1
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An amphitheater is a place for shows.

2
00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:06,300
We must never forget the ideological nature of these edifices,

3
00:00:06,590 --> 00:00:10,679
of the games that took place there, and the very act of building them.

4
00:00:10,679 --> 00:00:13,400
It was the wealthy corporations,

5
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,739
either the merchants of the city, or private individuals,

6
00:00:15,739 --> 00:00:19,000
who had the important monuments built.

7
00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,300
All of that was done for the glory of the empire, the glory of the Emperor

8
00:00:22,300 --> 00:00:27,100
in the context of festivities and ceremonies.

9
00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:29,200
So, the ideological aspect is important.

10
00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:35,000
The amphitheater is a place for leisure activities, but it's also a place for celebrating power.

11
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,000
That explains why they were needed.

11b
00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:43,000
Must we consider that the amphitheater was exceptional equipment for Roman cities?

12
00:00:43,590 --> 00:00:46,700
The amphitheater is a monument that was almost obligatory to have.

13
00:00:46,900 --> 00:00:50,300
All cities of some importance ultimately built one.

14
00:00:50,540 --> 00:00:53,440
Of course, the big cities like Nîmes,

15
00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,140
but also the less affluent cities,

16
00:00:56,140 --> 00:01:00,770
as soon as they had sufficient means to build a place for shows.

17
00:01:00,770 --> 00:01:02,830


18
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When the financial resources of the city were less significant, a mixed monument would be built.

19
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We can find examples of this kind of edifice in northern Gaul.

20
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They were used as both a theater and an amphitheater.

21
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It was a multipurpose monument.

22
00:01:13,140 --> 00:01:18,000
But otherwise, the beautiful cities all had their own amphitheater

23
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,800
elliptical like this one, and of a size

24
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corresponding to the city's resources.

25
00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,000
Rather significant fortunes were needed

26
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,300
to finance monuments of this size.

26b
00:01:29,500 --> 00:01:34,160
Is the Nîmes Amphitheater a Flavian amphitheater?

27
00:01:34,260 --> 00:01:38,160
The Nîmes Amphitheater was long considered to be Flavian,

28
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,000
that is dating back to the Flavian dynasty:

29
00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,000
Vespasian, Titus, Domitian.

30
00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,000
That was a hypothesis. Why?

31
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,500
The Roman Colosseum was the first amphitheater

32
00:01:47,500 --> 00:01:51,500
that could be used as a model for the subsequent monuments in the same style,

33
00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:54,000
ones that were equally elaborate.

34
00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,500
But today, there is no proof of this

35
00:01:56,500 --> 00:01:59,200
because no inscription has been found

36
00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:03,000
that allows us to definitively date the Nîmes Amphitheater.

37
00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,000
So it is necessary to make comparisons and analogies,

38
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,500
study the details of the construction,

39
00:02:09,500 --> 00:02:12,000
try to find other arguments for dating it besides

40
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,600
the inscriptions.

41
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,000
Today, we imagine a date that was a bit later,

42
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:24,300
which would mean at the time of Trajan: the late first century or the early second century CE.

42b
00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:29,300
Why are amphitheaters oval or elliptical?

43
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,300
The amphitheater has an elliptical form that deserves to be explained,

44
00:02:34,300 --> 00:02:38,000
because it is very characteristic of this type of edifice.

45
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,500
We must not forget that the original arena in which gladiatorial

46
00:02:42,500 --> 00:02:45,000
combats took place was rectangular.

47
00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,200
It was of the size indicated by Vitruvius,

48
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,000
who had already established its dimensions.

49
00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:57,000
The idea was certainly to perfect this rectangular arena,

50
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,000
which was not very practical, because the corners cannot be seen very well.

51
00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,500
These are also areas that are not good for combats with animals.

52
00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:09,700
The angles create a disturbance. It's not a good design.

53
00:03:09,900 --> 00:03:13,500
Cutting the angles, means orienting the design toward an oval shape

54
00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:15,700
that was longer and longer and round.

55
00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:21,500
This evolution probably occurred in the Roman forum, the <i>Forum Romanum</i>,

56
00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:26,200
when temporary wooden constructions were used

57
00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,500
for these kinds of shows in Rome.

58
00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:35,300
It is likely that the subsequent attempts through which these monuments made of wood were enhanced,

59
00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:40,400
gave them the idea of an elliptical arena, which was then translated into stone.

60
00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,500
They had gone beyond the framework of the forum. There was a good formula

61
00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:47,200
that combined the advantages of a long shape and curves.

62
00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,800
It was the right formula, which was subsequently reproduced.

62b
00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,600
Was there an ideal location, that is one "dedicated" to the amphitheater?

63
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,600
As an amphitheater is very cumbersome, it was built outside the city

64
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,000
or rather in the outskirts of the city.

65
00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,800
It was close to the city, as close as possible.

66
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,300
But it could not be inside the urban center

67
00:04:07,300 --> 00:04:08,800
because everything was occupied.

68
00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,500
So it would be built in the best possible location,

69
00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:14,500
near a major road, with good access,

70
00:04:14,500 --> 00:04:17,500
so that it could fulfill its function.

71
00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:21,500
There had to be access for the carts that transported the wild animals.

72
00:04:21,700 --> 00:04:26,200
Around the amphitheater, there had to be service areas.

73
00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,200
So it was generally located just outside the city,

74
00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,200
almost always, except for Rome,

75
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:36,600
a particular case in which a large swath of land was available in the heart of the city.

