Roman Officers Kept Pet Monkeys, Who Also Had Pets!

The episode provides a detailed account of the discovery of 34 carefully buried monkeys at the ancient Roman port of Berenike, Egypt, highlighting their significance as exotic luxury pets kept by the military elite. These monkeys, mostly imported long-tailed and bonnet macaques from India, were interred in a dedicated pet cemetery with textiles and offerings, practices mirroring human funerary rites. Osteological evidence confirms the primates suffered from severe, long-term illnesses due to an inappropriate Roman diet, indicating they were deliberately and tenderly cared for despite their chronic conditions, confirming their status as beloved companions rather than sacrificial or performing animals. Most strikingly, several of the monkeys were buried clutching the remains of even smaller animals, such as kittens, puppies, and falcons, suggesting the Roman keepers encouraged the macaques to have miniature "pets" of their own. The text concludes that these unique graves offer an extraordinary look into the emotional lives of Roman soldiers, showcasing a tenderness rarely preserved in the archaeological record.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". George Santayana