The Arena
Black and white mosaic with hunting scene, found in the Castra Praetoria, II Century AD; detail.
Romans regularly saw exotic species from across the empire and beyond the frontiers. Victorious armies paraded animals, plants and trees from the lands they conquered in a procession called a triumph. Many wild animals, including lions, tigers, hyenas, elephants, hippos, rhinos and even crocodiles were killed in the arena for entertainment. Pliny tells us about one occasion when this went wrong for the organiser: spectators cursed the name of Pompey the Great because they took pity on the elephants he arranged to be slaughtered during the games. Some were more fortunate and were kept to show to the public. According to Pliny, Fulvius Lupinus was the first Roman to create a zoo.
Coins
Conis of Titus (AD 79 - 81) showing the Colosseum.
Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum–officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater–with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination, as well as an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, tumultuous history.
Lamps
Roman lamp showing a gladiator. Gladiator known as a Thrax or Thracian wearing greaves (leg guards) and helmet and holding a shield in front of him. Later 1st century AD. Place of finding not known. Sharp Ogden Collection.
Roman lamp showing a lion attacking a mule. 2nd century AD. Sharp Ogden Collection.
Fake elephant lamp.
​
'Marching elephants across the Alps has captured the imagination of many people over the generations but militarily the elephants were not terribly reliable as weapons of war. Most of Hannibal’s elephants sadly died during the northern Italian winter and although Hannibal received some more as reinforcements from Carthage, they were not really a major threat once the Romans knew how to deal with them. They were only really dangerous if the opposing forces had not encountered them before. '
Extract of Elephants, post the Ancientworldsmanchester blog.
Lamps: Mice in Antiquity
A Roman lamp with a depiction of a mouse in Manchester Museum’s collection.
To find out more about this object follow the link to the Ancientwordlsblog.
​
​
To find out more about Roman Mice at Manchester Museum follo the link to the Ancientwordlsblog.
The Tiger
One of the first tigers to be seen in Rome was a diplomatic gift sent to Augustus by an Indian king in 11 BC. Pliny tells us that about sixty years later four tigers were shown by the emperor Claudius (AD 41-54).
The Arena Objects
1. Fired clay roof decoration from Roman Manchester in the shape of a lion’s head. Transferred from Manchester Art Gallery.
2. Pieces of mortarium - or mixing bowl - with spouts in the shape of a lion’s head. From Malton Roman fort in North Yorkshire.
Loan from Malton Museum.
3. Part of a samian ware bowl showing a hunting scene with cheetahs or leopards. From Manchester. Transferred from Manchester Art Gallery.
4. Bronze figurine of a lion.
5. Lions shown on Roman oil lamps. One is attacking a mule.
6. Lion and another big cat, possibly a tiger, on pieces of Roman samian ware pottery.
7. Lamp, probably a fake, in the shape of an elephant. Pliny tells us that the consul Metellus was the first to show elephants in Rome as part of his triumphal procession during the first Punic war in 251 BC.
8. Top of a Roman lamp showing a human victim being mauled by a lion and a leopard.
9. The fierce wild boar was the proud symbol of the Twentieth Legion in Britain. Boars were also hunted for sport and meat. They are often shown on Roman samian ware pottery.
10. Stags shown on pieces of Roman samian ware pottery; and a deer and an antelope on Roman oil lamps. Manchester Museum collection with loans from Malton Museum.
11. Young goat or kid shown on a piece of samian ware pottery. During the reign of the emperor Augustus (27 BC-14 AD) hares and wild goats were hunted in the arena in honour of the goddess Flora. Loan from Malton Museum.
12. Piece of Roman samian ware showing a bear. Loan from Malton Museum.
13. Gladiators and gladiatorial arms and armour shown on pieces of Roman samian ware pottery and Roman oil lamps. Gladiators fought animals in the arena as well as each other to entertain the Roman crowds.
14. Pieces of amber. Pliny tells us that the emperor Nero sent an officer to the Baltic to obtain amber. This was used to decorate the nets that protected the spectators from animals in the area.
15. Hunting dogs chasing hares are common on pieces of Roman samian ware pottery. With loan from Malton Museum.
16. Replica sestertius of Vespasian (AD 69-79) showing the Colosseum. The building was funded by the spoils taken from the Jewish Temple after the capture of Jerusalem.