ABSTRACT
In answer to the request, ‘Name one example of a Roman amphitheatre’, most people would reply, ‘The Colosseum’.1 It represents, as no other monument, the amphitheatre. The powerful associations and images conjured up by the words ‘The Colosseum’ convey both the majesty and might of the Roman empire. It dominates the space it occupies, towering above the surrounding streets and buildings. It is at once both a symbol and a metaphor for the imperial might of the Roman empire that dominated the ancient Mediterranean world. The story of the amphitheatre and its spectacles from their origins through the zenith of their development and into the decline and eventual fall provides a unique insight into the evolution and fall of the Roman empire itself.
