Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

88 AMPIIITHEATRUM. AIMPIIITIHEATRUIM.
b. Short transverse steps from the podium to the marble seats, was appropriated to the equestrian
first maenianum. (Compare the plan.) order. The seats appropriated to the senators
c, d. Stairs from the ground story to the second; and equites were covered with cushions (pulwhence the second maenianum was reached in villis), which were first used in the time of Catwo ways, e. and g. ligula. (Juv. Sat. iii. 1.54; Dion, lix. 7.) Then,
e. Steps to the first praecinctio, from which there after a horizontal space, termed a praecinctio, and
were short transverse steps (fi) to the second mae- forming a continued landing-place from the sevenianum. ral staircases which opened on to it, succeeded the
p. Stairs leading direct from the corridors of the second maenianurn, where were the seats called
second story to the second maenianum, through popularia (Suet. Domitian. 4), for the third class
the vomitorium a. of spectators, or the poplu12s. Behind this was the
h. Stairs leading from the floor of the second second praecinctio, bounded by the high wall alstory to the small upper story, whence other stairs ready mentioned; above which was the third
(3) led to the third story, from which access was zaenianumz, where there were only wooden benches
obtained to the upper part of the second maenia. for the pellacti, or common people. (Suet. Octav.
nuIn by doors (a) in the inner wall of the second 44,) The open gallery at the top was the only
corridor q. part of the amphitheatre, in which women were
k. Stairs from the second story to the mezza- permitted to witness the games, except the vestal
nine, or middle story, whence access was obtained virgins, and perhaps a few ladies of distinction and
to the third maenianum by passages (y). i nfluence who were suffered to share the space
1. Stairs in the mezzanine, leading to the upper appropriated to the vestals (Suet. Octav. 44). The
part of the third maenianum, and to the gallery I. seats of the maeniana did not run in unbroken lines
m. Steps from the gallery to the terrace over it. round the whole building, but were divided into
n. Steps from that terrace to the summit. portions called cunei (from their shape), by short
o. p. Grated openings to light the two inner flights of stairs which facilitated the access to the
corridors. seats. (Suet. Oct. 44; Juv. Sat. vi. 61.) See
q. See under h. the plan, and the annexed section of a small portion
s. Windows to light the mezzanine. of the seats.
t. Windows of the gallery.
v. Rest, and w. loop, for the masts of the velariun g.
The arena was surrounded by a wall of sufficient height to guard the spectators against any
danger from the wild beasts, namely about fifteen
feet. A further protection was afforded, at least
sometimes, by a network or trellis of metal;
and it is mentioned, as an instance of the profuse
ostentation which the emperors were so fond of
displaying, that Nero, in his amphitheatre, had this
trellis gilt, and its intersections ornamented with
bosses of amber. (Plin. IS. N. xxxvii. 3. s. 11.
~ 2). The wall just mentioned appears to have
been faced with marble, and to have had rollers
suspended against it as an additional protection
against the possibility of the wild beasts climbing
it. (Lips. de Ampzh. 12.) The terrace on the top Not only were the different ranges of seats apt
of this wall, which was called podizum (a name propriated to different classes of spectators, but it
sometimes also applied to the wall itself), was is pretty certain also that the different cznei of
no wider than to be capable of containing two, each mnaenianuea were assigned to specific portions
or at the most three ranges of moveable seats, or of the people, who were at once guided to their
chairs. This, as being by far the best situation places by numbers placed over the external arches
for distinctly viewing the sports in the arena, and by which the building was entered: these numbers
also more commodiously accessible than the seats still exist. The office of preserving order in the
higher up, was the place set apart for senators distribution of the places was assigned to attendand other persons of distinction, such as the am- ants called locarii, and the whole management was
bassadors of foreign states (Suet. Octav. 44; under the superintendence of the villicus anpliJuv. Sat. ii. 143, &c.); the magistrates seem to theatr/i.
have sat here in their curule chairs (Lipsius de It only remains to describe the arcena, or
Amph. 11); and it was here, also, that the emperor central open space for the combatants, wlich dehimself used to sit, in an elevated place called rived its name from the sand with which it was
suggjestus (Suet. (aes. 76; Plin. Paneg. 51), or covered, chiefly for the purpose of absorbing the
cubiculunz (Suet. Nero, 12); and likewise the per- blood. Such emperors as Caligula, Nero, and
son who exhibited the games, on a place elevated Carinus, showed their prodigality by using cinnalike a pulpit or tribunal (editoris tribunal). The bar and borax instead of the common sand. It
vestal virgins also appear to have had a place was bounded, as already stated, by the wall of the
allotted to them on the podium. (Suet. Octav. 44). podi/Lm, but in the earlier amphitheatres, in which
Above the podium were the gradus, or seats of the pod/iucm was probably not so lofty, there were
the other spectators, which were divided into stories ditches (eucripi) between it and the arena, which
called snaeniana. The whole number of seats is were chiefly meant as a defence against the elesupposed to have been about eighty. The first phants. The euripi were first made by Julius
rmsaenianulmm, consisting of fourteen rowvs of stone of Caesar, and were dispensed with by Nero, in