The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of such as please themselves overmuch in seeing Cruelties.
THe Romanes were so accustomed by long use of war to behold fightings and bloudshed, that in time of peace also they would make themselves sports and pastimes therewith: for they would compell poor captives and bondslaves either to kill one another by mutuall blowes, or to enter combate with savage and cruell beasts, to be torne in pieces by them. The first (according to Seneca) that devised and put in practice this unkindely Combate of Beasts and Malefactours, was Pompey, who provided an Army of Seneca.eighteen Elephants to fight with men, and thought it a notable and commendable spectacle to put men to death after this new and strange fashion. Oh how mens mindes are blinded with over much prosperity! He esteemed himselfe at that time to be higher in dignity than all other, when he thus threw to wilde beasts people of farre Countries, and in the presence of the people caused so much bloud to be shed: but not long after himselfe was betrayed by the treachery of the Alexandrians, and slain by a bondslave (a just quittance for murdering so many of that condition:) thus much of Seneca. Now it is manifest that this was an ordinary pastime among the Romans, albelt it is strange, that any pastime or pleasure could arise by seeing poor Creatures interchangeably strike one another to death, and humane bloud to run like water along the streets.
It was not then without cause, but by a speciall will of God to revenge cruelty, Flor.that the bondslaves (conducted by Spartacus the Fencer) rebelled against their masters in Rome, after they had broken through the guards of Lentulus his house, and issuing out of Capua, gathered together above ten thousand fighting men, and encamped themselves in mount Vesuvius; where being besieged by Clod…us Glaber, they sallied so rudely and boisterously upon him, that the victory and spoil of their enemies tents remained on their sides: after this they ran over all the Land, forraged the Countrey, and destroyed many Villages and Townes, but especially these four, Nola, Nocera, Terrenevae, and Metaponte, were by them sacked and spoiled with a strange and bloudy overthrow: after all which, having encountred two Consuls, they overcame Lentulus on mount Appennine, and discomfited Gaiu… Cassius near Modene▪ all which victories and lucky proceedings did so embolden and puffe up the courage of Captain Fencer, that he determined to give an alarme to Rome, and to lay siege unto it: but the Romanes preparing and directing all their Forces to withstand their practices, gave him and his crue so sore a repulse, that from Rome they were fain to flie to the uttermost parts of Italie, and there seeing themselves pent in on all sides, and driven to deep extremity, they gave so desperate an onset on their enemies, that both their Captain and they were all slain. And thus the Romans made jolly pastime with their Fencers and bondslaves, and more (I thinke at this time) than they either looked or wished for: for four hundred of them being taken by the bondmen, were enforced to shew them pastime at the same game whereat they had oftentimes made themselves merry at their costs; and to kill one another, as they had before Oros. l. 5. c. 24.time caused them to do.
How curious and desirous the people of Rome was wont to be of beholding Corn. Tacit. Annal. l. 4.these bloudy and mischievous games, Cornelius Tacitus in the fourth book of his Annales declareth at large: where he reporteth, That in the City of the Fidenates (in the twelfth year of the Raigne of Tiberius) the people being gathered together to behold the Fencers prizes were fifty thousand of them hurt and maimed at one time, by the Amphitheatre that fell upon them; a cruell pastime indeed, and a strange accident, not comming by adventure (as some suppose) but by the just vengeance of God, to suppresse such pernitious and uncivill sports. The same story is registred by Paulus Orosius in his seventh book, with this adjection, That at that time were slain more than twenty thousand persons.
I cannot passe over in silence two notable and memorable Histories of Senec. l. 1. de benefic.two Lions, recorded by two famous Authours, Seneca the one, and Aulu… Gellius the other. The first of whom reporteth, That he saw on the Theatre a Lion, who seeing a slave that sometimes had been his keeper, throwne among the beasts to be devoured, acknowledged him, and defended him from their teeth, and would not suffer any of them to do him hurt. The second bringeth the testimony of one Appianus, that affirmeth himselfe to Aul. Gel. N…ct. A. tic. l. 5. c. 14.have seen at Rome a Lion, who for old acquaintance sake which he had with a condemned servant, fawned upon him, and cleared him in like manner from the fury of the other beasts. The History was this:
A certain bondslave too roughly handled by his master, forsook him, and fled away, and in his flight retiring into a desart, and not knowing how to bestow himselfe, took up a cave for his lodging, where he had not long abode, but a mighty Lion came halting to his den, with a sore and bloudy leg: the poor slave all forgone at this strange and ugly sight, looked every minute to be devoured, but the Lion in another mood came fawningly and softly towards him, as if he would complain unto him of his grief: whereat (somewhat heartened) he bethought himselfe to apply some medicine to his would, and to binde up the sore as well as he could; which he had no sooner done, but the Lion made out for his prey, and ere▪long returning, brought home to his Host and Chirurgion certain gobbets of raw flesh, which he halfe roasting upon a rocke by the Sun-beames, made his daily sustenance, for the time of his abode there: notwithstanding at length wearied with this old and savage life, and hating to abide long in that estate, he for sook the desart, and put himselfe again to adventure: now it chanced that he was taken by his old master, and carried from Aegypt to Rome, to the end to be an actor in those beastly Tragoedies; but by chance his old patient the Lion (taken also since his departure, being ready amongst other beasts to play his part) knew him by and by, and ran unto him, fawning and making much of him: the people wondring at this strange accident, after enquiry made of the cause thereof, gave him the Lion, and caused him to lead him in a string through the City for a miracle: for indeed both this and the former deserve no other name. Thus God reproveth the savage inhumanity of men, by the example of the wilde and furious beasts at whose teeth poor servants found more favour than at their masters hands.
The Emperour Constamine weighing the indignity of these and such like pastimes, and knowing how far they ought to be banished from the society of men, by a publike Edict abolished all such bloudy and monstrous spectacles, In like manner these monomachies and single combates performed in places inclosed for the purpose, wherein one at the least, if not both, must of necessary die, ought to be abrogated in a Christian policy, as by the Laterane Councell it was well enacted, with this penalty, That whosoever should in that manner be slain, his body should be deprived of Ecclesiasticall buriall: and truely most commonly it commeth to passe, that they that presume most upon their owne prowesse and strength, and are most forward in offering combat, either lose their lives, or gain discredit, which is more grievous than death.