Venatio ( Latin : venatio , "hunting", plural venationes ) was a type of entertainment in Roman amphitheaters involving the hunting and killing of wild animals .
31-555: Venatio was first introduced by Marcus Fulvius Nobilior , who celebrated his Greek campaign by hosting games where gladiators would fight lions and panthers. Exotic wild beasts from the far reaches of the Roman Empire were brought to Rome and hunts were held in the morning prior to the afternoon main event of gladiatorial duels. The hunts were held in the Roman Forum , the Saepta , and in
62-400: A powerless office, and Augustus was even known to compel individuals into holding the office. He accomplished this by randomly selecting former tribunes and quaestors for the office. Future emperors would continue to dilute the power of the office by transferring its powers to newly created offices. However, the office did retain some powers over licentiousness and disorder, in particular over
93-511: A publication now in the public domain : Smith, William , ed. (1870). "Nobilior (2)". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology . Vol. 2. p. 1206. Curule aedile Aedile ( / ˈ iː d aɪ l / EE -dyle , Latin : aedīlis [ae̯ˈdiːlɪs] , from aedes , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic . Based in Rome ,
124-496: The Circus Maximus , though none of these venues offered protection to the crowd from the wild animals on display. Special precautions were taken to prevent the animals from escaping these venues, such as the erection of barriers and the digging of ditches. Very few animals survived these hunts though they did sometimes defeat the " bestiarius ", or hunter of wild beast. Thousands of wild animals would be slaughtered in one day. During
155-635: The Inaugural games of the Flavian Amphitheatre (80), about 9,000 animals were killed. Not all the animals were ferocious, though most were. Animals that appeared in the venatio included lions , elephants , bears , tigers , deer , cows , wolverines , zebras , ostriches , vultures , weasels , polecats , minks , giraffes , eagles , wild goats , parrots , dogs , camels , monkeys , wolves , jackals , foxes , leopards , crocodiles , boars , hippos , and rabbits . Other animals appeared in
186-471: The humiliores . Usual forms of execution included burning at the stake , crucifixion , or ad bestias (when the prisoner is left alone in the ring with one or more wild animals). Roman emperors often sentenced serious criminals — who then became known as bestiarii — to fatal encounters with the beasts in the Colosseum — an ancient "death sentence". These were the lowest social class of participants in
217-510: The Romans. Revered for its ferocity, the lion was extremely popular in venationes and gladiatorial shows. Thus the dictator Caesar used 400 lions (imported primarily from North Africa and Syria ) in the Circus, where the inclusion of the foreign animal lent his shows extra panache. Indeed, obtaining the animals from the far-flung corners of the empire was an ostentatious display of wealth and power by
248-428: The aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings ( aedēs ) and regulation of public festivals . They also had powers to enforce public order and duties to ensure the city of Rome was well supplied and its civil infrastructure well maintained, akin to modern local government . There were two pairs of aediles: the first were the "plebeian aediles" ( Latin : aediles plebis ) and possession of this office
279-565: The baths and brothels, as well as the registration of prostitutes. In the 3rd century, it disappeared altogether. Under the Empire, Roman colonies and cities often had officials with powers similar to those of the republican aediles, although their powers widely varied. It seems as though they were usually chosen annually. Today in Portugal the county mayor can still be referred to as edil (e.g. 'O edil de Coimbra', meaning 'the mayor of Coimbra '),
310-443: The beginning of their terms, the four aediles (two plebeian, two curule) were required to determine, by lot or by agreement among themselves, what parts of the city each should hold jurisdiction over. There was a distinction between the two sets of aediles when it came to public festivals. Some festivals were plebeian in nature, and thus were under the superintendence of plebeian aediles. Other festivals were supervised exclusively by
341-400: The city: the repair and preservation of temples, sewers and aqueducts; street cleansing and paving; regulations regarding traffic, dangerous animals and dilapidated buildings; precautions against fire; superintendence of baths and taverns; enforcement of sumptuary laws; punishment of gamblers and usurers; the care of public morals generally, including the prevention of foreign superstitions and
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#1732856194557372-566: The curule aediles, and it was often with these festivals that the aediles would spend lavishly. This was often done to secure voters' support in future elections. Because aediles were not reimbursed for public expenditures, most individuals seeking the office were independently wealthy. Since this office was a stepping stone to higher office and the Senate, it helped to ensure that only wealthy individuals (mostly landowners) would win election to high office. These extravagant expenditures began shortly after
403-484: The documents. They also maintained the acts of the Plebeian Council (People's Assembly), the "plebiscites". Plebiscites, once passed, were also transcribed into a physical document for storage. While their powers grew over time, it is not always easy to distinguish the difference between their powers, and those of the censors . Occasionally, if a censor was unable to carry out one of his tasks, an aedile would perform
434-426: The emperor or other patron to the populace, and was also meant to demonstrate Roman power of the whole human and animal world and to show the plebs of Rome exotic animals they might never see otherwise. During the reign of Augustus Caesar the circus games resulted in the death of 3,500 elephants . Following the venatio in the order of daily events was the execution of convicted Roman citizens of lower status,
465-521: The end of Second Punic War , and increased as the spoils returned from Rome's new eastern conquests. Even the decadence of the emperors rarely surpassed that of the aediles under the Republic, as could have been seen during Julius Caesar 's aedileship. Plebeian aediles and Curule aediles were elected by the Tribal Assembly . Since the plebeian aediles were elected by the plebeians rather than by all of
