AMPHITHEATRE AT POZZUOLI, NEAR NAPLES.
Description of Plate XXXII.
THE AMPHITHEATRE AT POZZUOLI, NEAR NAPLES.
In this instance the arena has fortunately been preserved, with the trap-doors in it; those round the edge being for wild beasts, the others for men and dogs, and the central passage as in the Colosseum. We see that the central passage has been boarded over also. The arrangement of the seats in the galleries is also the same, and the tufa wall behind probably indicates that there was an awning over the galleries in the same manner. This confirms one part of the history of the Colosseum, and the Amphitheatre at Capua confirms another part, the canals for the naumachia or naval battles, although these were evidently very different from what had formerly been supposed. At each end of the part that is uncovered of the central passage it will be observed that there is a short post, looking very much like a capstan for winding a cord upon, as in Rome, although in this instance they are square and on the surface, and not on the pavement below. Each of the openings to the trap-doors has a groove round it, for a cover to fit into; possibly this was made water-tight, so that the whole surface could be flooded. The central passage has the same sort of groove sunk round it. The same arrangement may have been used in the Colosseum, but in that case there is the difficulty of the interval between the podium of the lower gallery and the floor of the arena, which does not appear to have existed at Pozzuoli. This would have made it impracticable to flood the whole surface at Rome, which might have been done at Pozzuoli.
THE COLOSSEUM.
PLATE XXXIII.
AMPHITHEATRE AT POZZUOLI.
Plan.
AMPHITHEATRE AT POZZUOLI—PLAN
Description of Plate XXXIII.
AMPHITHEATRE AT POZZUOLI.
Plan.