What were vomitoria in Roman amphitheatres used for?

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In Roman amphitheatres and theatres, vomitoria were essential architectural features designed to manage the movement of large crowds. They functioned as vaulted exit corridors and entrance passages that pierced the banks of seating, allowing spectators to quickly enter or leave the structure.12

These passages were ingeniously integrated into the design of buildings like the Colosseum. By connecting the exterior arcaded openings directly to stair ramps, vomitoria enabled thousands of people to reach their assigned seats on different levels efficiently. The term itself is derived from the Latin vomere (to disgorge), reflecting the way these corridors effectively "disgorged" or emptied the crowds from the amphitheatre.31