Arena at the Amphitheater of Arles

Going around the amphitheater of Arles makes me forget that this place was a venue for gladiator combat. This was probably the mixed martial arts of the Roman empire. Back then there was only gladiators and the people loved them. They were treated the superstars and they were very popular. They even had merchandise sold back then. This all happens at the arena which is at the center of the amphitheater. It certainly would have been a spectacle to watch gladiators fight to the death but I’m not sure I would have the stomach for that. The amphitheater can hold up to twenty thousand spectators. It certainly would have been a very noisy place when there is an event going on.

It wasn’t just gladiatorial combat that was held here. After the Roman empire collapsed, a new form of entertainment was held here. This time it was man versus bull. Bullfighting became one of the main events here in Arles and I think you can still see where the bulls would stay before they were let loose. It was probably a nerve wracking experience to stay close to a raging bull still in its stable. Just imagine how it would have been for a bullfighter all alone in the arena. They don’t have bullfighting these days instead you have concerts and performances. Definitely far less bloody compared to gladiators and bullfighting.

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