Beastmen: Rome's Other Gladiators

Beastmen: Rome's Other Gladiators

Gladiators are key to our vision of Rome. We are still fascinated by the men and women who duelled one another to the death in the arena for entertainment. However, an equally important and popular part of these Roman spectacles is often forgotten: the venationes (beast hunts).

In this lecture Andrew will explore this other form of spectacle from the Roman arena. Gladiatorial shows were normally accompanied by contests of men battling to the death against wild animals of various kinds from all over the world. These 'Venatores' (hunters) and 'Bestiarii' (beastmen) were stars in their own right, and held a universal appeal: their exploits were celebrated across all art forms, from poetry and mosaics to everyday artefacts, like pot lamps, and in graffiti.

Come along to learn about who the beastmen were, how they fought, and what weapons they used to best their ferocious opponent. Andrew will also examine who commissioned these expensive displays and the extensive infrastructure that lay behind them, finally questioning what they can tell us about the Romans’, and perhaps our own, uneasy relationship with the natural world.

This free lecture will be presented in-person in the museum and online.

• In-museum: Why not take the opportunity to visit our new exhibition – Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum. Open until 2 November, book online.
• Online: You will receive a link to join the live presentation in your booking confirmation. Image: Mosaic fragment, Roman 300-400AD.

Main image: Galeria Borghese, Rome.