The Nîmes amphitheater: breathtaking shows
A Roman place of entertainment with a typical architecture
Amphithéâtre de Nîmes (Romaine, Haut-Empire)Musée de la Romanité
The amphitheater has a traditional elliptical layout. Its façade is divided into two levels of arcades, topped by an attic (the upper part of the wall) in which poles of a velum, a large awning stretched over the stands to provide shade, were fixed. Around the track are 34 rows that can accommodate 24,000 spectators.
L'amphithéâtre (contemporaine) by image Opixido - Art Graphique et PatrimoineMusée de la Romanité
The amphitheater has a traditional elliptical layout. Its façade is divided into two levels of arcades, topped by an attic (the upper part of the wall) in which poles of a velum, a large awning stretched over the stands to provide shade, were fixed. Around the track are 34 rows that can accommodate 24,000 spectators.
L'amphithéâtre; la louve (Contemporaine) by image CIREVEMusée de la Romanité
A geometrical layout helped draw a detailed blueprint. Then, the stones were transported from the quarries and lifted with the help of lewises, a lifting system composed of a mast and pulleys. The arches and vaults were mounted on wooden structures that were then removed.
L'amphithéâtre; l'évacuation des eaux (Contemporaine) by image OpixidoMusée de la Romanité
A network of hydraulic pipes were designed in the cavea (the stands) to drain rainwater away—after flowing in the stands, corridors and staircases, water leaves through drains in the floor extended by ducts built into the masonry.
L'amphithéâtre; le velum (contemporaine) by image Art Graphique et PatrimoineMusée de la Romanité
The velum is a system of awnings stretched over the stands to protect the spectators from the sun. It was operated by a specific team using ropes attached to the masts. These were fixed in 120 consoles placed at the top of the amphitheater.
L'amphithéâtre; les sparsiones (contemporaine) by image CIREVEMusée de la Romanité
The sparsiones, hydraulic machines that sprayed droplets of scented water to refresh the spectators, were also designed to improve comfort. A system of manually operated pistons could spray water up to a 100 feet (30 m).
L'amphithéâtre (contemporaine) by image Opixido - Art Graphique et PatrimoineMusée de la Romanité
A typical day of games consisted of three sections: the hunts (venationes) in the morning, an interlude around midday (meridiani) and the pompa, a parade of magistrates, gladiators, religious effigies, and other items, which introduced gladiatorial combats (munera) in the afternoon.
Lampe à huile (Romaine, Haut-Empire)Musée de la Romanité
Hunts involved fights between local wild animals (wild boars, deer, bears, bulls), either against each other or against human hunters. A system of trapdoors connected to the backstage area enabled the animals to appear on the track by surprise.
Lampe à huile (Romaine, Haut-Empire)Musée de la Romanité
Sometimes people who had been sentenced to death were thrown to the wild beasts during the meridiani. Preceded by sign holders indicating the number of victories, the gladiators fought in the afternoon. Several duels took place simultaneously on the track, overseen by referees.
Stèle funéraire (Romaine)Musée de la Romanité
It seems that Nîmes was a great center of gladiatorial combat: it has the largest concentration of gladiator tombstones in the entire Gaul of Narbonne. Gladiators (thraex, murmillo, and retiarius) were seldom executed because they represented a significant investment.
Manche de couteau (Romaine)Musée de la Romanité
The craze for gladiators was expressed in a multitude of representations, like this knife. The bone hilt depicts a murmillo gladiator wearing a helmet with visor, a rectangular shield (scutum), a sword, and protections on his leg and arm.
L'amphithéâtre; la cavea (contemporaine)Musée de la Romanité
The audience were divided into three zones, separated by parapets, according to a strict social hierarchy. The upper class sat near the track, facing the citizens. Slaves, women, and children were relegated to the highest level of the cavea.
L'amphithéâtre; les protomés de taureaux (Contemporaine) by image Art Graphique et PatrimoineMusée de la Romanité
The stone used was not particularly suited for sculpting: the rather limited decoration of the façade is enhanced by the presence of two bull torsos known as protomes. They signaled the entrance and location of the main box for the city's top magistrates.
L'amphithéâtre à l'époque moderne (contemporaine) by image Opixido - Art Graphique et PatrimoineMusée de la Romanité
The amphitheater was gradually abandoned in the 3rd century CE. In the Middle Ages, it was reused as a military fortress and a seat of royal power, before becoming a residential area from the 14th to the 18th century. The monument was restored in the 19th century.
Musée de la Romanité de Nîmes - https://museedelaromanite.fr/
Realization: Ville de Nîmes - Musée de la Romanité
Iconography: © Opixido (https://opixido.com/), Art Graphique et Patrimoine (http://www.artgp.fr/), Ville de Nîmes - Musée de la Romanité
© UniCaen – CIREVE – Plan de Rome (https://rome.unicaen.fr/)
Illustrations © Opixido (https://opixido.com/), Ville de Nîmes - Musée de la Romanité
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