Amphittieatres of Roman Britain: A Study of their Classes, Architecture and Uses by Véronique Den iger A thesis submitted to the Department of Classics in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Queen's University Kingston, Ontario, Canada August 1997 copyright O Véronique Deniger, 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 ûttawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Yuur rVe Votre niterence Our file Nme retérence The author has pteda non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Librv of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distriibute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/fïlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantid extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT The last decade has seen renewed interest in amphitheatre studies and tne publication of several important monographs. However, neither older works nor the recent publications focus on the amphitheatres of Roman Britain. The amphitheatres of this province have never been the subject of a regional survey. This thesis is a study of the classes, architecture and uses of Romano-British amphitheatres. Such a study is usefiil in providing an understanding of the architectural characteristics of Romano-British amphitheatres, the manner in which they differed from and resembled those in other parts of the Empire and of the types of activities for which they were used. Chapter One centres on the military amphitheatre class. It opens with general information on the sites of military amphitheatres and with an architectural study of the three monuments (the Chester, Caerleon and Tomen-y-mur amphitheatres) belonging to this class. The information provided in this section was obtained from archaeological reports, works on arnphitheatres and works on Roman Britain. The chapter concludes with an examination of physical, epigraphical and literary evidence, the aim of which is to gain insight into the function of these buildings. Chapter Two focuses on urban amphitheatres. It begins with an architectural study of the ten facilities of this category (the amphitheatres at Silchester, Dorchester, Cirencester, Chichester, London, Richborough, Carmarthen, Aldborough, Caistùr St. Edmund, Caerwent). ïhe information found in this section also cornes from excavation reports, works on Roman Britain and works on amphitheatres. This chapter likewise concludes with an exam ination of physical, epigraphical and literary evidence, the purpose of which is to shed Iight on the function of urban amphitheatres. Chapter Three focuses on rural amphitheatres, an enigmatic group of buildings. Five monuments, including three positiveIy identified amphitheatres (those at Charterhouse-on-Mendip, Frilford and Catterick) and two earthworks tentatively identified as amphitheatres (the Woodcuts and Winterslow earthworks) are considered. The chapter begins with an overview of the monuments' sites and a study of their architectural characteristics. Excavation reports constitute the chief source of information. A brief discussion of various hypotheses as to their uses concludes the chapter. CONTENTS ABSrnCT 1 *.- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 111 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS i v ABBRlEVLGTIONS viii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE: Mn-IITARY AMPHITHEATRES 19 1. The Legionary Amphitheatres 20 The Chester Fortress Timber Arnphitheatre (Chester 1) 20 Stone Amphitheatres of CaerIeon and Chester Fortresses 28 II. The Auxiliary Amphitheatre at Tomen-y-mur 50 III. General Considerations 53 IV. Uses of MiIitary Amphitheatres 56 V. Nature of the Spectacles Staged in Military Amphitheatres 6 1 CHAPTER TWO: URBAN AMPHITHEATRES 84 1. First Century Urban Amphitheatres 86 Features of First Century Urban Amphitheatres 92 II. Second Century Urban Am ph itheatres 1 O3 Features of Second Century Urban Amphitheatres 1O6 III. Third Century Urban Arnphitheatres 113 IV. Urban Amphitheatres in the Fourth Century 1 I7 V. Builders of Urban Amphitheatres 119 VI. Uses of Urban Amphitheatres 119 CHAPTER THREE: RURAL AMPHITHEATRES 1. Small Towns Possessing an Arnphitheatre II. The Rural Arnphitheatres III. Builders of Rural Amphitheatres IV, Uses of Rural Arnphitheatres CONCLUSIONS GLOSSAFtY ILLUSTRATIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY CURRICULUM VITAE 1 wish tu express my thanks to my supervisor Dr. Anne Foley for the help and guidance stie has provided me in writing this thesis. 