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THE
FORUM
THE
THEATRE
THE
AMPHITHEATRE
The life of the roman population in the Republican era occurred in different points of the city. The Roman cities
are divided in different areas and different activities occur in each of them. The center of the daily life is the
FORUM, usually located at the city's geographic center at the intersection of the main north-south street, the cardo,
and the main east-west avenue, the decumanus.
The forum is the square where trade occurs. Political activities like the civil and commercial debates and
judgements take place in the basilica which is also used as the centre of economic life. The basilica is
usually situated near the forum and it is usually divided into three naves by twenty eight columns of
“latericium”. Religious life occurs in the temples, usually collocated next to the basilica. At the center of
the forum are memorial stones. One of the examples of the roman forum is surely the forum of the
archeological city of Pompeii.
Pompeii's forum lies in the south-west corner of
the expanded Roman city but at the heart of the
original town. The area within the porticos of the
forum at Pompeii is empty, except for statues
portraying local dignitaries or Roman emperors.
All around the square, behind the colonnades,
there are secular and religious structures,
including the town's administrative offices. The
forum is a big rectangular square surrounded on
three sides by buildings and closed in the fourth
by the Jupiter’s temple. A lot of marbles and
bronze statues of the most important citizens are
on the plinth. Big pieces of marble called
“travertine” prevent the vehicular traffic from
Marina Street and dell’Abbondanza Street. The
forum, however, generally is closed to all, but not
to pedestrian traffic .
Roman people like enjoying themselves. The places of entertainment in Rome are
the theaters and amphitheaters. Both of the buildings are often situated out of the
city like those of Pompeii. In some cases the roman theatres are built like the
Greek theatre, using the incline of the natural caves, laying on some hillside.
Among these there were also Pompeii’s theaters.
In Pompeii there are two theatres: “The Big Theater” and “The Odèion”.
The Big Theater was built in the Hellenistic era in the natural cave of the hill. It was
extended in the Augustus era with the addition of the “summa cavea” and the
“tribunalia” on the two lateral entries near the orchestra. It could host 5000 people.
The scene is like the Roman theater.
The Odèion was built about the 80 C.E. by two magistrates, who also gave the city
an amphitheater. It has two orders of steps and it can host 1000 spectators.
The architects of the roman theaters don’t take advantage of the natural incline
to build the cave. The steps lied on an architectural structure built specifically
for the purpose. The structure is delineated by some steps or superimposed
orders of arches with tunnel vault. So the theater can be built in every city. The
Roman Theater of imperial era is different from the Greek one for the scene
that is as high as the cavea and for the disappearance of the orchestra. The
scene, that is the background and the stage for the actors, is also a structure
with various steps. In the Imperial era this buildings became more important
than in Republican era when Roman people took part in political life.
Another place of entertainment is the amphitheatre that means double theatre. It is an elliptical
structure, built through superimposed orders of arches, so it can support platforms where a thousand
of viewers can sit. At the center there is a circular place called “arena”, where the gladiators fought
against ferocious beasts. In the arena there can be also naval combats. In Imperial era, when the
“civis” didn’t take part in the political life anymore, the emperors attracted people in the
amphitheaters by giving them exhibitions of every kind. In fact the amphitheaters became one of the
emblems of the Roman city and there is one of it in every important city.
The earliest amphitheatre known is located in Pompeii, it can host 20000
spectators. Seating is assigned by rank, both civic and military, so that the
Roman hierarchy is on display at every event.
A painting on the wall of a Pompeian house records an unfortunate
incident that occurred in the amphitheatre. A brawl broke out between the
Pompeians and the Nucerians, during a gladiatorial contest in 59 CE.
CREATED BY:
Giusy Gerli
Emanuele Sirica
Sara Casillo
Martina Aquino