggested Julius Caesar invented them when in actuality he only made them public (they'd previously been the private records of the Senate). I guess that was the Romans' nod to transparency in government. -M

[bobbin]

Advertising was certainly around at that time, so it would be possible. Although the article is mostly correct the phrasing and conclusions they make are maddening to read.

Here is an article on advertising in the Roman world, not sure how accurate it is, for one thing the claim that the Romans Empire was "likely" the cradle of advertising which I know for a fact isn't true.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1510/is_1987_Spring/ai_4806053/

[antisocialmunky]

Yeah, I remember the existence of Roman newspapers.

You don't need mass distribution when many people aren't literate and the people who care probably live in walking distance of said public place like a market place.

"I am Legate Shepardius and this is my favorite shop in the Mercatus Traiani."

[Ibrahim]

I was more surprised by the idea that the Romans had something approaching a newspaper - I find that hard to believe given that paper was expensive and they had no printing press. But who knows, I could be wrong. Anyone care to verify?

edit: just wiki'd it - they were written on clay or soft metal and were posted in the forum. Also, the article listed above described them badly, as it suggested Julius Caesar invented them when in actuality he only made them public (they'd previously been the private records of the Senate). I guess that was the Romans' nod to transparency in government. -M

well, it's easy to be transparent when news takes days to weeks to get from point A to point B. by that time, the information would often (though not always) be irrelevant anyways to what was going on at the source.
It also helped that public release, I think, would make Caesar look good. though I'm not sure why....

[Mulceber]

Well given that it was in 59, during Caesar's consulship, it was probably part of the package of reforms he pushed through. The populares were essentially "change" candidates after all.


"I am Legate Shepardius and this is my favorite shop in the Mercatus Traiani."

Ok, THAT is just an awesome reference. -M