Blogs using the British Newspaper Archive
Blog #3
(URL links are broken)
Roman
amphitheatres
Upon recently visiting the Roman amphitheatre at
Arles, I marvelled at the scale of the building, and Roman engineering
skills.
Pictures taken of Arles amphitheatre – Images © Edmund M B King
BNA images
During the visit, we came across a notice board:
“Principaux amphitheatres du monde romain”, which shows a list of dimensions
for each one. Arles is number twelve on the list, out of twenty-one. I was
intrigued that Pouzzoles ( Pozzuoli/ Puteoli) was even larger than the colosseum in Rome.
As the wiki articles on these amphitheatres states:
“The elliptical
structure [at Pozzuoli] measures 147 x 117 meters (482 x 384 feet), with the
arena floor measuring 72.22 x 42.33 meters (237 x 139 feet). “
“Capua is one of the largest in existence; the longer
diameter is 170 m (185 yd), the shorter 140 m (152 yd), and the arena measures
75 by 45 m (83 by 49 yd), ...”
“[The Colosseum]
is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet)
long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of 6
acres (24,000 m).”
The measurements on this list at Arles, for the Rome
Colosseum and for Capua are substantiated by measurements cited today. However,
the measurement for Pozzuoli appears to be incorrect.
Picture
taken of Arles amphitheatre – Image © Edmund MB King
Accounts
of Roman amphitheatres appeared early in UK newspapers.
Rome Colosseum.
The
obvious size and presence of the colosseum in Rome prompted many reports, such
as the one. ‘The Colosseum at Rome’, in the Leicester Journal - Friday 4 September
1829 (p4. Col 4). Signed by ‘[A] Correspondent in an American paper’, it reads
as a survey of the building, with an educational tone, imparting as many
details as possible.
Leicester
Journal - Friday 4 September 1829
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000205/18290904/020/0004
There is a striking illustration:
‘Archaeologists in Rome: a lecture in the colosseum’ - printed in The Graphic - Saturday 28 October 1893
p.13. It shows a large group of dozens of people being escorted within the
arena itself, giving us the impression of size of the interior, together with
the amount of interest that such an ancient ruin was arousing.
The
Graphic - Saturday 28 October 1893
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/18931028/022/0018?_=1350894997754
Pozzuoli amphitheatre
Pozzuoli amphitheatre is
mentioned in a chatty account entitled: ‘A continental trip. Letter IX’,
published in the Leicester Chronicle
- Saturday 29 March 1856 (p.4 cols. 1-2)
: “The Cathedral [in Naples] is dedicate to St. Januarius, or Gennaro, as the Italians call him – the
principal saint of Naples. His history is replete with miracles. It is said
that when exposed in the amphitheatre of Pozzuoli to be devoured by lions, the
animals licked his feet, and became tame; which converted many to Christianity…”
Leicester
Chronicle - Saturday 29 March 1856
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000172/18560329/053/0004
A week later in the same
newspaper, ‘Letter X’ offers more: “The most perfect among the ruins of
Pozzuoli are those of the Amphitheatre on the hill behind the present town. The
date of its construction is unknown, but it is said to be older than the
Coliseum of Rome, which it resembles in its elliptical form, and in being
surrounded with rows of marble seats rising above each other. …” (Leicester Chronicle - Saturday 05 April
1856 p.4 col.1-2)
Leicester
Chronicle - Saturday 5 April 1856
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000172/18560405/056/0004
Capua amphitheatre
In
a ‘London’ editorial ( a pot-pourri of miscellaneous matters), published in the
Reading Mercury -
Monday 28 June 1830 (p.2 col. 1), ‘Ancient Remains’ mentions Capua
amphitheatre: “A letter from Naples, dated on the 2nd June says, “At Santa Maria, near Caserts
(ancient Capua), his Scicilian Majesty has had explorations made amidst the
fine relics of the amphitheatre. There have been found in the caverns forty
gold medals, six bronze, and a very singular mask of ivory. The gold and medals
are of the times of the Emperors.” ”
Reading
Mercury - Monday 28 June 1830
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000367/18300628/003/0002
Interest
in Roman amphitheatres continued as more discoveries were made. In ‘Excavations
at Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Capua’, printed in the Hereford Journal - Saturday 22 February
1862 (p.3 col.6), “We learn from a correspondent at Naples that fresh
excavations have been made during the last month (January) at Pompeii, in that
part of the city (insula) near two theatres. Painting and frescos have been discovered…
At Capua the excavations of the amphitheatre are about to re-commence, as well
as at Pompeii, which contains the most remarkable circus of antiquity, as
regards its state of preservation , especially the underground part, which is
of unparalleled interest.”
Hereford
Journal - Saturday 22 February 1862
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000398/18620222/014/0003
So,
we return to Arles amphitheatre. The
Graphic published ‘A day at Arles’ on Saturday 24 June 1882
( p.13): “The Amphitheatre at Arles is
the largest built by the Romans out of Italy, and dates from the time of
Caligula. It is 459 feet by 341 feet, has five corridors, and contained about
26,000 spectators. From one of the towers there is a magnificent view of the
old town below [this is still true today], of the larger and lesser Rhone
winding through the plain and the distant mountains…” http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/18820624/022/0013
On page 15 of the same issue,
four illustrations are printed of this amphitheatre. The views of the interior
and the exterior convey the sense of scale and monumentality that can be viewed
today.
The Graphic - Saturday 24 June 1882
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/18820624/025/0015?_=1350419447172
As
The Graphic article states in
conclusion to ‘A day at Arles’: “No one
who can spare the time, especially those who have not been to South Italy,
should pass Arles without a visit.”
Ed
King
November
2012
Images
taken of Arles amphitheatre - © Edmund MB King
Further
reading
List
of Roman amphitheatres. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_amphitheatres
Flavian
Amphitheater (Pozzuoli). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavian_Amphitheater_%28Pozzuoli%29
Capua
- amphitheatre. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capua#Amphitheatre
Colosseum
– Rome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum
Arles
amphitheatre - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arles_Amphitheatre
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