How did the Roman hunting games express Roman imperial identity?

The Roman hunting games, known as the venatio, are perhaps one of the most recognisable aspects of Roman history. Initially, the venatio seems to have been an off-shoot of the early triumphs against Rome's Italian enemies, in which the enemy's livestock would be paraded in victory. As Romans encountered the displays of their Hellenistic enemies in the Greek East, in the third century BC, Rome began to adopt Hellenistic spectacular customs. This escalated the spectacle from livestock to wild exotic animals, acquired in Rome's foreign wars. By the end of the Republic, the display and slaughter of foreign animals at the centre of Rome became a symbol for foreign victories. Camels, elephants, bears, crocodiles etc, could be taken from across Rome's territories and fought for entertainment in the centre of the City. Roman imperial identity was expressed, therefore, through the wide range of exotic creatures, demonstrating the breadth of the empire, and their slaughter, displaying Roman domination over the provinces and natural world.