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Seating at the Colosseum
People sat on wooden
planks placed on the marble seats, but the elite were more
comfortable: the senators had cushions at first, then chairs
(folding stools) called curules (sella
curulis). Cushions were accorded to the equites (knights). Marble diagrams with
the seating arrangements marked on them were set in the
walls by the entrances.
Tickets to the Colosseum
Seating at the Colosseum -
the Entrance Gates
There were 76 entrance gate
arches in the Roman Colosseum, which were used by the
general public. There were also four special un-numbered
gates which were the Grand Entrances. The public entrances
were numbered providing easy access to the allocated seats.
The numbers were set in stone above each of the public
entrances, for example the
Roman Numerals
XXXVIII referred to Gate number 38. The special, un-numbered
gates, were used by the magistrates, emperor, wealthy
patricians, senators, visiting dignitaries and the Vestal
Virgins. The emperor could also access the Colosseum via a
richly decorated tunnel which started at the Imperial
Palace. Click the following link for more facts and
information about the
Colosseum Entrances
and Exits.
Seating at the Colosseum -
The Auditorium
(the Cavea)
The auditorium or seating
area of the Colosseum was called the cavea which surrounded
the central arena. The arena was the area of the Colosseum
where the events were held and was separated from the
seating areas by a massive wall, faced with marble. A large
ditch (euripi) providing even more protection. The cavea was
divided into four tiers. Each tier was divided into sections
(called the maeniana) by curved passages and low walls
(called the praecinctiones), and were subdivided into wedges
(called the cunei) accessed via the steps and aisles from
the
Vomitoria.
Each row (gradus) of seats was numbered, permitting each
individual seat to be exactly designated by its gradus,
cuneus, and number.
Seating at the Colosseum -
Social Structure
The Seating at the Colosseum
was divided into four main sections containing wedges of
seating stretching up and back from the edge of the arena (see
the above plan). The areas of seating reflected the social
status of the occupant in Roman society. The
Patricians and
Plebeians were
originally the only two classes of Romans but then the
Equites or Knights
were added. The Equites belonged to the social class that
was just below the level of senator, they had control
over administration and finance. Where a person sat in the
Colosseum and the
style of dress worn marked out immediately to
fellow Roman citizens precisely their position in Roman
social hierarchy. In c20 BC the Emperor Augustus introduced an
edict called the Lex Iulia Theatralis which stipulated the
seating arrangement of all the different classes in public
places like theatres, amphitheatres and circuses. These
rules were enforced all over the Empire and at the same time
he also banned women from public spectacles (although this
was relaxed later).
Seating at the Colosseum -
Tiers of Seating
Each of the four sectors
had tiers of seating:
- The first tier, called the
Podium (meaning place of honor), was reserved for the most important Romans - the Emperor,
the Vestal Virgins, the important priests and members of the
Roman Government
including the
Roman Senators.
The Podium was like a flat platform, or terrace, measuring
15ft wide
- 2nd Tier - Maenianum primum:
This seating was reserved for the non-senatorial noble class called
the Equites, or knights consisting of fourteen rows of stone or
marble seats
- 3rd Tier was originally
reserved for ordinary Roman citizens, the plebeians. Seating was
then divided into two sections:
Maenianum secundum imum
- the better, lower seats for the
wealthy plebeians
Maenianum secundum summum -
the upper seats for the poor plebeians
- 4th Tier -
Maenianum summum in ligneis: Consisted of steep wooden
seats which were set up in the gallery running around the very top wall
of the amphitheatre which were added during the reign of
Domitian
- This
would seat common women
- Slaves were strictly forbidden from the Colosseum
- Standing Room - there was standing room in the
top tier and in the aisles
- Some groups were banned
from the Colosseum including actors, gravediggers and former
gladiators
Seating at the Colosseum -
The Podium
The podium was a flat
marble platform, or terrace, which spanned around the first
tier of the arena. The Podium was about 15ft wide. Special boxes were provided at the north
and south ends respectively of the podium for the Emperor
and the Vestal Virgins. These seats provided the best views
of the arena. Seats on the podium were reserved for the most
elite Romans including the emperor and royal family, nobles,
senators, important priests or visiting dignitaries. The
names of some senators can still be seen carved into the
stonework of the Colosseum. The senators were allowed to
bring their own chairs which they moved about at will. These
chairs were in fact stools called curule chairs 'sella
curulis'. A curule chair was a stool supported on a
cross-frame. The curule chair was traditionally made of
ivory with curved legs which formed a wide 'X'. It had no
back. It was a stool with low arms. The curule chair could
be folded and therefore used as an easily transportable seat. The podium was spacious and wide enough to
take three curule chairs.
Seating at the Colosseum -
The Imperial Box, where the Emperor was seated
One of the most repeated
question of those visiting the Colosseum is "Where did the
emperor sit? The emperor took up a very
visible and prominent position which was located on the
podium at the centre of the narrower side of the arena on
the north side. There is now a cross to remember the
Christians that died in the arena. The Roman Emperors sat
where the cross is now placed. The elevated imperial box was erected on a platform called
the pulvinar which had stairs on one side. The Imperial box
was raised above the podium on a dais. There were four
columns, each surmounted by a statue of victory which
supported a canopy, or awning, over it. The Royal Box was accessed via a tunnel which led to
the Imperial palace. The elevated Imperial Box, from which the
emperor watched the games, was called the 'cubiculum'. A cubiculum
usually referred to a bedroom in a Roman house but it was
also applied to the Imperial box as the emperors could
recline in the cubicula, instead of sitting on a curule
chair (sella curulis).
The emperor sat or reclined on a bisellium which was a richly ornamented
chair or seat of honor at the
games. The bisellium was so called because there was room for two
people to sit on, although only one person ever sat there - the
Emperor. A total of 42 Roman Emperors witnessed the carnage
at the Roman Colosseum.
Specially Reserved Seating
at the Colosseum
Some people and
institutions that had places specially assigned in the cavea
of the Colosseum. These include the tribunes, the religious
sector including the Pontifices, the children from the
families of the nobility and their teachers.
Seating at the Colosseum
The content of this Seating at the Colosseum
category on life in Ancient Rome provides free educational
details, facts and information for reference and research
for schools, colleges and homework. Refer to the
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Seating at the Colosseum there is hardly a page of Roman history and the Romans that is not, on
some way, connected to the Roman Colosseum which became a
symbol of Rome, its society, culture and life.
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