Roman Amphitheatres

The History and Design of Gladiatorial Arenas

Nov 9, 2008 Natasha Sheldon

With their roots in ancient Campania, amphitheatres reached their peak with the Colosseum which acted as the blueprint for all future amphitheatres across the empire.

Taken from the Greek for ‘double theatre’, an amphitheatre was the venue for the Roman gladiatorial fights and wild beats hunts. Their origins can be traced back to the second century BC. Often temporary, wooden structures, the use of concrete allowed them to develop into an architectural art form.

Origins of Amphitheatres

Gladiatorial contests were originally held in temporary arenas erected in open areas such as the forum of a town, or in purpose built pits or at the bottom of natural inclines with wooden seating for spectators. Such structures were originally known as ‘spectacular’.It was in 2 BC that the term amphitheatre was first applied to venues of the games.

The Earliest Amphitheatres

Evidence for the earliest amphitheatres has been found in Campania, where the tradition of gladiatorial contests is said to originate. At Capua, Cumae and Liternum, remains have been found dating to the 2nd century BC while at Atella, Cales, Telese and Pompeii, amphitheatres can be traced back to the first half of the 1st century BC.

In Rome, the original spectaculars were held in the forum in temporary rings. The first purpose built amphitheatres, such as the amphitheatre of Taurus are mentioned in sources as being built in the late first century BC.

Design of Amphitheatres

The original amphitheatres were of a very simple design. Generally built on naturally sloping ground or on embankments , they were elliptical in shape. The seating area or cavea was generally a wooden structure built on masonry foundations or else of a temporary nature. Stone seating only occurred on natural slopes, such as the amphitheatre at Sutri which was hewn out a natural rock slope.

Amphitheatres and Concrete

Although wooden amphitheatres continued to be built well into the second century AD, the invention of concrete created a revolution in amphitheatre construction.

Concrete allowed the creation of vaults which could be used to give greater support to the foundations of buildings. It was now possible to build free standing amphitheatres on flat plains and marshland without the support of embankments, natural or otherwise, because the cavea could be supported by a system of vaults which also doubled as access ways. As a result, more amphitheatres could be built as permanent, monumental civic structures.

The Legacy of the Colosseum

The Colosseum represents the pinnacle of amphitheatre building. The first great masonry amphitheatre, its size, design and magnificence were unprecedented and made it the model for all future amphitheatres. It could be said to have promoted the amphitheatre as a civic building across the empire for the end of the first century ad, every town of any significance had an amphitheatre, wooden or stone, simple or complex.

Sources

Colosseum: Rome’s arena of Death (2003) by Peter Connolly. BBC Books.

The copyright of the article Roman Amphitheatres in Archaeology is owned by Natasha Sheldon. Permission to republish Roman Amphitheatres in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

External View of Pompeii Amphitheatre

What do you think about this article?

---

NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.

post your comment

What is 10+0?