1 wou1d also like thank Dr. Johannes vanderleest. of Mount Ailison University. who was instrumental in the selection of the topic. as well as Dr. Ivan Cohen. head of Mount Allison Universiq's department of Classics, for his encoura_eernent. 1 am also indebted to bfr. Geoff Brown. assistant cuntor of the Dalhousie University Map Collection. for creating the map showing British arnphitheatre sites which accompanies this thesis. Finally. 1 would Iike to express my gratitude to rny mothet for her support, patience and assistance. S.. Ill LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Map of arnphitheatre sites in Britain. Map by Geoff Brown, Dalhousie University Map Collection. 2. Structural types of arnphitheatres. (a) Type la amphitheatre: timber seating on earth banks; (b) Type Ia arnphitheatre: stone seating on earth banks; (c) Type Ib arnphitheatre: earth banks divided into large sections by radial walls; (d) Type Ib amphitheatre: earth banks divided into small sections by radial walIs; (e) Type II amphitheatre: seating supported on radial walls mfed with vaults. Reproduced from Jean-Claude Golvin, L'Amphithéâtre romain: essai sur la théorisation de sa forme et de ses fonctions (Paris: Centre Pierre Paris, 1988), plate II(a)-(e). 3.(a) Diagram of an arnphitheatre. 3.(b) Restored section and elevation of the cavea of the amphitheatre at Pola. Reproduced from Anthony Rich, A Dictionary of Roman and Greek Antiauities, 4th ed. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1874), 29. 4. Plan of Chester legionary fortress. Reproduced from F. H. Thompson, Roman Cheshire (Chester: Cheshire Cornmunity Council, 1965), figure 4, facing p. 25. S. Plan of Chester timber and stone arnphitheatres. Reproduced from F. H. Thompson, The Roman Arn~hitheatreat Chester (Edinburgh: Department of Environment, 1972), 6-7. 6. Reconstruction of the Chester timber amphitheatre's seating and framing. Reproduced from F. H. Thompson, "The Excavation of the Roman Amphitheatre at Chester," Archaeolopia, 105 (1976): 229, fig. 49. 7. Line drawing of the stone and timber amphitheatre on Trajan's Column. Reproduced from George C. Boon, Isca: the Roman Legionarv Foriress at Caerleon. Mon. (Cardifi: The National Museum of Wales, 1972), 95, fig. 6 1. 8. The three phases of the Caerleon amphitheatre: (a) Period 1; (b) Period II; (c) Period III. Reproduced from George C. Boon, Jsca: the Roman Legionary Fortress at Caerleon. Mon. (Cardiff: The National Museum of Wales, 1972), 90-91, figs 55-56. 9. Plan of the Tomen-y-muramphitheatre. Reproduced from Jean-Claude Golvin, L'Arn~hithéStre roman: Essai sur la théorisation de sa forme et de ses fonctions (Paris: Publications du Centre Pierre Paris, 1988), plate X.3. 10. Plan of the Silchester amphitheatre showing the Roman timber and stone phases. Reproduced from Michael Fulford, "Excavations on the Sites of the Amphitheatre and the Fomm- Basilica at Silchester, Hampshire: an interim report," Antiquaries Journal, 65 (1985): 62, fig. 9. 1 1. General plan of Richborough showing amphitheatre. Reproduced from B. W. Cunl iffe, ed., Fifth Report on the Excavations ofthe Roman Fort at Richboroueh. Kent (London: Report of the Research Cornmittee of the Society of Antiquaries of London, 1968), 230, tig. 25. 12. Plan of the Dorchester arnphitheatre. Reproduced from John Wacher, The Towns of Roman Britain (London: B. T. Batsford Ltd, 1974), fig. 14(1). 13. Plan of the Chichester arnphitheatre. Reproduced from John Wacher, The Towns of Roman Britain (London: B. T. Batsford Ltd, 1974), fig. 14(2). 14. Plan of the Cirencester amphitheatre. Reproduced from John Wacher, The Towns of Roman Britain (London: B. T. Batsford Ltd, I974), fig. 15(1). 15. Plan of the London amphitheatre. Reproduced from S. S. Frere, "Roman Britain in 1987," Britannia, 19 (1 988): 462, fig. 2 1. 16. Reconstruction of terracing on the seating bank in the timber phase of the Silchester arnphitheatre. Reproduced from MichaeI Fulford, "Excavations on the Sites of the Am ph itheatre and the Forum-Basil ica at S ilchester, Hampshire: an interim report," Antiquaries Journal, 65 (1985): 67, fig. 12. 17. Gutline reconstruction of the original Roman layout (recess to Ieft and post trenches to right) of the Dorchester amphitheatre. Reproduced from Richard Bradley, "Maumbury Rings, Dorchester: The Excavations of 1908- 19 13," Archaeoloeia, 105 (1976): 52, fig. 15. 18. Plan of the Camarthen amphitheatre. Reproduced from J. H. Little, "The Carmarthen Amphitheatre," Carmarthenshire Antiauarv, 7 (1 97 1): 63, fig. 1. 19. Aldborough amphitheatre.