What if the Romans had access to gorillas?

mojojojo

Gone Fishin'
If the Romans had access to Gorillas (from the same beast hunters who supplies their elephants, rhinos. Etc), would they have used them in the coliseum? How would an adult gorilla fare against an armed Gladiator? Or against a bear or a lion for that matter?
 
If the Romans had access to Gorillas (from the same beast hunters who supplies their elephants, rhinos. Etc), would they have used them in the coliseum? How would an adult gorilla fare against an armed Gladiator? Or against a bear or a lion for that matter?

I think the elephants came from North Africa or Mesopotamia, never heard of them having rhino's.

Cool idea anyway:cool:
 
They got rhinos from India, but I think not from Africa.

536rhino2.jpg
 

CalBear

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I'd like to see them keep a gorilla inside the combat area without keeping it a cage. Those SOBs can climb!

That being said, gorillas are remarkably passive. They are a prey animal, not even an omivore. It wouldn't much of a fight.
 

mojojojo

Gone Fishin'
I'd like to see them keep a gorilla inside the combat area without keeping it a cage. Those SOBs can climb!

That being said, gorillas are remarkably passive. They are a prey animal, not even an omivore. It wouldn't much of a fight.
I bet if one was pissed off enough it could give a good account of it's self.
 
The Romans were pretty good at managing animals, so they'd make good use of gorillas. Unlikely that there'd be serious danger to the audience - you could easily set up nets or roller barriers.

What they'd do with them depends on availablility. A single captive gorilla would be displayed. Far too valuable for the arena. But if you could even have a semi-regular supply (say a few every decade or so), they would go into the arena and probably be used for 'African' tableaux being hunted by pygmies. the Romans also had a thing about anthropomorephising animals, and the near-human barbarity of the gorilla is likely to make him a good representation podf all things barbaric. They'd probably try to enact combat against representations of urban civilisation, rape scenes, and Commodus would probably want to kill a few himself.
 
I have slight doubts a single gladiator would be able to kill a gorilla on its own. Chimps and Orangutans are much, much stronger than humans, let alone a massive beast like a gorilla. Stab it with a sword in anything but just the right spot (that spot being atwixt the eyes) and you'll only succeed in pissing it off and getting yourself killed.
 

CalBear

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I have slight doubts a single gladiator would be able to kill a gorilla on its own. Chimps and Orangutans are much, much stronger than humans, let alone a massive beast like a gorilla. Stab it with a sword in anything but just the right spot (that spot being atwixt the eyes) and you'll only succeed in pissing it off and getting yourself killed.

Not the way the animal works. It might accidently kill you, but even if it was hurt its initial reaction would be to run. Chimps are different, far more aggressive.

Want a REAL show, grab a baboon troop. Those #$#%@ are like a pack of wolves with hands if you piss them off.
 

mojojojo

Gone Fishin'
Not the way the animal works. It might accidently kill you, but even if it was hurt its initial reaction would be to run. Chimps are different, far more aggressive.

Want a REAL show, grab a baboon troop. Those #$#%@ are like a pack of wolves with hands if you piss them off.
In Philip José Farmer, novel Hadon of Ancient Opar


which was set in a long lost African Empire, Gorillas were used in Gladiatorial type games. They were conditioned to fight humans by first being taunted while caged, then encouraged to take out their frustrations on dummies dressed in human clothes. Then they were graduated to old and crippled slaves. I would think something similar would have worked for the Romans (of course the nation of Opar had easier access to gorillas being located in Africa and all)
 

randomkeith

Banned
Just think how much better Gladiator would've been if he'd been fighting a couple of pissed of Gorrilla's rather than a tiger.:cool::cool:
 
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