Seating Spectators
Game
Seating Spectators
Drag the figures to the place in the seating that corresponds to their rank in society.
To each their place
The cavea of the Nîmes Amphitheater was divided into several concentric sections, the maeniana (balconies), separated by a corridor (praecinctio) and a low wall (balteus). The spectators were distributed within this setting on tiered seating according to precise rules that reflect the organization of the social hierarchy in Roman society.
The podium and the first maenianum
In the lower part of the cavea, the podium and the first maenianum were reserved for public figures, magistrates, knights, priests, and famous individuals. Inscriptions that have remained on the wall of the podium inform us that 65 seats were reserved for corporations: 40 seats for the boatmen of the Rhone and the Saône, and 25 for those of the Ardèche and the Ouvèze. There were many passageways (corridors and staircases) providing direct access to this section.
Maenianum 2
The second maenianum was reserved for intermediary categories and male Roman citizens.
Maenianum 3
Women, slaves, poor citizens, and children were seated in the third maenianum. It took more time to gain access to this section, because the spectator had to walk up two levels and down more corridors.
