In ancient times, the Roman games--that heady cocktail of mass
slaughter, gladiatorial combat, and chariot racing--made strong
political, social, and cultural statements.
The Roman emperor Commodus wanted to kill a rhinoceros with a bow and
arrow, and he wanted to do it in the Colosseum. Commodus's passion for
hunting animals was so fervent that he dreamt of shooting a tiger, an
elephant, and a hippopotamus; his prowess was such that people claimed
he never missed when hurling his javelin or firing arrows from his bow.
For fourteen days near the end of AD 192, the emperor mounted one of the
most lavish and spectacular gladiatorial games Rome had ever seen.
Commodus himself was the star attraction, and people rushed from all
over Italy to witness the spectacle. But this slaughter was simply the
warm-up act to the main event: the emperor was also planning to fight as
a gladiator.
Why did Roman rulers spend vast resources on such over-the-top
displays--and why did some emperors appear in them as combatants? Why
did the Roman rabble enjoy watching the slaughter of animals and the
sight of men fighting to the death? And how best can we in the modern
world understand what was truly at stake in the circus and the arena? In
The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino, Jerry Toner set out to answer these
questions by vividly describing what it would have been like to attend
Commodus' fantastic shows and watch one of his many appearances as both
hunter and fighter.
Highlighting the massive logistical effort needed to supply the games
with animals, performers, and criminals for execution, the book reveals
how blood and gore were actually incidental to what really mattered.
Gladiatorial games played a key role in establishing a forum for
political debate between the rulers and the ruled. Roman crowds were not
passive: they were made up of sophisticated consumers with their own
political aims, which they used the games to secure. In addition, the
games also served as a pure expression of what it meant to be a true
Roman. Drawing on notions of personal honor, manly vigor, and
sophisticated craftsmanship, the games were a story that the Romans
loved to tell themselves about themselves.
