. The story of architecture: an outline of the styles in all countries. thetheatre and the circus. From the times of the kings gladiatorial contestshad always their place in the public life of Rome,and the ruins of arenas at Capua, Verona, Alba, andPozzuoli in Italy, at Aries, Nimes, Nice, Saintes andAutun in France, and in various towns and prov-inces of Spain and Africa, prove the popularity ofthese heroic abattoirs throughout the empire. Paoli attributes the first gladiatorial contest to theEtruscans, and asserts that they were held in a valleywith the spectators seated about upon surroundi
. The story of architecture: an outline of the styles in all countries. thetheatre and the circus. From the times of the kings gladiatorial contestshad always their place in the public life of Rome,and the ruins of arenas at Capua, Verona, Alba, andPozzuoli in Italy, at Aries, Nimes, Nice, Saintes andAutun in France, and in various towns and prov-inces of Spain and Africa, prove the popularity ofthese heroic abattoirs throughout the empire. Paoli attributes the first gladiatorial contest to theEtruscans, and asserts that they were held in a valleywith the spectators seated about upon surroundinghills; later an arena was dug on a level piece of AM PHI THE A TRES. 213 ground and the thrown-up earth was used for it was not until the days of the emperors thatpermanent stone amphitheatres were built for gladia-torial games alone. Under the republic, the contests were held in theForum, with a temporary scaffolding of wood forseating the spectators. The name amphitheatre was probably derivedfrom an ingenious plan devised by Scribonius Curio q g G @ Ea. * ° n B ia ea _Fig. 76.—Plan of the Colosseum at Rome. in 59 B. c. Two wooden theatres were erected sideby side, and after the performances were finished,and while the audiences still remained seated, bothbuildings were swung round until the tiers of seats 2i4 ETRURIA AND ROME. united and formed an oval surrounding an arena,when gladiatorial games began. Shortly after this invention Julius Ca?sar, findingthe double theatre more appropriate for animal huntsthan the circus, built a permanent stationary one ofwood. The most celebrated amphitheatre ever erectedat Rome, or in the world, was the Colosseum () or Flavian Amphitheatre, begun by Vespasian,dedicated by Titus, and completed by Domitian. According to Lepsius, it held eighty-seven thou-sand ; but this was only its ordinary seating capacity,and additional wooden tiers of seats could be addedfor the accommodation of half as many more. The shape of the bui
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