Quote Originally Posted by TancredTheNorman View Post
I agree, and about Rome's relationship to Human Sacrifice what appaled them wasn't that the Carthaginians were sacrificing first borns (Roman Law gives no priority to first born males), it was that it was done on a regular basis, and with the state being responsible instead of a last minute and last chance panick attack by what Rome saw as unwashed masses type, so for it to be ordered by a magistrate on a regular basis was what horrified Romans, and Greeks, not first born males being the victims.

The Romans made an absolute ban on Human Sacrifice surprisingly late in Republican History, and when it surprisingly gave amnesty. The Gladiator games could be considered the real Roman Human Sacrifices, but Gladiators didn't always die, and as Gladiator games became more and more common they lost their religious function and just became a disgusting display of brutality done on a massive scale. I know the ideology behind Gladiator games was taking the scum of society, making them face each other in virtuous combat in order to inspire virtue in others and giving them a chance of proving themselves/winning their freedom once they prove themself, but something tells me that was just an elaborate way to justify brutality, Romans did afterall have theatres and plenty of plays (still read and played out today).
That's really interesting. Thanks!