Ku chwale Wiecznego Miasta! Słonie w rzymskich amfiteatrach

• Authors: Katarzyna Daniluk

Title variants

EN

Glory to the Eternal City! Elephants in Roman Amphitheaters

Abstracts

PL

Roman experiences with elephants in battle, proving that these “ancient tanks” posed a threat to enemies and friendlies alike, which is why - despite the beliefs of Hellenistic strategists - Roman commanders were reluctant to use war elephants. However, these seemingly useless giants (defeated, but also tamed) became a valuable prize for the Romans, as they constituted a spectacular evidence of their victory. The goal of this article is to present the methods elephants were used outside of the battlefield: as a part of triumph ceremonies and - in some measure as their consequence - at the arenas of Roman amphitheaters; furthermore, it aims to analyze antique texts on the character of the giants’ presentation in the Eternal City, especially in the Republic era. The games organized by Pompey in 55 BC were a significant event in the context of this story - the people protested the killing of elephants at the arena, which was an unprecedented occurrence. The later venations with the participation of these animals resembled more their contemporary circus performances.

Keywords

PL

starożytny Rzym; rzymski amfiteatr; słonie; historia zwierząt

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
• Journal: Wieki Stare i Nowe
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 12
• Pages: 9-23

Dates

published

2014

Contributors

author

Katarzyna Daniluk

Identifiers

Biblioteka Nauki

1901778