.jpg)
ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
AMPHITHEATRE
OF GORTYS
Information
|
Description
of the
monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
Report
 |
The Amphitheatre of Gortys is situated at the southeast end of the
city and was built in the 2nd c. AD. Maffei
asserts that it resembled the Colosseum in Rome. Today it is
filled in to such an extent that the plan of the structure
is hard to recognise. |
|
|
|
Description
of the monument
The Gortys archaeological site is located in Gortyna Municipality, in Crete. The
Amphitheatre is situated at the southeast end of the city and was built in the 2nd
c. AD.
Maffei asserts that it resembled the Colosseum in Rome. According to O. Belli’s description, as quoted by Sanders, the theatre was built of stout, massive walls of concrete faced with brickwork. The outer wall consisted of 56 arches in two rows, probably with a portico at the rounded apex. There were four entrances along the axes and two sections of seats inside. The internal dimensions are 66 m along the N-S axis and 50 m along the E-W axis.
On the west side were revealed sections of a wall. These are most probably the remains of a façade, between two towers with internal staircases. This was probably the site of the main staircase, in which there was a niche containing a statue. The head of the statue is housed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and supposedly represents Antoninus Pius. The rest of the statue is also preserved. It is a seated figure in a toga (in Sanders’s time it was still in situ, while today it is in the Gortys Archaeological Site, in the courtyard outside the Sculpture Collection). If does indeed represent the emperor, he may have been responsible for the construction of the Amphitheatre. It has also been argued, however, that the statue depicts one of the High Priests of the Cretan Koinon, Volumnius Sabinus, who organised games under imperial licence in the 3rd c. AD.
Another statue from the Amphitheatre is now in the British Museum. It is a female figure in a pleated garment, standing on a boy, with a griffin to the right and a serpent to the left. It may represent Nemesis.
Fragments of the Amphitheatre epistyle have been preserved. They are exquisitely carved out of local limestone. Relief figures can be discerned, such as a Medusa head, a lion, a dove, a ram’s head and an eagle with a serpent.
A brief excavation of the monument was carried out in the early 20th century. Today it is filled in to such an extent that the ground plan of the structure is hard to recognise.
Maria
Bredaki
Archaeologist
Photo
Gallery
 |
Plan |
Scientific
Report
| Monument Name |
Amphitheatre
of
Gortys |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
Amphitheatre
is
situated
at
the
southeast
end
of
the
city
and
was
built
in
the
2nd
c.
AD.
Maffei
asserts
that
it
resembled
the
Colosseum
in
Rome.
Today
it
is
filled
in
to
such
an
extent
that
the
plan
of
the
structure
is
hard
to
recognise. |
| Images - Plans |
- |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
1.
I.
F.
Sanders,
Roman
Crete,
Warminster
1982,
63-65.
2. A. di Vita, V. La Rosa & M. A. Rizzo (eds), Ancient Crete. A Hundred Years of Italian Archaeology (1884-1984), Roma 1985, 59.
3.
Α.
Κάντα,
Φαιστός,
Αγία
Τριάδα,
Γόρτυνα,
Athens
1998,
p.
133. |
| Location |
The
archaeological
site
of
Gortys
is
located
in
Gortyna
Municipality. |
| Dating |
Built
in
the
2nd
c.
AD. |
|
General Description of Monument
|
The
Amphitheatre
is
situated
at
the
southeast
end
of
the
city.
Maffei
asserts
that
it
resembled
the
Colosseum
in
Rome.
According
to
O.
Belli’s
description,
as
quoted
by
Sanders,
the
theatre
presented
the
following
aspect:
it
was
built
of
stout,
massive
walls
of
concrete
faced
with
brickwork.
The
outer
wall
consisted
of
56
arches
in
two
rows,
probably
with
a
portico
at
the
rounded
apex.
There
were
four
entrances
along
the
axes
and
two
sections
of
seats
inside.
The
internal
dimensions
(measured
following
the
clearing
of
the
area
by
I.
F.
Sanders)
are
66 m
N-S
and
50 m
E-W.
On
the
west
side
were
revealed
sections
of a
wall
3 m
distant.
These
are
most
probably
the
remains
of a
façade
between
two
towers
with
internal
staircases.
This
was
probably
the
site
of
the
main
staircase,
in
which
there
was
a
niche
containing
a
statue.
The
head
of
the
statue
is
housed
in
the
Heraklion
Archaeological
Museum
(cat.
no.
73)
and
supposedly
represents
Antoninus
Pius.
The
rest
of
the
statue
is
also
preserved.
It
is a
seated
figure
in a
toga
(in
Sanders’
time
it
was
still
in
situ,
while
today
it
is
in
the
Gortys
Archaeological
Site,
in
the
courtyard
outside
the
Sculpture
Collection).
If
it
is
indeed
the
emperor,
he
may
have
been
responsible
for
the
construction
of
the
Amphitheatre.
It
has
also
been
argued,
however,
that
the
statue
depicts
one
of
the
Great
Priests
of
the
Cretan
Koinon,
Volumnius
Sabinus,
who
organised
games
under
imperial
licence
sometime
in
the
3rd
c.
AD.
The
statue
probably
belongs
to
the
Aphrodisian
School.
Another
statue
from
the
Amphitheatre
is
now
in
the
British
Museum.
It
is a
female
figure
in a
pleated
garment,
standing
on a
boy,
with
a
griffin
to
the
right
and
a
serpent
to
the
left,
probably
representing
Nemesis.
Fragments
of
the
Amphitheatre
epistyle
have
been
preserved.
They
are
exquisitely
carved
out
of
local
limestone.
Relief
figures
can
be
discerned,
such
as a
Medusa
head,
a
lion,
a
dove,
a
ram’s
head
and
an
eagle
with
a
serpent.
A
fragment
with
decoration
of
plants
and
bucrania
is
probably
part
of
an
arch.
The
sculptures
have
parallels
from
Asia
Minor
and
cities
such
as
Aspendos,
Sagalassos
and
Thermessos,
and
are
dated
to
the
2nd
c.
AD.
Today
the
monument
is
filled
in
to
such
an
extent
that
the
ground
plan
of
the
structure
is
hard
to
recognise. |
| Current Situation |
- |
| Excavations - Interventions |
A
brief
excavation
was
carried
out
by
the
Italian
School
of
Archaeology
at
Athens
in
the
early
20th
century. |
| Permitted Uses |
- |
|
History of Modern Uses |
- |
| Further Information |
- |
| Intellectual Rights |
- |
| Jurisdiction |
Located
in
the
Gortys
archaeological
site. |
|
Latitude |
- |
| Longitude |
- |
| Altitude |
0 |
| Google Earth |
Link |
