What does this research mean for the field?

Two Late Antique terracotta vessel lid fragments from Perge provide rare iconographic evidence depicting the preliminary staging and organization of damnatio ad bestias, specifically the physical restraint of the prisoner and the controlled initiation of the animal attack. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To analyze two Late Antique terracotta vessel lid fragments from Perge and assess their iconographic representation of the Roman execution practice known as damnatio ad bestias.

September 2, 2026Open Access

Staging Execution: New Iconographic Evidence for Damnatio ad Bestias at Perge

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To analyze two Late Antique terracotta vessel lid fragments from Perge and assess their iconographic representation of the Roman execution practice known as damnatio ad bestias.
Conducted comparative iconographic analysis of two Late Antique terracotta lid fragments discovered across distinct archaeological sites: the Stadium-Amphitheatre and the West Necropolis.
Compared preserved visual motifs against known Roman artistic traditions representing arena-based judicial executions.
Terracotta fragments preserve complementary scenes showing a condemned prisoner physically restrained to an elevated platform, an approaching lion, and a whip-bearing bestiarius.
Visual evidence indicates the scenes capture the choreographed prelude to execution—specifically prisoner restraint and the controlled release of the animal—rather than the fatal attack itself.

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Implication

Iconographic analysis reveals the staged restraint and initiation of arena executions on Late Antique terracotta fragments, highlighting the precise organization of damnatio ad bestias.

Cite This Study

Aytaç Dönmez (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a97e318c562ede874ec7ba6 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22208986

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Implication

Iconographic analysis reveals the staged restraint and initiation of arena executions on Late Antique terracotta fragments, highlighting the precise organization of damnatio ad bestias.

Staging Execution: New Iconographic Evidence for Damnatio ad Bestias at Perge

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Staging Execution: New Iconographic Evidence for Damnatio ad Bestias at Perge

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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