Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

AMPIIITIIEATRUJi. 22 AMPHITIIEATRUM.

instances at least, a sort of net-work affixed
10 the top of the podium, consisting of railing,
or rather open trellis-work of metal. As
a further defence, ditches, called etiripi, some-
times surrounded the arena. The term po-
dium was also applied to the terrace, or gallery
itself, immediately above the arena, which
was no wider than to be capable of containing
two, or at the most, three ranges of moveable
seats, or chairs. This, as being by far the
best situation for distinctly viewing the sports
in the arena, and also more commodiously
accessible than the seats higher up, was the

place set apart for senators and other persons
of distinction, such as foreign ambassadors ;
and it was here, also, that the emperor him-
self used to sit, in an elevated place, called
suggestus or ouhiculum, and likewise the
person who exhibited the games on a place
elevated like a pulpit or tribunal (edit oris
tribunal J. Above the podium were the gra-
dus, or scats of the other spectators, which
were divided into maeniana, or stories. The
first maenianum, consisting of fourteen rows
of stone or marble seats, was appropriated
to the equestrian order. The seats appro-

Longitudinal Section of the Flavian Amphitheatre.

■L

Elevation of one side of the preceding Section.

EXPLANATION.

a, The arena.

p, The wall or podium inclosing it.

r, The podium itself, on which were chairs, or seats, for

the senators, &c,
h/, The first maenianum, or slope of benches, for the |

equestrian order.
«//, The second maenianum.

ii///, The third maenianum, elevated considerably above
the preceding one, and appropriated to the pullati.

w, The colonnade, or gallery, which contained seats for
women.

i, The narrow gallery round the summit of the interior,
for the attendants who worked the velarium.

prt pr, The prrecinctiones, or landings, at the top of the
first and second maenianum; in the pavement of
which were grated apertures, at intervals, to admit
light into the vomitoria beneath them.
| v v v v, Vomitoria.^
g g «, The three external galleries through the circum-
ference of the building, open to the arcades of the
exterior.
g g, Inner gallery.

The situation and arrangement of the staircases, &c., are
not expressed, as they could not be rendered intelligible
without plans at various levels of the building.