The Battle of the Elliptical vs. the Oval at the Pompeii Amphitheater

In Pompeii, our first stop was the amphitheater. This amphitheater is the oldest one that’s still standing, and it was also one of the first attempts to apply a new geometric scheme to architectural design.[1] When you walk up to the amphitheater, it really takes a minute to appreciate the size of this monument and the fact that it is still standing today despite an earthquake, eruption and roughly 2 000 years. It really makes you wonder how the ancient Pompeiians were able to execute such a feat. The first step was to level the ground, this included excavations of south and east and raising of the north and west sides.[2] [3] This resulted in certain parts of the theatre being below ground level and certain parts of the cavea were above ground level.[4] They then had to measure the shape, this was done using something called a “electronic theodolite,” this device used a reflecting prisma that was moved in intervals to measure perimeter.[5] After applying a variety of analyses to the shape of the amphitheater, Duvernoy and Rosin were able to conclude that the amphitheater at Pompeii was constructed in an elliptic shape, which quite rare in architecture.[6] It was quite amazing to think about how much time, intelligence and care was put into this building. Come back for part two where we will be diving into the materials used to build the amphitheater.

Aerial view of the amphitheater showing the full elliptical shape. 

Image credit: Mike Seaman

Inside of the amphitheater showing the curvature from the inside. 

Image credit: Alayna Krueger

Entrance into the amphitheater showing the downward slope that leads to the portion that is below ground level. 


Image credit: Alayna Krueger

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[1] Duvernoy, Sylvie. “Architecture and Mathematics in Roman Amphitheatres.” Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future, April 10, 2014, 189–99. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-00137-1_13.

[2] Duvernoy, 194.

[3] Dobbins, John Joseph, and Pedar William Foss. The World of Pompeii. New York, New York: Routledge, 2007. 121.

[4] Duvernoy, Sylvie, and Paul L. Rosin. “The Compass, the Ruler and the Computer: An Analysis of the Design of the Amphitheatre of Pompeii.” Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future, May 7, 2014, 525–40. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-00143-2_36.

[5] Duvernoy, 194.

[6] Duvernoy and Rosin, 539.

Bibliography

Dobbins, John Joseph, and Pedar William Foss. The World of Pompeii. New York, New York: Routledge, 2007.

Duvernoy, Sylvie. “Architecture and Mathematics in Roman Amphitheatres.” Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future, April 10, 2014, 189–99. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-00137-1_13.

Duvernoy, Sylvie, and Paul L. Rosin. “The Compass, the Ruler and the Computer: An Analysis of the Design of the Amphitheatre of Pompeii.” Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future, May 7, 2014, 525–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00143-2_36.