Arcaded Court of the Gladiators, Pompeii Amphitheatre.

The construction of the amphitheater began immediately following the foundation of Pompeii as a military colony by Sulla in 80 BC. Two local officials, Quinctius Valgus and Marcius Porcius, built the amphitheater at private expense. It could seat around 20,000 people and served not only the citizens of Pompeii but also the inhabitants of surrounding towns. Caius Cuspius Pansa and his son of the same name restored the amphitheater after the earthquake of AD 62.

The amphitheater is situated in the southeastern part of Pompeii. The arena was excavated about six meters below the existing ground level, and the earth was then used against the city walls as a substructure to support half the seating area. Two double stairways are located on the west side and two simple stairways on the north and south. The arena is elliptical and surrounded by a parapet more than two meters high, originally painted with scenes of animal hunts and of gladiatorial matches. Some of the sectors had stone seats, but wooden tiers were prevalent.

A large training field (palaestra) was situated right next to the amphitheater. A smaller training area, surrounded by gladiators barracks, was located some distance away, behind the theater complex.

The image located at the upper left is a detail from a fresco found in the house of Actius Anicetus that depicts the riot between the inhabitants of Pompeii and Nuceria during a gladiatorial show in AD 59. A section of the awning (velarium) that protected spectators against the sun can be seen.

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