The Roman Amphitheatre

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The Roman Amphitheatre

• Melissa Long

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Overview

• Technically, an amphitheatre is an open-air venue
  for spectator sports, concerts, rallies, or
  theatrical performances.
• Two types
• Ancient amphitheatres
• Modern amphitheatres
• The term derives from the ancient Greek word
  amphi-, meaning around and theatron, meaning
  "place for viewing

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Modern Amphitheatres

• Compared with ancient Greek theatres.
• Geared more towards performances.
• Audience seated only on one side.

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Modern Amphitheatres

• Its origins are a product of ancient Greek
  playwrights and the invention of drama.
• Centered in Athens, theatrical culture flourished
  and developed a need for grander venues to carry
  out plays.
• Romans still built modern theatres, but used
  them for theatrical performances because of the
  acoustical properties

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Modern Amphitheatres
-Mediolanum Santonum was a Roman town It was
founded in about 20 B.C.E, located in western
France in the area now known as Saintes, it was
founded in connection with the expansion of roman
roads that connected the empire.
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Ancient Amphitheatres

• Ancient Roman design
• Large Central spaces with surrounding ascending
  seating.
• Fusion of two modern style amphitheatres.

Aerial view of the amphitheatre in Syracuse,
Sicily
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Ancient Amphitheatres
The Arena in Pompeii
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The roman empire
Approximately 75 documented roman amphitheatres
discovered thus far.
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World-Wide Distribution

• Albania-1
• Algeria-6
• Austria-3
• Bulgaria-5
• Croatia-2
• Cyprus-2
• England-15
• France-14
• Germany-4
• Greece-2
• Hungary-2
• Israel- 3
• Mainland italy-88

• Lybia-4
• Lebanon- 1
• Portugal-3
• Morocco-1
• The Netherlands-1
• Romania-3
• Scotland-2
• Spain-12
• Switzerland-6
• Syria-2
• Tunisia- 33
• Turkey -1
• Wales- 4

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The Roman Influence

• Many have been converted to serve a modern
  purpose
• Even here in the States modern versions of Roman
  buildings can be found and in cities around the
  world.

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Amphitheatres Today
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Supreme Court building
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Washington Mall
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Uses of amphitheatres

• Demonstrations of wealth and power
• Social areas
• entertainment
• Gladiatorial combat
• Combat with animals
• Battle re-enactments
• Execution
• Possible sea battles?

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Displays of Power

• Locations have strategic importance
• Monument to the ability and stability of the
  Roman society
• Monument to the skills that made Rome so
  powerful?
• Impressive in scale

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Social Impact

• Being seen was important
• Place of social events
• Seats were segregated

Marble seating at the Colosseum
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Gladiatorial Combat
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Gladiators

• Origins are not clear
• Two main ideas
• Etruscan
• Southern Italian Osco-Samnite
• Popular and frequent

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Venationes
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Early amphitheatres

• First constructed as temporary wooden structures
• Little is known
• Placed in the middle of the forum
• Roman location

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The Colosseum
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The Colosseum

• Largest, and most thoroughly investigated
• Known as the Flavian amphitheatre because of its
  Construction during the Flavian dynasty buy
  Emperor Vespasian between 70 and 72 A.D., and
  completed by Titus in 80 A.D.
• The colossal statue of Nero - Colosseum
• Features concrete
• Held 50,000 people

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The Colosseum
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Gladiator
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Special effects

• Elevation shafts
• Water Conduits

Puteoli amphitheater
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Bibliography

• Bomgardner, D.L. The Story of the Roman
  Amphitheatre Routledge, New York. 2000
• Ward-Perkins, John. Roman Architecture Harry N.
  Abrams Inc. 1977
• Welch, Katherine. The Roman Amphitheatre
  Cambridge University Press. 2007