Public access

The public access to the Amphitheatre was rather limited. Four of the stairways (E) were built against exterior wall which provided access to the summa cavea which were the upper part of the rows, therefore it gave access to the media and ima cavea which was by the two corridores (D) which led to the crypta, an annular passageway which followed the line of the inner sustaining wall under the media cavea from the more important magistrates occupied the privileged seats of the ima cavea. On the picture to the left shows the diagram of the amphitheatre in Pompeii, it shows that from either sides/ends of the amphitheatre on the main north-south axis shows two corridors; corridors (A) and (B) which leads in to the arena, the southern one shown in the diagram is shown as bent at right angles due to the proximity of the city walls. Some of these room such as room (F) for example was generally used as a place to serve those fighters who were wounded or where the bodies of those slain were laid.

POMPEII RUINS - THE AMPHITHEATRE
The Amphitheatre of Pompeii is located to the South of the Via dell'Abbondanza near the Sarona Gates.  It measures approximately 135 x 104 meter. It is the earliest surviving permanent amphitheatre in Italy, and is therefore particularly important in providing a picture of this type of Roman architecture.  The Amphitheatre of Pompeii is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheatre, it was built in 70 BC, Pompeii’s amphitheater is the oldest and most complete Pre-Colosseum style amphitheatre in the Roman World, It is located in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii and was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. According to inscriptions, Pompeii’s amphitheatre was built by C. Quintius Valgus and M Procius, two of Sulla’s commanders who became the city’s magistrates after its control by the Romans. This dates the amphitheatre to 70 AD, making it one of the earliest constructed Roman amphitheatres and the oldest one left standing. The amphitheatre was central to life in Pompeii. It was amongst the first buildings reconstructed following the earthquake in 62AD, despite the fact that no games had been held there for 3 years.  In 59 AD, a ten year ban was placed on gladiatorial contests in the city after riots broke out amongst Pompeian spectators and those from nearby Nuceria. The ban was no doubt revoked early following the earthquake as a way of lifting the moral of Pompeii’s citizen’s. The fatal eruption of 79 AD did not destroy the amphitheatre. While most of it was buried by volcanic debris, its uppermost parts remained partially exposed up until the middle ages. It is these areas that display the most damage, with the holes for the crowd shading awnings known as velaria partially eroded. 

The Pompeian's were a bloodthirsty lot. when they went to the amphitheater they wanted to see people killed. the gladiators who fought there were trained in special schools and lived like soldiers, in barracks. Many of them were slaves, condemned criminals, or prisoners of war, others were volunteers, attracted by the prize of money. The show began as the gladiators entered the arena in procession, accompanied by trumpeters, who entertained the crowed throughout the day, whipping them up into a frenzy of enthusiasm.

SIGNIFICANCE
The Amphitheatre in Pompeii is significant because it gives us the knowledge/idea of what theatre was like for the Romans and how it is significantly different to how we see theatre now. The Amphitheatre that is still now standing in the ruins of Pompeii is a highly impressive construction, capable of holding up to 12,000 - 20,000 spectators. It hosted all the circus shows and the gladiatorial games so dear to the Pompeian's, who devoted most of their spare time to these performances. The period of its construction dates back to 80 B.C. It was commissioned by the magistrates Quintus Valgus and Marcus Porciusl and is therefore one of the oldest buildings in existence, which leads to the reference that it might have represented a model for all those which were subsequently built in Rome. It was constructed in part by making use of an embankment, by digging down into the earth for several metres. The access steps are outside the building. The doors on the western side lead into the arena.
Unlike the other Roman amphitheatres, the one in Pompeii does not have an underground section. It was equipped with a velarium, that is a cover which was stretched over the complex in case of rain: the rings to which the canopy was fixed can still be seen.

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