Venatio
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Venatio ("hunt") was a form of entertainment in Roman amphitheaters involving the hunting and slaying of wild animals. Exotic wild beasts from the far reaches of the Roman Empire were brought to Rome and hunts were held in the morning prior to the afternoon main event of gladiatorial duels. The hunts were held in the Roman Forum, the Saepta, and in the Circus Maximus, though none of these venues offered protection to the crowd from the wild animals on display. Special precautions were taken to prevent the animals from escaping these venues, such as the erection of barriers and the digging of ditches. Very few animals survived these hunts though they did sometimes defeat the "bestiarius", or hunters of wild beast. Thousands of wild animals would be slaughtered in one day. For instance, at the games Trajan held when he became emperor, over 9,000 animals were killed.
Not all the animals were ferocious, though most were. Animals that appeared in the venatio included lions, elephants, bears, deer, wild goats, dogs, and camels. Some of these animals were trained and, instead of fighting, performed tricks.
Revered for its ferocity, the lion was extremely popular in venationes and gladiatorial shows. While dictator, Caesar used a staggering 400 lions (imported primarily from North Africa and Syria) in the Circus, the foreignness of the animal lending his shows added panache. Savage images of the lion were not exclusive to the arena, however. Sculptures of lions devouring prey were often used on sepulchers as symbols of the voraciousness of death.
Following the venatio in the order of daily events were the humiliores, the execution of Roman citizens of lower status. Usual forms of execution included burning at the stake, crucifixion, or ad bestias (when the prisoner is left alone in the ring with one or more wild animals). Ancient writers suggest that during the humiliores, most respectable men and women went for lunch instead of staying to watch.
Roman emperors often sentenced serious criminals — who then became known as bestiarii — to fatal encounters with the beasts in the Colosseum — an ancient "death sentence". The criminal met his fate in the context of an elaborate play; instead of a happy ending, though, the main character of the production — the convict — was mauled by a bear, whom he fought without weapons or armor. These were the lowest class of participants in the games.
Such gory dramas were common at the program Emperor Titus arranged to dedicate the Colosseum in A.D. 80. That lavish show lasted 100 days. Throughout the festivities more than 10,000 prisoners and 9,000 animals were slaughtered.
Obtaining the animals from the far-flung corners of the empire was an ostentatious display of wealth and power by the emperor or other patron to the populace, and was also was meant to demonstrate Roman power of the whole human and animal world and (as with a modern zoo) to show the plebs of Rome exotic animals they might never see otherwise.
