Amphitheatrum Polense
About
Begun under Augustus as a smaller structure, then enlarged for gladiatorial games under Vespasian from 79 CE and finished under Titus around 81 CE, the amphitheater at Pula in Istria could hold about 23,000 spectators. Its full limestone outer wall survives intact, unlike most Roman amphitheaters, making it one of the six largest and best-preserved arenas from the ancient world. Actively hosting games as a fully finished, mature amphitheater in 117 CE, roughly one generation after completion.
What happened here
Doors open early and the programme runs all day. Morning is animal hunts, staged with scenery hauled up through trapdoors from the corridors below. Midday is executions, and it is the hour when the seats thin out and people go for lunch. The afternoon is the gladiators, matched by type and record like boxers, refereed, and stopped when a man raises a finger. Most fights are not to the death — a trained fighter is expensive — but a decision can go the other way and the crowd is consulted. Seating is strictly by rank: officials at the front, women at the top. Awnings are worked by sailors detailed for the job. Sand is spread thick and replaced between shows, and the whole building smells of it.
Sources
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →