AMPH1THE'ATRE, was a building used by the Romans for the exhibition of gladiato rial combatants, and of fights with wild beasts. The word literally means a double theatre, or one composed of two theatres. In the theatre the spectators sat in a semicircle placed oppo site to the straight line of the stage ; in the amphitheatre, which was of an elliptic form, the seats were placed all round.
The form of an amphitheatre, then, is ge nerally an ellipse, with a series of arcaded concentric walls, separating corridors which have constructions with staircases and radia ting passages between them. It enclosed an open space called the arena. The innermost concentric wall bounded the arena, and was from 10 to 15 feet above its level : from this wall an inclined plane ran upwards and out wards over the intermediate wall, staircases, and corridors, to a gallery or galleries over the outermost corridors. The inner and upper part of the inclined plane was covered with a graduated series of benches following the general form of the plan ; these benches were intercepted at intervals by radial passages leading by a more easy graduation to and from the staircases which passed through the sub structions of the benches to the corridors. These corridors, in the principal stories, con tinued uninterruptedly all round the edifice, and afforded easy access to every part. In cases where the radiating passages through the bank of benches were few, concentric plat forms went round to make the communica tions complete. The external elevation of an amphitheatre was determined by its internal arrangement and construction, and it gene rally had two or more stories of open arches, which were necessary to give light and air to the corridors and staircases.
Roman amphitheatres were first constructed of timber. Afterwards they were constructed of brick or stone.
The amphitheatre of the Romans was raised, for the most part, within the town or city, on the level ground, of costly magnificence, and generally of enormous extent. Almost every important Roman colony or city bears indica tions of a constructed or excavated amphi theatre. The Colosseum at Rome would con
tain above 80,000 persons ; and even the little city of Pompeii contains the ,remains of an amphitheatre. The Roman garrisons appear to have contented themselves with camp-built amphitheatres alone. Of this sort,—the cas trensian amphitheatre,—we have indications still existing in England ; the principal are at Cirencester and Dorchester ; but these wero originally little more than mere excavations or turf-built cinctures, made up with what walling was absolutely necessary to form the grand concentric bank of benches.
The largest amphitheatre ever built was the Flavian Amphitheatre at Rome, commonly called the Colosseum, which was begun by Vespasian and finished by his son Titus, A. D. 80. The plan and elevation can be made out almost completely from the existing remains. It covers more than five acres. The dimen sions as given by different authorities, vary a little, but the largest external diameter is about 013 feet, and the shorter diameter about 510 feet. The external elevation is composed of three series or stories of attached or en gaged columns with their usual accessories, and a pilastraded ordinance, forming a species of attic, which is pierced with windows,—one in every other interspace. The crowning en tablature is made bold and effective by deep modillion blocks or consoles occupying the whole depth of the frieze. Next in size to the Colosseum, of existing structures of the kind, is the Amphitheatre of Verona. The outer dimensions of this structure were 500 feet by 404 feet. The amphitheatre of El Jemm (Tisdrus) in Tunis is 429 feet in extreme length.
History will record that in the year 1851 there was raised a building in London, nearly capable of containing three of the greatest amphitheatres,—a building not devoted to the bloody contests of the arena and the gratifica tion of national pride and individual bravery, but for the promotion of goodwill, and the cultivation of the most valuable arts, amongst all the nations of the earth.