Amphitheatre

An amphitheatre is an open air venue built for entertainment, performances and sports, its name combining the Greek words for on both sides and place for viewing. Ancient Greek theatres were typically semicircular and cut into hillsides, while Roman amphitheatres took an oval or circular plan with tiered seating surrounding a central arena, the earliest known example built at Pompeii around 70 BC. The Colosseum in Rome, completed around 80 AD, and the Arles Amphitheatre in France remain among the most famous survivors. After gladiatorial games ended in the fifth century and animal hunts in the sixth, many Roman amphitheatres fell into disrepair or were repurposed as fortifications, though the form continued and today also describes modern outdoor venues such as the Hollywood Bowl.