496-541: The games. Marcus Fulvius Nobilior (consul 189 BC) Marcus Fulvius Nobilior was a Roman general. He started his political career as curule aedile in 195 BC. When he was praetor (193 BC) he served with distinction in Spain , and as consul in 189 BC he completely broke the power of the Aetolian League . On his return to Rome , Nobilior celebrated a triumph (of which full details are given by Livy ) remarkable for
527-472: The magnificence of the spoils exhibited. On his Aetolian campaign he was accompanied by the poet Ennius , who made the capture of Ambracia , at which he was present, the subject of one of his plays. For this Nobilior was strongly opposed by Cato the Censor , on the ground that he had compromised his dignity as a Roman general. In 179 BC he was appointed censor together with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus . He restored
558-457: The office lost much of its importance, its judicial functions and the care of the games being transferred to the praetor , while its city responsibilities were limited by the appointment of an urban prefect . Augustus took for himself its powers over various religious duties. By stripping it of its powers over temples, he effectively destroyed the office, by taking from it its original function. After this point, few people were willing to hold such
589-415: The patricians alone, then from patricians and plebeians in turn, lastly, from either—at the Tribal Assembly under the presidency of the consul. Curule aediles, as formal magistrates, held certain honors that plebeian aediles (who were not technically magistrates), did not hold. Besides having the right to sit on a curule seat ( sella curulis ) and to wear a toga praetexta , the curule aediles also held
620-653: The people of Rome (plebeians as well as patricians ), they were not technically magistrates . Before the passage of the Lex Villia Annalis , individuals could run for the aedileship by the time they turned twenty-seven. After the passage of this law in 180 BC, a higher age was set, probably thirty-six. By the 1st century BC, aediles were elected in July, and took office on the first day in January. Cicero ( Legg. iii. 3, 7) divides these functions under three heads: (1) Care of
651-441: The power to issue edicts ( jus edicendi ). These edicts often pertained to matters such as the regulation of the public markets, or what we might call "economic regulation". Livy suggests, perhaps incorrectly, that both curule as well as plebeian Aediles were sacrosanct. Although the curule aediles always ranked higher than the plebeian, their functions gradually approximated and became practically identical. Within five days after
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#1732856194557682-399: The public games, as well as of those given by themselves and private individuals (e.g., at funerals) at their own expense. Ambitious persons often spent enormous sums in this manner to win the popular favor with a view to official advancement. In 44 BC, Julius Caesar added two plebeian aediles called cereales , whose special duty was the care of the cereal (grain) supply. Under Augustus
713-417: The registration of meretrices . They also punished those who had too large a share of the ager publicus , or kept too many cattle on the state pastures. (2) Care of provisions: investigation of the quality of the articles supplied and the correctness of weights and measures; the purchase of grain for disposal at a low price in case of necessity. (3) Care of the games: superintendence and organization of
744-466: The same year as the tribune of the plebs (494 BC). Originally intended as assistants to the tribunes , they guarded the rights of the plebeians with respect to their headquarters, the Temple of Ceres . Subsequently, they assumed responsibility for maintenance of the city's buildings as a whole. Their duties at first were simply ministerial. They were the assistants to the tribunes in whatever matters that
775-512: The task instead. According to Livy (vi. 42), after the passing of the Licinian rogations in 367 BC, an extra day was added to the Roman games; the plebeian aediles refused to bear the additional expense, whereupon the patricians offered to undertake it, on condition that they were admitted to the aedileship. The plebeians accepted the offer, and accordingly two curule aediles were appointed—at first from
806-600: The temple of Hercules and the Muses in the Circus Flaminius , placed in it a list of Fasti drawn up by himself, and endeavoured to make the Roman calendar more generally known. He was a great enthusiast for Greek art and culture, and introduced many of its masterpieces into Rome, amongst them the picture of the Muses by Zeuxis from Ambracia. Fulvius was the grandson of Servius Fulvius Paetinus Nobilior (consul in 255 BC). He
837-506: The tribunes might entrust to them, although most matters with which they were entrusted were of minimal importance. Around 446 BC, they were given the authority to care for the decrees of the Senate. When a senatus consultum was passed, it would be transcribed into a document and deposited in the public treasury, the Aerarium . They were given this power because the consuls , who had held this power before, arbitrarily suppressed and altered
868-447: The venatio included cheetahs , rhinos , gazelles , snakes , horses , hyenas , and gorillas . Some of these animals were trained, and instead of fighting, performed tricks. The treatment given to wolves differed from the treatment meted out to other large predators. The Romans generally seem to have refrained from intentionally harming wolves. For instance, they were not displayed in the venationes due to their religious importance to
899-422: Was limited to plebeians ; the other two were "curule aediles" (Latin: aediles curules ), open to both plebeians and patricians , in alternating years. An aedilis curulis was classified as a magister curulis . The office of the aedilis was generally held by young men intending to follow the cursus honorum to high political office, traditionally after their quaestorship but before their praetorship . It
930-503: Was named for his father. He had two sons, both of whom obtained the consulship: Marcus Fulvius Nobilior (in 159 BC) and Quintus Fulvius Nobilior (in 153 BC). [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Nobilior, Marcus Fulvius ". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 724. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from
961-456: Was not a compulsory part of the cursus, and hence a former quaestor could be elected to the praetorship without having held the position of aedile. However, it was an advantageous position to hold because it demonstrated the aspiring politician's commitment to public service, as well as giving him the opportunity to hold public festivals and games, an excellent way to increase his name recognition and popularity. The plebeian aediles were created in