A Lesson From Roman History

“IF, LIKE men, I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus.” Some think that those words, recorded at 1 Corinthians 15:32, mean that the apostle Paul was sentenced to fight in a Roman arena.

Still others were trained to face wild beasts in another popular type of show, the hunt. Might Paul have been referring to just such an event?

Hunters displayed their skill in slaying exotic animals brought from every corner of the empire, with no expense spared​—leopards, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, hyenas, camels, wolves, boars, and antelope.

Scenic effects made hunts unforgettable. Rocks, ponds, and trees were used to mimic forests. In some arenas, beasts appeared as if by magic, delivered by underground elevators and trapdoors. Unpredictable animal behavior added interest, but what seems to have made hunts especially fascinating was cruelty.