The Roman Amphitheatre: From Its Origins to the ColosseumThis is the first book to analyze the evolution of the Roman amphitheatre as an architectural form. Katherine Welch addresses the critical period in the history of this building type: its origins and dissemination under the Republic, from the third to first centuries BC; its monumentalization as an architectural form under Augustus; and its canonization as a building type with the Colosseum (AD 80). The study then shifts focus to the reception of the amphitheatre in the Greek East, a part of the Empire deeply fractured about the new realities of Roman rule. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
The Imperial Interpretation of Arena Games | 5 |
ARENA GAMES DURING THE REPUBLIC | 11 |
The Etruscan Hypothesis | 14 |
Gladiatorial Games during the Republican Period | 18 |
The Venatio and Damnatio ad Bestias in the Republican Period | 22 |
Other Forms of the Death Penalty | 26 |
The Arena and the Roman Army | 27 |
Conclusion | 100 |
THE AMPHITHEATRE BETWEEN REPUBLIC AND EMPIRE MONUMENTALIZATION OF THE BUILDING TYPE | 102 |
Statilius Taurus and Romes First Stone Amphitheatre | 108 |
Conclusion | 126 |
THE COLOSSEUM CANONIZATION OF THE AMPHITHEATRE BUILDING TYPE | 128 |
Greek Architectural Orders and Sculptural Decoration | 130 |
Fabulous Executions | 145 |
The Colosseum and Neros Domus Aurea | 147 |
Conclusion | 28 |
ORIGINS OF AMPHITHEATRE ARCHITECTURE | 30 |
Evidence for Spectator Arrangements in the Forum Romanum in the Republican Period | 31 |
The Middle Republic | 32 |
The Late Republic | 38 |
The Shape and Form of the Seating Construction Spectacula in the Forum Romanum | 43 |
Constructional Aspects of the Spectacula in the Forum Romanum | 55 |
Conclusion | 71 |
STONE AMPHITHEATRES IN THE REPUBLICAN PERIOD | 72 |
The Amphitheatre and Sullan Colony at Pompeii | 74 |
105 BC and After | 79 |
Geographical Distribution and Dating of Republican Amphitheatres | 82 |
The Ludi of Capua | 91 |
The Amphitheatre and Campus at Pompeii | 95 |
Conclusion | 161 |
RECEPTION OF THE AMPHITHEATRE IN THE GREEK WORLD IN THE EARLY IMPERIAL PERIOD | 163 |
Athens | 165 |
Corinth | 178 |
Conclusion | 183 |
CONCLUSION | 185 |
AMPHITHEATRES OF REPUBLICAN DATE | 189 |
Republican Amphitheatres in Italy | 192 |
Republican Amphitheatres Outside of Italy | 252 |
Notes | 265 |
| 329 | |
| 351 | |
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The Roman Amphitheatre: From its Origins to the Colosseum Katherine E. Welch No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
Abella Abellinum amphithe amphitheatre Amphitheatre at Corinth amphitheatre at Pompeii amphitheatre building Amphitheatre of Statilius ancient Anfiteatro antica Arch arena Athens Augustus Basilica Basilica Aemilia building type built Caesar Cales Campania Campus Martius Capua cavea Chapter Circus Coarelli colonists Colosseum construction Corinth Cumae decorated Dio Cass Domus Aurea early imperial period Etruscan evidence excavated façade Figure Flavian foro Forum Romanum gladiatorial combat gladiatorial games gladiatorial shows gladiatorial spectacles gladiators Golvin ILLRP ima cavea imperial amphitheatre inscription Italy Livy located LTUR ludi Ludus maeniana military monumental Nero Nero's Nola opus oval Paestum phitheatre Pliny HN podium Pompeii porticus probably Puteoli reconstruction Republic republican amphitheatres republican period Roma Roman Rostra sector spectacula spectators Statilius Taurus statues stone amphitheatres structure Suet suggests summa cavea supra Teanum Telesia Temple Theatre of Dionysus Theatre of Marcellus tomb Tuscan vaults veteran Vitruvius wooden seating arrangement Zanker καὶ вс