Abstract

This chapter examines the history of hunting in ancient Greece and Rome. In Greek antiquity, hunting was imbued with multiple practical and metaphorical messages. It provided a source of meat, served as a means of pest control, and was linked with warfare training. Hunting in ancient Greece carried myriad social and cultural messages, perhaps the most important of which is as a metaphor or allusion for the pursuit or capture of a lover, enemy, or plan. In Roman antiquity, elitism and privilege typically underlay the meaning and practice of hunting. This chapter also mentions that deer, boar, hare, and wild birds are the animals commonly hunted and trapped in both the Greek and Roman worlds.