ARENAS OUTSIDE ITALY

Where subjects of the empire watched their gladiatorial games

1 AMPHITHEATRE OF EL JEM EL JEM, TUNISIA Built in 238 CE, this amphitheatre located in east Tunisia in what was the city of Thysdrus would have held 35,000-40,000 people in its heyday. For comparison, conservative estimates put the capacity of the Colosseum in Rome at 50,000. Experts believe that Thysdrus itself didn’t have a population large enough to fill it. The El Jem amphitheatre is the largest such building in North Africa and a unique example of Roman architecture in the region. It’s built from stone blocks with no foundational structure, similar to the Colosseum, although not an exact replica. African consul Gordian is credited with its commissioning and it would have hosted gladiatorial matches and spectacles involving animals. Despite being nearly 1,800 years old the arena is well…

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All About History (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 149

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