Chap. IV.

ROMAN.

Ill

travertine, with the three spaces between filled in with pepperino, or a softer stone. The vaultsover the corridors and staircases are turned with rubble, very roughly executed, the good-ness of the mortar or cement constituting its strength. After the piers and division wallswere carried up to their proper heights, boarded centres were placed, on which the rubblewas laid and grouted together: many of the divisions still show’ the marks of the planksused, which were laid longitudinally. The vaults being turned over the entire space,comprised within 116 feet, or from the face of the present podium to the back of thewall, which shut out the corridors on the level with the Corinthian order of columns, andfloated to a uniform inclination, received the marble seats, which were 3 feet 5 inchesin width, placed one upon the other, so as to allow a seat of 2 feet 5 inches wide.

Some idea may be formed of the number of persons it contained, by allowing a space of15 inches to each, or an area of 3 superficial feet: as the total area of seats which covered theinterior was 209,229 feet, the number that might be accommodated was 70,000, withoutcomprising those seated on the podium, now destroyed.

The staircases conducting to the several vomitories were admirably constructed, and builtof stone.

From the second corridor was the ascent to that immediately over it, by twenty flightsof double staircases, easy in their rise, each having three spacious landings. The samecorridor w r as arrived at by sixteen other staircases, which commenced in the third corridor:these had an easy rise, and a wide landing in the middle of the flight. From the last namedcorridor, sixteen other staircases led to the seats over the fourth corridor ; there beingfifty-two staircases from the ground floor to the corridors and vomitories above.

Sixteen flights of twenty-eight steps conducted from the third corridor of the Ionic orderto the first mezzonine obtained under the vault of the second corridor of this story :sixteen other staircases led from hence to the corridors of the Corinthian order.

From the second corridor of the Ionic range were sixteen staircases, which led to thethird range of vomitories.

Twenty-four flights passed through the upper mezzonine, and eighteen conducted to thetop of the platform, on which the arrangements were made for the adjustment of thevela. The fourth corridor, on the ground floor, was paved with marble, 5 inches in thick-ness ; the others with travertine in large slabs; and great attention was paid to the carryingoifthe waters, and effectually draining the entire building.

In the year 1818 the writer was occupied for many months in measuring this splendidedifice; and to the numerous drawings published in the “ Roman Antiquities,” he mustrefer the reader for a more detailed account of its arrangement and distribution, being ableto vouch for the dimensions there given.

The Amphitheatre at Nismes , from some fragments of an inscription found, is supposed tohave been built between the years 77 and 82 of the Christian era.

Its plan is that of an ellipsis, the longer axis of which, measured on the external facing atthe pedestals of the eastern and western entrance, is 437 feet 6 inches ; and the short axis,measured also at the faces of the pedestals, 332 feet 6 inches. The interior, measuredwithin the podium, the longer diameter is 226 feet 8 inches, and the shorter diameter 125 feet9 inches ; from thence it results the thickness or depth of the construction from east to west is103 feet 4 inches, and from north to south 103 feet, which difference is accounted for bythe projection of the pedestals at the east and west ends.

The four entrances, answering to the four cardinal points, were the only communicationswith the arena. It appears by the dimensions, that those to the east and west weredestined for the use of the spectators, the others being reserved for the service of thearena. The east and west entrances were 13 feet 4 inches wide, and those north and southonly 3 feet 6 inches; the former led to the arena by an inclined plane, the latter by steps.

All the division walls are set out at equal distances on the out as 'well as on the inside.The exterior circumference, and interior, around the podium, were divided into sixty equalparts, setting off* from the two axes, on w’hich were the centres of all the stairs, porticoes,and rampant vaults. Between the centre of each of these sixty divisions a line was traced,on w’hich the walls were set out. The divisions and their corresponding parts are ofa uniform width, which must have occasioned great difficulty in the execution, althoughaffording facility for the internal distributions.

The plinth of the exterior porticoes is elevated 7 feet 9 inches above that of the wall ofthe podium.

The total height of the amphitheatre is 70 feet; the lower order, 33 feet; the upper, 29feet 8 inches ; and the attic, 6 feet 4 inches.

The foundations of the external pilasters are placed 8 feet 10 inches below the plinth,and the wall of the podium rests on a simple plinth a foot in height. If to this is added7 feet 9 inches, the height of the external plinth above the podium, w T e have a heightof 8 feet 10 inches, which is the depth of the external foundations below the plinths. It isevident, therefore, that all the foundations were made on a level. After the plan was traced,the ground was taken out to a depth of three feet, and filled with concrete. Sixty arcades