Stunning Discovery Unveils Shocking Gladiator Battles Against Lions in Ancient Rome
For now, this discovery offers a look at the popular ancient pastime of venationes, staged animal battles that took place across the Roman world.
The Bloody History Of Venationes In Ancient Rome
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund/Wikimedia CommonsA 17th-century print depicting a venatio held in the Colosseum.
The first known venatio took place in 185 B.C.E., when Roman general Marcus Fulvius Nobilior celebrated his military victories by setting up a staged hunt.
“For the first time an athletic contest was on at Rome,” the Roman historian Livy wrote. “And a hunt was staged in which lions and panthers were the quarry, and the games were celebrated with practically all the resources and variety that the entire age could muster.”
In order to stage these battles, the Romans collected exotic animals from all corners of their empire. Lions, panthers, elephants, bears, crocodiles, and rhinos were put in the arena, either to fight each other or to fight specialist gladiators known as venatores. Additionally, condemned criminals were sometimes executed by being thrown into an arena with a wild animal.
Wikimedia CommonsA mosaic showing different kinds of venationes.
Though it’s unknown how the mauled gladiator in York came to fight the lion — gladiators were often slaves, prisoners of war, criminals, or even volunteers — archaeologists have gleaned some clues from his remains. The doomed gladiator was malnourished as a child, he had spinal problems possibly caused by overloading on his back, and he suffered from inflammation of his lung and thigh. When he died, he was buried with two other men and covered up with horse bones.
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