Fagan noted in his book " The Lure of the Arena," a "central … facet of the experience [of the Roman Games. The "satisfaction and relief" Romans would feel watching someone considered lower than themselves be thrown to the beasts would become, as historian Garrett G. "The act was done publicly," historian Alison Futrell noted in her book " Blood in the Arena," "a harsh object lesson for those challenging Roman authority." Twenty-two years later, in 167 B.C., Aemlilus Paullus would give Rome its first damnatio ad bestias when he rounded up army deserters and had them crushed, one by one, under the heavy feet of elephants. With the birth of the first "animal program," an uneasy milestone was achieved in the evolution of the Roman Games: the point at which a human being faced a snarling pack of starved beasts, and every laughing spectator in the crowd chanted for the big cats to win, the point at which the republic's obligation to make a man's death a fair or honorable one began to be outweighed by the entertainment value of watching him die. Nobilior aimed to make an impression, and he succeeded. Nobilior realized that the spectacle of animals fighting humans would add a cheap and unique flourish to this fantastic new pastime. Big-game hunting was not a part of Roman culture Romans only attacked large animals to protect themselves, their families or their crops. In addition to the gladiator duels that had become common, he introduced an animal act that would see humans fight both lions and panthers to the death. Fulvius Nobilior decided to do something different. until the Roman Games as we now know them were born. The practice evolved over time - with new formats, rules, specialized weapons, etc. Soon, other members of the wealthy classes began to incorporate this type of slave fighting into their own munera. This new variation of ancient munera (a tribute to the dead) struck a chord within the developing republic. The cultural juggernaut known as the Roman Games began in 242 B.C., when two sons decided to celebrate their father's life by ordering slaves to battle each other to the death at his funeral. Super Bowl 242 B.C: How the Games Became So Brutal Other elements of the Roman Games have also translated into modern times without much change: theatrical plays put on by costumed actors, concerts with trained musicians, and parades of much-cared-for exotic animals from the city's private zoos.īut much less discussed, and indeed largely forgotten, is the spectacle that kept the Roman audiences in their seats through the sweltering midafternoon heat: the blood-spattered halftime show known as damnatio ad bestias - literally "condemnation by beasts" - orchestrated by men known as the bestiarii. Thanks to films like " Ben-Hur" and " Gladiator," the two most popular elements of the Roman Games are well known even to this day: the chariot races and the gladiator fights. Because the Games could make or break the reputation of their organizers, editors planned every last detail meticulously. The more extreme and fantastic the spectacles, the more popular the Games with the general public, and the more popular the Games, the more influence the editor could have. Politicians and aspiring noblemen spent unthinkable sums on the Games they sponsored in the hopes of swaying public opinion in their favor, courting votes, and/or disposing of any person or warring faction they wanted out of the way. To the editors, the Games represented power, money and opportunity. They were all eager to witness the unique spectacles each new game promised its audience. All of ancient Rome came to the Games: rich and poor, men and women, children and the noble elite alike. They gave their ever-changing sponsors and organizers (known as editors) an enormously powerful platform to promote their views and philosophies to the widest spectrum of Romans. The Roman Games were the Super Bowl Sundays of their time. " The Story of Our Christianity" by Frederic Mayer Bird (1838-1908) and Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) (Image credit: The Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons)
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