The first of these naumachia was staged n 46 BCE by Julius Caesar in an artificial lake. Oher Emperors, including Claudius, did siimlar things. In 80CE, the Emperor Titus christened the newly-built Colosseum by flooding it for a naumachium. But the need to build flat-bottomed, miniature warships for such dispays made them costly and less spectacular. Some arenas outside Rome were built with conduits to allow flooding and draining.

While full naumachia were rare (being costly), it was not uncommon to shallowly or partially flood arenas in order to set the stage for re-enactments of historical or mythological battles (with actual blood and killing). Also, it could give the bestiarii the opportunity to show their skills against exotic animals such as crocodiles, hippopotami and even sharks.