Roman Amphitheatre

The Roman Amphitheatre was an oval or circular stone monument, usually built to hold around 50,000 spectators.
Events and Spectacles would be held, such as, Gladiatorial Games, Beast Hunts, Naval Battles and Public Executions.

The Amphitheatre was a large outdoor stadium with seating, shaped either in an oval or a circle.
Although they existed during the Roman Republic, most were built during the Roman Empire.
There are 230 known Amphitheatres existing across Europe today, with most Amphitheatres located in the western Latin part of the Roman Empire.
They were built as part of the Roman colonisation of the west, and were centres of the Cult of the Roman Emperor.
Roman Cities competed to demonstrate their wealth and prestige by building these huge Monuments.

Hippodrome or Circus
- These were rectangular and used for chariot racing events.
Stadia
- These were used for athletics.
Theatre
- These were semi-circular and used for plays and musical performances.

Amphitheatres were built as impressive stone structures, fronted by Marble fascia and statues, which formed an intrinsic part of public life in the Western Roman Empire.
Seating in the Amphitheatres was usually between 40-60,000 persons and some accommodated 100,000 persons.
They were often built by the Roman Legions.

Colosseum (81 CE) in Rome.
- 60,000 spectators.
Faleria Amphitheatre (43 CE) in Falerone (Picenum).
Capua Amphitheatre (1st century BCE) in Santa Maria Capua Vetere (not extant)
- 60,000 spectators. It was where Spartacus was trained.
Julia Caesarea Amphitheatre (25-BCE-25 CE) in Cherchell, Algderia (not extant)
El Djem Amphitheatre (238 CE) in El Djem, Tunisia.
- 35,000 spectators.
Verona Amphitheatre (30 CE) in Verona
- 30,000 spectators.
Italica Amphitheatre (117-138 CE) in Italica near Seville
- 25,000 spectators.
Pozzuoli Amphitheatre (81 CE) in Pozzuoli
- 20,000 spectators.
Leptis Magna Amphitheatre (56 CE) in Leptis Magna, Libya.
- 16,000 spectators.

Before the adoption of Christianity, the Roman Elite achieved Status by spending their wealth on Public Monuments and Games.
After the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, Christianity changed the way Romans were entertained.
Once the Roman upper classes had become Christian, their status was enhanced by devoting their wealth to Charity, not Roman Games.
This resulted in a decline of the sponsorship and frequency of Gladiator Games and Venationes where exotic wild animals were killed, and the Amphitheatres eventually became used mainly for Public Executions.

Some Amphitheatres were turned into Forts during the Medieval Period:
- Arles, Leptis Magna, Sabratha and Pola.
Others were made into churches:
- Nimes, Tarragona and Salona.

Colosseum, Rome