From Mughal menageries to colonial spectacles, zoos have always been about power, not care. Now, as science and ethics ...

A gruesome but fascinating discovery in an ancient cemetery near York has brought fresh light to the brutal world of Roman ...

A lion's bite has confirmed the death of a gladiator in an ancient Roman arena - revealing a brutal spectacle far beyond the Colosseum. Archaeologists have found the first physical evidence of ...

Nearly 2,000 years ago, ancient Romans enjoyed a variety of snacks when attending events at the Colosseum. Recent archaeological findings have uncovered remnants of these foods, and interestingly ...

When the Colosseum opened to the public in the spring of 80 CE, Vespasian’s son, Titus, celebrated with 100 days of games. Thousands of men, including Jewish slaves were killed for sport.

As many as 11,000 animals could be killed in a single “game” or hunt, and the crocodile had special meaning in these spectacles because Romans were taught (mostly by their Greek imperialist ...

The scenes in Gladiator 2 that depict combatants riding rhinos in the Colosseum may be artistic licence, but it’s true that exotic animals including rhinos, elephants, bulls, bears, lions ...

In "Gladiator II," a fighter is seen riding into the Colosseum on a giant rhino. This isn't likely to have happened, given that the animals were mostly there to be tracked and killed.

There was basically a period of, I think, 10 to 20 years before they put the full basement in, when they could have flooded the floor and had exhibitions with marine animals and that sort of thing.” ...

Historians say many more animals than humans were involved in entertainment events at arenas like the Colosseum. They were generally used in staged hunts, as well as public executions.

The movie "Gladiator II" features scenes involving rhinos, baboons and sharks. A professor explains whether these animals were actually featured in the Roman Colosseum.

Scientists and archaeologists have learned a lot from analyzing the Colosseum’s sewers, like what animals died there and even what snacks guests ate, but there’s an ongoing debate among archaeologists ...