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Animals used in gladiator fights
#1
Hello everybody,

I wanted to ask what kind of animals were used in gladiator fights, and for what purposes ( fighting against gladiators, feeding people to them, animal vs. animal maybe) ?

I have searched forum for this but could not find anything ( sorry if i missed it :roll: )
Daumantas Kiulkys
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#2
As far as I know, but I'm pretty new to the gladiatoral subject. There were fights of gladiators against animals, animals vs animals, animals vs prisoners.

There also were trained animals, if I'm right. I can remember seeing gladiator with a lion.

In Rome, where there was lots of money for the games, most exclusive animals were used. Elephants, Lion, etc.
________________________________________
Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
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#3
There is a different between gladiators combats (gladiator against gladiator), venations (fights from venatores against animals), fights between animals and executions (for example “damnation ad bestiasâ€
Lucius Domitius Aurelianus
Patrik Pföstl

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#4
Quote:As far as I know, but I'm pretty new to the gladiatoral subject. There were fights of gladiators against animals, animals vs animals, animals vs prisoners.

Gladiators fought only against other gladiators that is human being against human being and if to take the term more precise professional fighter against professional fighter. That is a person who received a training at a ludus.

The men and women who fought against animals are called venatores (hunters), the bestiarius would be an animal handler only, letting the animal out of the cage etc. while the venator is the one fighting the animal with either a spear or bow and arrow.

The venationes (beast hunts) took place in the morning while the executions of criminals etc. took place around noon time. These could have been indeed that they had to fight animals without weapons of course, or that they were tied to poles and the animals had to attack them.

Quote:There also were trained animals, if I'm right. I can remember seeing gladiator with a lion.

There were tame animals which received some training but the majority was wild animals which added to the thrill of course.

Quote:In Rome, where there was lots of money for the games, most exclusive animals were used. Elephants, Lion, etc.

You are right in Rome they tried to get the most exotic animals, some kinds got even extinct because of that such as the Berber lion in North Africa. Besides the big cats they used also elephants, rhinozeroses, hippos, ostriches, stags, bears, lynxes etc. Bear hunters are attested to be attached to the Rhine legions.
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#5
many thanks for the correction Svenja and Partik. As I said before I'm pretty new to the gladiatoral subject, and most I know about I did read on holiday 3 years ago (the Fik Meijer book). I've checked, and it states indeed that in the beginning most venatores were dressed like gladiators, but later used only simpler clothes.
________________________________________
Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
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#6
Thanks for the info, i'm also a beginner in gladiators thing :wink:
Daumantas Kiulkys
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#7
Sometimes animals were chosen not for his ferocity, but for be a never seen kind of animal.

The first time Girafes were seen in games, there causes a great impresion. Romans don't know that animal so they have to create a new word to nominate: camelopardalis, or "stained camel", because the animal more similar in that times were the camel.

At some times animals were trained. In the inauguration of Amphitheatrum Flavium, some elephants make a reverence for the emperor. Roman thinks that were a prodigy, but i prefer to think shows a training.
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#8
It is a cause of confusion that sometimes venatores (or perhaps noxii) were sent against animals dressed and armored similarly to gladiators:
helmet, manica, etc. and armed with a sword instead of a spear. In all such depictions of which I am aware they wear a tunic instead of the subligaculum. A possible exception is the statue from Gaul which shows a gladiator-equipped man attacked from behind by a lion. I have never seen pictures that clearly show his garb. Has anyone studied this statue at first-hand?
Pecunia non olet
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#9
Is there any books or articles about Venatores and their fights with animals ?
Daumantas Kiulkys
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