Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for June 04, 2021

Their fault for believing that the medical coverage would be for them. What if the lions get injured?

They were a different job category from gladiators, but the Roman circus performances also included bestiarii [sing. bestiarius], skilled animal hunters, who killed dangerous animals in the arena. The animals had about as much chance as a bullfighting bull. Even a gladiator, properly armed, might be able to deal with a lion.

At least they have weapons. The lion has a bigger problem.

Ah…..look. The cute little lion is ready to play.

Yeah. Like those lifetime warranties on kitchen appliances. Turns out they’re talking about the life of the appliance! Which, by definition, ends when the cost to fix is greater than they are willing to pay.

“They offered me a great pension too for when I retire!”

(Lion waiting by the exit) “And they call this fast food?”

Affordable Healthcare in it’s purest form!

I give it a thumbs up.

There is no guarantee of a long life.

A bad kitty couldn’t wait, and left crumbs all over.

So, no Wiley Bears available for the amphitheatre

Well, at least they weren’t lion about it.

It’s not a job, it’s a calling (Avē Imperātor, moritūrī tē salūtant)

There’s ALWAYS a catch with free stuff. I’m surprised Woke Wiley would admit that about healthcare.

Remember, read the fine print.

I can see the orange blob as ‘’Emperor Felonius’’

A little off topic, it just wandered through my head, and I thought I’d share.

These guys don’t look a bit like Kirk Douglas or Victor Mature or any gladiators I’ve ever seen. . .

Gladiatorial contests were an all-day affair.

They started off with simple executions and worked their way through slaves fighting each other (who cares if they live or die) and onto “minor league” gladiators who are working their way up (these were generally spared) to the main event in which the top-ranked gladiators fought each other. I wonder if the latter were “staged” contests like “professional” wrestling is today.

They probably also had circus acts and other entertainment “between acts.”

To pass the job interview, you much dispose of the lion.

Sort of similar going to work with METRO in DC

…and a large feline pet.

Everybody has medical coverage in civilized countries.

“Avē Imperātor, moritūrī tē salūtant”

Gladiators were the Roman sports stars. They had the most nutritious food and best medicine available.

Did they mention anything about vacation time?

That lion is ADORABLE!!!

First Wiley Bears, Now Wiley Lions???

“Lifetime Guarantee”; who’s life!?

Got even better news guys-Bugs Bunny himself trained these particular lions…

“That’s grim, Doc. How much time do I have left?”

“10”

“10 what?”

“… 9 … 8 … 7 … 6 …”

Were they Lion to you?

The gladiators that fought animals, known as bestiarii, fought a variety of vicious mammals, including bears, lions, leopards, panthers and bulls. Contrary to popular belief, the bestiarii were distinct from gladiators. There were two types: those who were criminals or prisoners condemned to death by fighting animals, known as damnatio ad bestias, and those who volunteered to combat animals for pay or glory, known as venatio.

The most popular animal to fight was the lion, and there are many accounts of both prisoners and fighters being devoured. According to Roman orator Cicero, there was once a single lion that devoured more than 200 prisoners. More often than not, a single lion in combat with multiple men would emerge victorious.

The most popular animals used for punishment were bears, leopards, Caspian tigers, black panthers and bulls. In some events, where the combatants were in it for sport rather than punishment, the animals could include crocodiles, hyenas, elephants, wild boars, buffalo, lynxes, giraffes, ostriches, deer, hares, antelopes and zebra. The latter animals were used to watch the hunt rather than to see an actual fight between men and beasts. Rather than purely being for sport, when prisoners were forced into combat with wild animals, it was often as a form of execution. Some prisoners were forced into the arenas naked and defenseless, and even if they defeated an animal, others would be sent in.

https://www.reference.com/history/animals-did-gladiators-fight-a20dc202f27c8633

Bestiarii.

The name given to the gladiator who, armed with a spear or knife and sometimes a whip, fought animals. He wore no armor. His head was protected with a helmet and his arms and legs with minor wrappings. In general a Bestiarii was anybody associated with wild animals, even a trainer or a Christian to be executed by a lion, tiger, or bear.

Venatores.

They used javelins, lances and darts to fight elephants, tigers, leopards and lions on the Venationes (hunting shows). They also trained animals to do tricks.

Ludum venatorium (venatio)

A display of men hunting and killing animals in various ways. Dangerous animals were also set upon one another or herbivores. Venatores were skilled spearmen usually pitted against carnivorous beasts; bestiarii were animal-handlers and killers of less skill and finesse. Literary accounts and inscriptions often stress the numbers of animals killed. As in gladiatorial combat, men condemned to fight or perform in venatorial games could sometimes win their freedom.

Taurari.

Bullfighters.

https://worldhistory.us/ancient-history/ancient-rome/curious-kinds-of-roman-gladiators.php

https://archive.archaeology.org/gladiators/glossary.html#:~:text=Venatores%20were%20skilled%20spearmen%20usually%20pitted%20against%20carnivorous,in%20venatorial%20games%20could%20sometimes%20win%20their%20freedom.

The gladiators were the best and got treated the best as well.

Funny how things like that go… when I joined the US Air Force in 1974 I was told that if I gave the country 20 years of service I would get medical care for the rest of my life. When I retired from the service some 21 plus years later I was told they said no such thing.

I did get the retirement pay, but that isn’t near enough to live on with out extra income from somewhere. Still, it was an interesting time in my life and I’m glad I did it, but it’s hard to justify based on what you get when you retire. I mean something is better than nothing, but enough to live on later in life would be a stellar change for new recruits thinking of a career.

And I kept (little) cats in the house more often than not… they did better with my occasional TDY’s than dogs would.

I’m pretty sure those offering the “lifelong medical coverage” would be out of pocket for too long. No waiting – the lions are ‘in’.

There’s NEVER a catch when the government offers you something!