Two thousand years ago, when the mighty Roman emperors ruled over a significant part of the world, they built large public stadium-like entertainment complexes called amphitheatres. These were large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating and staged events such as gladiator combats, wild beast shows, races and executions – anything to keep the populace happy. Nearly every town with more than a few thousand people had its own stone amphitheatre, all over the Roman Empire from Syria to Spain, and from England to Tunisia. The larger Roman amphitheatres could hold around 20,000 people while the famous Colosseum in Rome, the largest Roman amphitheatre, could cater for 50,000.
-Amusing Planet
