The Amphitheatrum Castrense is a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
in Rome, next to the church of
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem or Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, ( la, Basilica Sanctae Crucis in Hierusalem) is a Catholic Minor basilica and titular church in rione Esquilino, Rome, Italy. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim ...
.
[Coulston, J C (01/01/2000). ''Ancient Rome : the archaeology of the eternal city''. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost): Oxford University School of Archaeology. , 978-0-947816-54-4.] Both the Amphiteatrum and the
Circus Varianus
Circus Varianus was a Roman circus, possibly started during the reign of Caracalla, residing in the palatial villa complex known as the Sessorium, beside the Amphitheatrum Castrense. This circus has been identified as the space in which Elagabalus ...
were part of the palatial villa known as the
Sessorium. The Regionary Catalogues name it as the "Amphitheatrum Castrense", which could mean it was an amphitheatre connected to an imperial residence, which was not uncommon.
History
The
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
is dated to the first decades of the 3rd century AD by the style of the bricks and the absence of
brick stamps. It was part of an Imperial villa complex which was built by emperors of the
Severan dynasty
The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235, during the Roman imperial period. The dynasty was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (), who rose to power after the Year of the Five Empero ...
. The open arches of the outer walls were walled up when the building was incorporated into the
Aurelian Walls (271–-275 AD), at which point it stopped being used for spectacles and began to be used as fortification, and the ground level around the building was lowered.
In the middle of the 16th century the remains of the second story were demolished for defensive needs. In the 18th century, a
hypogeum
A hypogeum or hypogaeum (plural hypogea or hypogaea, pronounced ; literally meaning "underground", from Greek ''hypo'' (under) and ''ghê'' (earth)) is an underground temple or tomb.
Hypogea will often contain niches for cremated human rem ...
was found beneath the arena, filled with the bones of large animals. This leads researchers to believe that the spectacles here included ''
venatio
Venatio ( la, venatio, "hunting", plural ''venationes'') was a type of entertainment in Roman amphitheaters involving the hunting and killing of wild animals.
History
Venatio was first introduced by Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, who celebrated his ...
nes'', the hunting and killing of wild animals.
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of ...
and
Étienne Dupérac made drawings about the ruins.
Construction
The building is a regular ellipse 88 meters long and 75.80 meters wide. It is constructed out of brick-faced concrete, with a few decorative elements in
travertine
Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a p ...
.
The structure was three stories high, but only a section of the lowest story is preserved.
See also
*
List of Roman amphitheatres
The remains of at least 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found widely scattered around the area of the Roman Empire. These are large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised 360 degree seating and not to be confused with the more common ...
References
External links
Information at LacusCurtius*Map a
Wikimapia
{{Monuments of Rome
Buildings and structures completed in the 3rd century
Castrense