This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A study on Roman law by the Carlos III University of Madrid analyzes the regulations and complex imperial logistics governing the capture, transport and safety of animals used in spectacles in the Roman Empire—which were far more popular than gladiatorial combat. Behind the fascination and fervor aroused by the venationes—the hunts and exhibitions of exotic animals in Roman amphitheaters—lay a sophisticated and complex military and administrative apparatus.
A study by UC3M analyzes the legal dimensions of these spectacles based on two laws from the late empire, specifically two imperial constitutions from the Theodosian Code. The study, published in the Revista General de Derecho Romano, provides new insights into entertainment in ancient Rome, including a possible imperial monopoly on lion hunting and the abuses and security conflicts caused during the transport of wild beasts. Through the study of the imperial constitutions preserved in the Theodosian Code (Codex Theodosianus) and later compiled in the Justinian Code (Codex Iustinianus), the research demonstrates how imperial power exercised strict control over exotic animals.
"In late antiquity, faced with the growing scarcity of big cats, a state monopoly on lions was established to guarantee the supply of animals for the emperor's spectacles and to prevent competition from private individuals—in other words, all lions belonged to the emperor," comments the study's author, Rosa María Carreño Sánchez, a researcher at the Lucio Anneo Séneca Institute of Classical Studies at UC3M. The Roman army had highly specialized units (such as soldiers designated ad leones, the ursuarii or the vestigiatores) dedicated to tracking, capturing and guarding wild beasts along the Roman Empire's borders. Furthermore, transporting these animals to the capital or the imperial menageries created significant logistical and economic challenges.
The provinces were required to supply transport personnel at the expense of local coffers, which could lead to fraudulent practices—specifically, undue delays that not only ruined cities but could also conceal the fraudulent use of the animals for unauthorized private spectacles. To curb these abuses, the imperial administration imposed severe fines in gold on military commanders who failed to comply. Unlike gladiatorial combat—which gradually died out because of Christianity's moral condemnation and the high cost of organizing it—the venationes survived for centuries, becoming displays of human dominion over nature and the grandeur of imperial power.
This massive phenomenon spread throughout the Roman Empire, including Hispania. A prime example is the colossal amphitheater at Italica (Santiponce, Seville), one of the largest in the empire, capable of hosting all kinds of gladiatorial spectacles—including venationes—in a city of barely 8,000 inhabitants. "Unlike literary sources or films, which only show us the final outcome in the arena, an analysis of Roman law allows us to understand what went on behind the scenes: the management of resources, territorial conflicts and the enormous logistical effort required by one of the most popular spectacles of antiquity," concludes Carreño Sánchez.
De venatione ferarum (cth. 15.11): Legal aspects of capture and transportation of exotic animals for public spectacles, Revista General de Derecho Romano (2026). dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/ar … culo?codigo=10819077 Provided by Carlos III University of Madrid MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile → Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing.
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