AMPHITHEATRE, in antiquity, a spacious edifice, built either round or oval, with a number of rising seats, upon which the people used to behold the combats of gladiators, of wild beasts, and other sports.
Amphitheatres were at first only of wood; and it was not till the reign of Augustus, that Statilius Taurus built one, for the first time, of stone. The lowest part was of an oval figure, and called arena, because, for the convenience of the combatants, it was usually strewed with sand; and round the arena were vaults styled caveæ, in which were confined the wild beasts appointed for the shows.
Above the caveæ was erected a large circular peristyle, or podium, adorned with columns. This was the place of the emperors, senators, and other persons of distinction.
The rows of benches were above the podium. Their figure was circular; and they were entered by avenues, at the end of which were gates called conitoria.
Their theatre was built in form of a semicircle, only exceeding a just semicircle by one fourth part of the diameter; and the amphitheatre was nothing else but a double theatre, or two theatres joined together: so that the longest diameter of the amphitheatre was to the shortest as 1½ to 1.
There are amphitheatres still standing at Rome, at Pola, at Nismes, &c. The amphitheatre of Vespasian, called the Coliseum, and that at Verona in Italy, are the most celebrated now remaining of all antiquity. Remains of amphitheatres are shown also at Arles, Bourdeaux, &c. The amphitheatre at Pola, an ancient republic of Iliria, is very entire: it consists of two orders of Tuscan pillars, one over the other. The lower have pedestals, which is extraordinary; this order having scarce ever more than bases to support them. The amphitheatre of Vespasian is computed to have been capable of holding 87,000 spectators. That of Verona is the best preserved: for though most of the great and best stones of the outside are picked out, yet the great vault, on which the rows of the seats are laid, is entire; the rows also (which are 44 in number) are entire. Every row is a foot and a half high, and as much in breadth; so that a man sits conveniently in them; and allowing for a seat a foot and a half, the whole will hold 23,000 persons. Pliny mentions an amphitheatre built by Curio, which turned on large iron pivots; so that of the same amphitheatre two several theatres were occasionally made, whereon different entertainments were sometimes presented at the same time. Mr Brydone (vol. i. 295.) mentions an amphitheatre at Syracuse, the theatre of which is so entire, that the gradini for seats still remain; but it is a small theatre, he says, in comparison of the others. See Plate XIV.