Our trip to Tunisia continues! After thoroughly lying on the sunbeds by the sea and burned to the bone, we decided to move to the glorious city of El Jem.
Modern El-Jem stands on the site of an ancient Phoenician settlement, whose age, in contrast to the capital of the Phoenician kingdom - Carthage (founded in 814 BC), even scientists find it difficult to name. After a series of Punic wars between Rome and Carthage, the latter was destroyed in 146 BC. e. and turned into a colony. Moving south, the Roman Empire, presumably in 46 BC. e. founds the city of Tizdr (lat. Thysdrus), the future El-Jem.
The economic growth of the city takes place in II - beg. III century. Thanks to the local climate, huge olive plantations grow near the city. Olives at that time were not only a useful food product, but also a source of light, for example. Accordingly, olive oil was valued like oil or gold is now.
Local oligarchs soon appeared, enriched by importing olives. What do oligarchs like? That's right - spectacles and debauchery! So, in 230 AD. e. , by order of the proconsul Mark Antony Gordian (lat. Marcus Antonius Gordianus), the future emperor, the construction of an amphitheater, a la the Colosseum in Rome, began.
The local nobility enjoyed watching gladiator fights here with great pleasure. Even more entertainment was delivered by bloodthirsty tigers, tormenting defenseless slaves in the arena. By the way, this whole party was kept in a huge basement, divided into small rooms and cells.
The three-story amphitheater, measuring 138 meters long and 114 meters wide, turned out to be a real majestic handsome man. Tall arched galleries with many passages surrounded the sandy arena, 65 meters long and 39 meters wide, and the walls were decorated with multi-colored mosaics depicting galloping horsemen, hunters and animals pursued by them.
An imperial box was arranged above the eastern entrance.
After the death of Gordian I in 238 AD. e. , Tizdr, seriously destroyed by the opposition troops, could no longer recover. However, the amphitheater itself survived and stood intact until the 7th century.
In the open area of the Amphitheater, it is insanely stuffy and hot. I witnessed a fainting tourist. Perhaps she was carried away by the reunion with history, forgot about the cap and caught a sunburn. And in terms of skin tone, I became like a local Arab souvenir merchant.
Modern El-Jem stands on the site of an ancient Phoenician settlement, whose age, in contrast to the capital of the Phoenician kingdom - Carthage (founded in 814 BC), even scientists find it difficult to name. After a series of Punic wars between Rome and Carthage, the latter was destroyed in 146 BC. e. and turned into a colony. Moving south, the Roman Empire, presumably in 46 BC. e. founds the city of Tizdr (lat. Thysdrus), the future El-Jem.
The economic growth of the city takes place in II - beg. III century. Thanks to the local climate, huge olive plantations grow near the city. Olives at that time were not only a useful food product, but also a source of light, for example. Accordingly, olive oil was valued like oil or gold is now.
Local oligarchs soon appeared, enriched by importing olives. What do oligarchs like? That's right - spectacles and debauchery! So, in 230 AD. e. , by order of the proconsul Mark Antony Gordian (lat. Marcus Antonius Gordianus), the future emperor, the construction of an amphitheater, a la the Colosseum in Rome, began.
The local nobility enjoyed watching gladiator fights here with great pleasure. Even more entertainment was delivered by bloodthirsty tigers, tormenting defenseless slaves in the arena. By the way, this whole party was kept in a huge basement, divided into small rooms and cells.
The three-story amphitheater, measuring 138 meters long and 114 meters wide, turned out to be a real majestic handsome man. Tall arched galleries with many passages surrounded the sandy arena, 65 meters long and 39 meters wide, and the walls were decorated with multi-colored mosaics depicting galloping horsemen, hunters and animals pursued by them.
An imperial box was arranged above the eastern entrance.
After the death of Gordian I in 238 AD. e. , Tizdr, seriously destroyed by the opposition troops, could no longer recover. However, the amphitheater itself survived and stood intact until the 7th century.
In the open area of the Amphitheater, it is insanely stuffy and hot. I witnessed a fainting tourist. Perhaps she was carried away by the reunion with history, forgot about the cap and caught a sunburn. And in terms of skin tone, I became like a local Arab souvenir merchant.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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