Roman Beast Hunts
Among\xa0Ancient Romans,\xa0bestiarii\xa0(singular\xa0bestiarius) were those who went into combat with beasts, or were exposed to them. It is conventional[1]\xa0to distinguish two categories of\xa0bestiarii: the first were those condemned to death via the beasts (see\xa0damnatio ad bestias) and the second were those who faced them voluntarily, for pay or glory (see\xa0venatio).[2]\xa0The latter are sometimes erroneously called\xa0gladiators; to their contemporaries, however, the term\xa0gladiator\xa0referred specifically to one who fought other men. The contemporary term for those who made a career out of participating in arena "hunts" was\xa0venatores.
Content Warning: Cruelty to animals.
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