ludi

Ludi is the Latin plural noun of ludus, meaning game, sport, or school; in classical Latin, ludi referred to public spectacles and, by extension, the festivals that organized them. The term was used to designate a calendar of public religious and entertainment events in ancient Rome, controlled by magistrates or religious authorities. Ludi typically concentrated on a particular deity or festival and could last several days. The repertoire varied by festival but commonly included theater, music, dance, athletic contests, and sometimes gladiatorial or other forms of combat.

The most famous example is the Ludi Romani, or Roman Games, a major religious festival celebrated in Rome in honor of Jupiter and attracting performers and spectators from across the Republic. Other named ludi include the Ludi Plebeii (Plebeian Games) and the Ludi Circenses (Circus Games); the Ludi Apollinares and Megalenses commemorated Apollo and Cybele respectively. These events functioned as important social and political occasions as well as religious observances.

In modern scholarship, ludi is used to describe such sets of games in ancient sources, as well as to discuss the broader Roman practice of public entertainment. The term also survives in Latin vocabulary as the plural form of ludus, and appears in inscriptions and historical texts to denote public spectacles and festivals.