ABSTRACT
The quiet town of El Djem was in Roman times the major settlement of Thysdrus. The wealth of Thysdrus came from a combination of two factors: its geographical location and the cultivation of olive trees. During the second century AD an African bourgeoisie developed in Thysdrus based on the agricultural wealth of the region in wheat cultivation and olive oil production. The amphitheatre is the most important ruin from the times of ancient Rome in Africa, and is in fact the third amphitheatre to be built in Thysdrus. By the 6th century AD the amphitheatre had been turned into a fortress and is traditionally claimed to be the site of the last stand of the Berber queen A1 Kahina against the Arab invasion. During the 20th century the amphitheatre is a major tourist attraction, with plays, music and opera all staged in the amphitheatre several times a year, a direct reflection of its original function as a place of entertainment.
