Sparsiones – spraying water on audience at Roman shows

Sparsiones referred to the practice of sprinkling water on the audience gathered in Roman amphitheaters and theaters. The water was often flavored, intended both to cool the audience and to enhance the atmosphere. The word literally means “sprinkling” (from the Latin sparsio).

During public events—gladiator fights, animal shows, or spectacles – amphitheaters were extremely crowded. Added to this was the heat, sweat, animals, and sometimes – as was the case with gladiators—blood and other very unpleasant odors. In such conditions, sparsiones provided a form of relief: they cooled, refreshed, and masked unpleasant odors.

Unfortunately – though we have surviving literary sources (Pliny the Elder) – no surviving, unambiguous devices for dispensing the perfumed mist have been found to date. Various hypotheses exist. Perhaps these were people with portable vessels who walked between the rows, spraying the audience. Another possibility is some kind of primitive spray system e.g., pipes or installations that dispersed water from vats.