Amphitheatre facts for kids
An amphitheatre is a special open-air place used for shows, performances, and sports. The word comes from ancient Greek words: amphi, meaning "on both sides" or "around," and theatron, meaning "place for viewing."
Ancient Greek theatres were usually built on hillsides and shaped like a half-circle. The first Greek amphitheatre might have been built in Pompeii around 70 BC.
Ancient Roman amphitheatres were shaped like an oval or a circle. They had rows of seats all around a central area, much like a modern open-air stadium. This was different from ancient Greek and Roman theatres, which were shaped like a half-circle with seats on only one side.
Today, "amphitheatre" can mean any place with sloped seating. This includes stages with seats on one side, theatres where the audience sits all around the stage, and large stadiums. They can be indoors or outdoors.
Sometimes, natural landforms or rock formations that look like amphitheatres are called natural amphitheatres.
Roman Amphitheatres
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About 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found across the Roman Empire. Their shape, uses, and name make them different from Roman theatres, which were half-circles. They are also different from circuses, which were much longer tracks mainly for horse or chariot races. And they are different from smaller stadia, which were mostly for athletics and footraces.
Roman amphitheatres were round or oval. They had a central arena surrounded by many rows of seats. There were entrances that led to the arena floor, keeping the audience separate from the action.
Early amphitheatres were often temporary wooden structures. They were built for special events to honor important Roman people who had passed away. These events often included shows with gladiators. These shows were called munera, which means "gifts" or "entertainments." They were meant to honor the deceased, the Roman gods, and the community.
Some Roman writers thought that building permanent seats for everyone was too fancy. They believed it could harm traditional Roman values. The Roman Senate sometimes tried to stop these projects.
The first permanent Roman amphitheatre made of stone and wood was built in Rome in 29 BCE. Most Roman amphitheatres were built during the time of the Roman emperors, starting around 27 BCE. These imperial amphitheatres were built all over the Roman Empire. They were an important part of showing what it meant to be Roman.
There was no standard size for them. The largest ones could hold 40,000 to 60,000 people. The most impressive ones had many levels of arches and were decorated with marble and statues. The most famous and largest Roman amphitheatre is the Colosseum in Rome. It is also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, named after the Flavian family who built it.
After gladiator shows ended in the 5th century and animal hunts in the 6th century, most amphitheatres slowly fell apart. Their building materials were often taken and reused. Some were torn down, and others were turned into forts. A few continued to be used as open meeting places, and some even had churches built inside them.
Modern Amphitheatres
In modern times, an amphitheatre is a round, half-round, or curved space for performances. They are often outdoors and designed to make sound travel well. Modern amphitheatres often have structures called bandshells. These are sometimes curved or bowl-shaped, both behind the stage and behind the audience. They help to echo or make sound louder, which is great for music or plays. Smaller amphitheatres can be used for local community shows.
Famous modern amphitheatres include the Shoreline Amphitheatre and the Hollywood Bowl. The word "amphitheatre" is also used for some indoor places, like the former Gibson Amphitheatre.
Natural Amphitheatres
A natural amphitheatre is a performance space found in nature. It's a place where a steep mountain or a special rock formation naturally makes sound louder or creates an echo. This makes it perfect for music and theatre, even if no stage has been built there.
Well-known natural amphitheatres include the Drakensberg Amphitheatre in South Africa and the Red Rocks in the western United States.
There is proof that the Anasazi people used natural amphitheatres for music performances long ago. One large built performance area was found in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.
See also
In Spanish: Anfiteatro para niños
- Odeon (building)
- Colosseum
- Ancient theatres
- Theatre of ancient Greece
- List of ancient Greek theatres
- Arena
- Thingplatz
- List of Roman amphitheatres
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- List of indoor arenas
