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Amphitheatre
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Pompeii: amphitheatre The Colosseum in Rome, Italy, showing the exterior of the ancient stone amphitheater with its multiple arches and partially ruined upper levels. Colosseum Capua Pula: amphitheatre El Jem: Roman amphitheatre El Jem: Roman amphitheatre Figure 10: Ruins of a wall of the Colosseum, Rome, built by the emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, c. AD 72-80. Rome: Colosseum Exterior view of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, showing its massive stone arches and partially ruined upper level, with tourists walking around the base.
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Pompeii: amphitheatre
amphitheater summary
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Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.
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Hagia Sophia. Istanbul, Turkey. Constantinople. Church of the Holy Wisdom. Church of the Divine Wisdom. Mosque.
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Pompeii: amphitheatre
Pompeii: amphitheatre The amphitheatre at Pompeii, Italy.

Amphitheatre

architecture
Also known as: amphitheater
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

Amphitheatre, freestanding building of round or, more often, oval shape with a central area, the arena, and seats concentrically placed around it. The word is Greek, meaning “theatre with seats on all sides,” but as an architectural form the amphitheatre is of Italic or Etrusco-Campanian origin and reflects the requirements of the specific forms of entertainment that these people cherished—i.e., gladiatorial games and venationes, contests of beasts with one another or of men with beasts....

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