Bestiarius

Among Ancient Romans, bestiarii (singular bestiarius) were those who went into combat with beasts, or were exposed to them. It is conventional^[1] to distinguish two categories of bestiarii: the first were those condemned to death via the beasts (see damnatio ad bestias) and the second were those who faced them voluntarily, for pay or glory (see venatio).^[2] The latter are sometimes erroneously called "gladiators"; to their contemporaries, however, the Latin term gladiator referred specifically to one who fought other men. The contemporary term for those who made a career out of participating in arena "hunts" was venatores.

^ Entry on Bestiarii at Chambers, Ephraim, Cyclopaedia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, c. 1680-1740
^ William Smith, "Bestiarii" from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray: London, 1875. Public domain.

[Cyclopaedia-1] Entry on Bestiarii at Chambers, Ephraim, Cyclopaedia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, c. 1680-1740

[Smith-2] William Smith, "Bestiarii" from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray: London, 1875. Public domain.

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