Amphitheatre
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Amphitheatre: An oval-shaped, Roman structure used for the performing of gladiatorial combats, etc. The etymology is from amphi- (“both”, or “both sides”) and theatron (= theatre). Originally the name applied only to the seating structure which surrounded the central “arena.” Only in later times did it come to be applied to the entire complex.
The earliest amphitheaters were temporary wooden structures, somewhat similar to modern bleachers. Often reaching huge proportions, they were unstable and prone to collapse. Tacitus mentions a large amphitheater in the town of Fidenae which, during the reign of Tiberius, collapsed, killing or injuring 50,000 spectators. Eventually, permanent amphitheaters built of stone replaced the old wooden ones. The greatest of these structures was the Flavian Amphitheater, better known as the Colosseum, completed in Rome by the Emperor Titus in AD 80.
The best surviving examples of amphitheatres on the southern Italy mainland include those at Pompeii, Capua, and Pozzuoli (anc. Puteoli). That at Capua measured 558 by 460 feet, making it second in size only to the Colosseum itself. On Sicily, there are only a few examples, suggesting that gladiatorial fights never gained popularity on the island in Roman times. Those that still have some remains can be seen at Syracuse (Siracusa), Catania, Agrigento and Enna.