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

AMPHITHEATRUM.. AMPItITIIEATRIUM. 89
order to gain space for the spectators. (Suet. Caes. The luxurious appliances of fountains of scented
39; Plin. II. N. viii. 7 * Lipsius de Amwple. 12.) water to refresh the spectators, and so forth, aro
The space of the arena was entirely open, ex- sufficiently described in the passage already quoted
cept that perhaps there was, in the centre, an altar from Gibbon. (Comlp. Lucan. ix. 808).
of Diana, or Pluto, or of Jupiter Latiaris, on which, III. Otlher Ansplhtlleatres. - The Flavian amit is inferred from some passages of the ancient phitheatre, as has been already stated, was, firom
authors, that a bestiarius was sacrificed at the open- the time of its erection, the only one in Rome;
ing of the games; but the evidence is very slight, for the obvious reason that it was sufficient for the
(Lips. (te Amph. 4.) There were four principal whole population. The little Amphitheatrum Carsentrances to it, at the extremities of the axes of trense was probably only intended for the soldiers
the ellipse, by passages which led directly from of the guard, who amused themselves there with
the four corresponding arches of the exterior: fights of gladiators. But in the provincial cities,
there were also minor entrances through the wall and especially the colonies, there were many amof the poliunt. There is a difficulty about the phitheatres. Indeed, it is not a little interesting
position of the dens of the wild beasts. The to observe the contrast between the national tastes
rapidity with which vast numbers of aninmals were of the Greeks and Romans, which is indicated by
let loose into the arena proves that the dens must the remains of theatres in the colonies of the
have been close to it. The spaces under the seats former, and of anphitheatres in those of the latter.
seem to have been devoted entirely to the passage The immense expense of their construction would,
of the spectators, with only the exception of the however, naturally prevent the erection of many
innermost corridor, the entrances from which to such buildings as the Colisaeum. (Cassiod. Ep12.
the arena suggest the probability that it was sub- v. 42.) The provincial amuphitheatres were, prosidiary to the arena; but, even if so, it was pro- bably, like the earlier ones at Rome itself, genebably used rather for the introduction and removal rally built of wood, such as those at Placentia
of the animals, than for their safe keeping. Some and Fidenae, already mentioned. Of these wooden
have supposed denls in the wall of the podiume: amphitheatres there are of course no remains;
but this is quite insufficient. In the year 1813, but in several of the larger cities of the Roman
the arena was excavated, and extensive substruc- empire there ale important ruins of large amtions were discovered, which, it has been supposed, phitheatres of stone. The principal are those at
were the dens, from which the animals were let Verona, Paestum, Pompeii, and Capua, in Italy;
loose upon the arena through trap-doors. The at Nimes, Aries, and Frejus, in France; at Pola,
chief difficulty is to reconcile such an arrange- in Istria; at Syracuse, Catania, and some other
ment with the fact that the arena was frequently cities in Sicily. They are all constructed on the
flooded and used for a naval combat, and that too same general principles as the Colisaeumn, from
in the intervals between the fights of wild-beasts. which, again, they all differ by the absenice of
(Calpurn. Eclog. vii. 64, 73: the whole poem is a the outermost corridor; and, consequently, their
very interesting description of the games of the height could not have exceeded three stories;
amphitheatre.) [NAUMACIIIA.] All that can be while some of them only had two. Of the Verosaid with any approach to certainty is, that these nese amphitheatre, the outer wall and colonnade
substructions were either dens for the animals, or are entirely gone, excepting four arches; but the
channels for water, and possibly they may have rest of the building is almost perfect. WVhen
been so arranged as to combine both uses, though complete, it had seventy-two arches in the outer
it is difficult to understand how this could have circle, and, of course, the stale number of radiating
been managed. The only method of solving the walls, with their passages and staircases; the
difficulty in those cases in which a naucmacica took lengths of the axes of the outer ellipse were 500
place betoween the venationes, appears to be, to and 404 feet, those of the arena, 242 and 146.
assume that the animals intended for the second It was probably built under Domitian and Nerve.
v;enstio were kept in the innermost colonnade, or (Maffei, iVerona IllustratC.) The next in importin dens in its immediate vicinity during the nane- ance is that at Nimes, the outer dimensions of
maclsia; unless, which seems to us quite incredi- which are computed at 434 by 340 feet. " The
ble, there was any contrivance for at the same exterior wall, which is nearly perfect, consists of
time admitting the air to, and excluding the wvater a ground story and upper story, each pierced with
from, their cells beneath the arena. In the am- sixty arches, and is surmounted by an attic. Its
phitheatre at Verona, there are remains of channels height, from the level of the ground, is above 70
for water under the arena, communicating with an English feet. The lower or ground story is
opening in its centre; but some antiquaries believe adorned with pilasters, and the upper with Tuscan
thiat these were only intended for draisning off the or Doric columns. The attic shows the holes
rain water. destined to receive the posts on which was stretched
It is unnecessary to attempt a detailed descrip- the awning that covered the amphitheatre. The
tion of the statues and other ornaments with which rows of seats are computed to have been originally
the amphitheatre was adorned; but the velarium,, 32 in number. There were four principal ellor awning, by which the spectators were sheltered trances. The amphitheatre has been computed to
from the sun, requires some explanation, which hold 17,000 persons: it was built with great
will be found under VELUAI. The space required solidity, without cement." (Pen. Cyclop. art.
for the working of the velaeium, and the height N2ines.) That at Aries was three stories high,
necessary for keeping it from bending down by and has the peculiarity of being built on uneven
its own weight so low as to obstruct the view from ground, so that the lowest story is, for the most
the upper benches, are probably the reasons for part, below the level of the surface, and the printhe great disproportion between the height of the cipal entrances are en the second story. (For a
upper part of the amphitheatre, and the small detailed description, see Guis, Descsii tion de
number of spectators accommodated in that part. lAe7e Sii/t1re d'lAdes, 1665; and l'en. CGgclcp.