78 ARCHITECTURE. 
In the year 72 a. p. Vespasian began the colossal amphitheatre of Flavian, 
known by the name of the Coliseum, of which we have given a general view 
and section in pl. 14, fig. 2, and in fig. 8, the half ground plan. The build- 
ing was completed by Titus, and occupied only afew years. The ground 
shape of this theatre is elliptical. The longer diameter is more than 600 feet, 
the shorter more than 500. Eighty small arcades on the circumference led to 
two galleries on the ground floor, parallel with the outer circumference. The 
public passed by 24 passages which led to the first places, into two other 
concentric galleries, before which were the podia for the senators, vestals, — 
ambassadors, &c. and behind which were the seats for the knights. These 
places occupied the first twelve rows of seats, and those of the knights the 
next 17. The populace ascended to the third story upon the numerous stair- 
cases of the various galleries, and in the fourth or highest story sat the 
freedmen, servants, and women of pleasure. They reached their places by 
a staircase over the arches of the gallery of the second story. There were 
broad entrances from the sides and ends of the area to the first places, and 
to the box of the emperor, which was distinguished by an elaborate projec- 
tion. The arrangements for seats formed a ring of 60 feet in thickness, and 
provided accommodation for 87,000 people. The area left in the centre served 
for the combats of beasts and gladiators, &c. The exterior ornament con- 
sisted of three tiers of 80 arcades, the first Doric, the second Ionic, the third 
Corinthian. The upper story formed an attic with Corinthian pilasters 
and 40 windows. Between every two pilasters were three consoles, conse- 
quently 240 in all, each one of which bore a bronze support which passed 
through the cornice, and which altogether held the pulleys upon which the 
velarium was drawn. In the various arcades stood statues, chariots, &c. 
Plate 14 jig. 4, shows a section of the amphitheatre at Verona, and jig. 5 
that of the amphitheatre of Nismes, from a comparison with which it 
will be seen how gigantic a building the Coliseum was. The amphitheatre 
of Nismes, which was oval, was somewhat over 400 feet in length, and over 
300 feet in breadth. 
Besides architectural works Vespasian did much for the highways, and 
the Flaminian way, which embraces an archway through the rock Petra per- 
tusa (Pierre pertuis of modern times) 1000 feet long, was completed the 
year of his death. 
7. Trrus. During the reign of this emperor more was destroyed than was 
rebuilt. For, in the 79th year of our era, occurred the memorable eruption 
of Vesuvius, which laid waste the surrounding country, and shook the 
entire city, and shortly after a fire broke out in Rome that destroyed the 
finest and fairest part of the city, the buildings of Nero in the Campus 
Martius, the Temple of Isis, the Baths, &c., and also injured the Pantheon, 
and the Porch of Octavia. It was not until his successor that the loss 
was replaced. 
As the destruction of the Campanian cities occurred in the reign of Titus, 
this seems the proper place to speak of the present condition of the excavated 
towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabize. Ofthe last very little has been 
hitherto discovered. In Herculaneum the excavation was undertaken with 
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