Animals and the Greco-Roman World: The History of the Ways the Ancient Greeks and Romans Used Animals in Religion and Daily Life

Summary

There were approximately 1,500 Greek city-states (poleis) in the Classical era, and sacrifices featured in every one of them. As such, animals were constantly involved in the core elements of Greek society and cults, and this centrality could be found in the numerous depictions of animals on coins and vases throughout Greece and Greek colonies. Greek thinkers and philosophers also endlessly debated issues relating to animals, which resulted in the Greeks acquiring formidable knowledge about the creatures with whom they came in contact. All the while, animals were important sources of food, companionship, and labor, and they also featured significantly in warfare.

Another use for foreign animals was in the preparation of medicines. Animals captured during military conflicts were considered spoils of war, suggesting their status was that of an object. On the other hand, reflecting the Greek ambiguity and ambivalence toward their status, various philosophical debates of the time indicate that animals could also be prosecuted for committing crimes and punished accordingly. It is also apparent that ancient Greeks knew a considerable amount about their animals, as various written works that survived often reflected the ethical and scientific debates surrounding them.

Other than the tale of the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus, the overriding images and stories of Roman animals that have come down through popular culture to modern times largely concern the vicious animal fights put on in the Colosseum, stories of Christians being thrown to the lions, and Hannibal's invasion of Italy with elephants. Indeed, the widely accepted view is that Romans were uncommonly brutal to their animals and had little empathy for them, and in terms of the Romans' scientific knowledge about animals, it appears much of it came to them from the Greeks.