75b
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:41,600
Who are the architects that designed the amphitheaters?

76
00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,600
The Roman architect is very rarely identified.

77
00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,000
I mean his name is not known because he didn't sign his works.

78
00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,000
So who do we know?

79
00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:54,000
Vitruvius, because he dedicated a treatise on architecture to Augustus.

80
00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:59,000
He knew Augustus and his family, and he was known at the imperial court.

81
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,000
Some others too. Their names have remained

82
00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,500
because they were known by close friends of the emperor.

83
00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:08,000
They have been cited as close friends of the emperor, which explains why their names have not fallen into oblivion.

84
00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,500
Nobody knows the architect or architects who designed the Roman Colosseum,

85
00:05:12,500 --> 00:05:16,500
nor the great Baths of Caracalla, nor any other major Roman monument.

86
00:05:16,700 --> 00:05:22,500
None of these talented architects left behind their name in History, because

87
00:05:22,700 --> 00:05:27,000
their status did not make them public figures in any way.

88
00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:28,600
They took orders.

89
00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:34,000
The army would give the order to build something, and the employee would do his job.

90
00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,500
There was no reason to do more.

90b
00:05:37,700 --> 00:05:42,500
What was their training?

91
00:05:42,700 --> 00:05:49,500
Vitruvius is the only architect who left us a rather comprehensive treatise,

92
00:05:49,500 --> 00:05:55,000
who explains how architects were trained,  and how they worked.

93
00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,500
The entire method is explained in this treatise

94
00:05:58,500 --> 00:06:00,800
which refers to architects who came before him

95
00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,800
from Greek times, which was before Rome.

96
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:10,600
This treatise by Vitruvius provides a great deal of information. It's a compendium of knowledge.

97
00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,000
Then, there's experience.

98
00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,500
Some of these architect-engineers travelled.

99
00:06:17,700 --> 00:06:21,500
It's very easy to go from Arles to Nîmes or from Nîmes to Arles.

100
00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:26,500
The person or his assistants may have worked on these two construction sites.

101
00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:30,000
People moved around, knew things, and were familiar with the methods.

102
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,000
Vitruvius explains the method: how to draw a plan,

103
00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:37,000
make a representation using plans, make a model of an edifice.

104
00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,000
We have proof.

105
00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:46,000
There was a method to follow, as well as hands-on training and in the workshops.

106
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,500
People had to learn and acquire all of this technical knowledge:

107
00:06:50,500 --> 00:06:53,500
the layouts of the monuments, the structure.

108
00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:58,800
A great deal of experience is required before engaging in a project of this scale.

108b
00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:04,000
How many amphitheaters are there in the world?

109
00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,000
The number of amphitheaters identified in the world continues to grow.

110
00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:16,000
We have identified 200 to 250, if we cite those attested to in documents.

111
00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:21,000
Our archeology colleagues inform us about the discovery of an amphitheater very often.

112
00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,000
It's quite common.

113
00:07:23,500 --> 00:07:29,000
We will continue discovering them, because almost all cities had one,

114
00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,200
at least the relatively important cities.

114b
00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:38,200
Which one is the oldest?

115
00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:43,200
We have reason to believe that the oldest amphitheater is the one in Pompeii.

116
00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,200
Why? First of all, because it is clearly dated.

117
00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,400
75 BCE. The date is in the dedication inscription on the monument.

118
00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:56,000
But there is also its shape. It's the only amphitheater with an odd, composite shape.

119
00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,400
The base has an the archaic shape of a monument built

120
00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:04,800
with two semi-circular ends and a rectangular middle part.

121
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,000
Its base is clearly an  archaic construction

122
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,000
and then, suddenly, inside there is an elliptical arena.

123
00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:18,500
We have the impression that the original project was for an old-style edifice

124
00:08:18,500 --> 00:08:21,800
with the archaic shape of this kind of monument.

125
00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,800
Then in Rome, they invented the ideal shape, the elliptical shape,

126
00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,500
and the construction was continued in Pompeii with the new formula,

127
00:08:30,500 --> 00:08:34,800
which makes the Pompeii Amphitheater a hybrid amphitheater, and it's the only one.

128
00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:39,800
If the Pompeii Amphitheater hadn't been a turning point, there would have been other

129
00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,800
hybrid edifices, with an odd shape.  It's the only one.

130
00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:46,200
It seems to mark a clear transition.

131
00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,000
So it has been declared to be the oldest stone monument.

132
00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,400
The first stone version of the elliptical amphitheater.

132b
00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:59,300
Which one was  built last?

133
00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:06,400
The final amphitheaters built date from the early third century CE,

134
00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,000
such as the Palais Gallien in Bordeaux, for example,

135
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,800
and the El Jem Amphitheater (also known as the Thysdrus Colosseum), in Tunisia.

136
00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:17,400
It dates from the early third century CE.

137
00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:22,600
It is one of the last monuments that inherited the enhancements made to previous ones.

138
00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:32,600
The latest amphitheaters date from the early third century

139
00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:39,200
before the crisis of the third century and as of 328 CE

140
00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,000
no more were built

141
00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,000
because there were no more investors,

142
00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,800
no large enough fortunes that could finance shows that are so expensive.

143
00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:56,400
Some gladiatorial combats continued in the fourth century

144
00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,800
These combats are attested to in mosaics and other sources.

145
00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,500
But edifices of this size were no longer built after the third century.