As distasteful as the venatio is to modern American sensibility, one must look at this practice in the context of Roman culture.  First, it has been noted earlier that the death of gladiators who fought with the arms of a people conquered by the Romans reaffirmed to the spectators the power of Rome and its right to use force on its own behalf.  Moreover, when the gladiatorial combat took place in the provinces it served as vivid reminder to the provincials of Roman military might. In the same way, wild animals, which had been brought to Rome from various parts of the empire, were killed both as a symbol of Roman domination over its empire and also as a demonstration of man's civilized domination over wild nature.  Even the domesticated bull, a frequent participant in the venatio, was a familiar symbol of savagery in the Mediterranean world. 

Once hunting ceased to be a means of survival and became a sport, the killing of wild animals was viewed as a demonstration of man's mastery of nature. In the ancient world this attitude is best illustrated by the myth of Hercules' labors, which involved the killing or subduing of savage beasts like the Nemean lion, the Lernaean Hydra (a large water snake), the Ceryneian deer, the Stymphalian birds, and the Cretan bull.  As a modern example, "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Wild Bill Hickok killed hundreds of buffalo for no other purpose than to display their hunting skill. Other hunters followed their example, almost making the buffalo extinct.  African big game hunters were so popular in America, that in the sixties there was a TV series in which hunters killed elephants, lions, and other big game in Africa to give the American audience a vicarious sense of power over nature.  Through the efforts of environmentalists, however, this view has changed significantly in recent years.  Hunting big game these days generally is done with a camera rather than a rifle. 

Secondly, the Romans were accustomed to the killing of animals in sacrificial ritual. Because of the numerous religious festivals in a polytheistic society, sacrifice was a common sight in front of temples in the city. Finally, the venatio had a democratic aspect. Since in Roman culture (as in all ancient cultures) hunting was an aristocratic activity,¹ the venatio gave the Roman common man an opportunity to participate in this pastime, at least as a spectator.

Note

1. Although hunting is not considered an aristocratic activity in America, there is still one form of hunting that is solely associated with the upper classes: the fox hunt, in which hunters on horseback, dressed in red coats and white britches, along with a pack of dogs pursues a fox until the dogs catch it and tear it apart. There was a recent commercial on television that made fun of how "civilized" the fox hunt is.

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