Roman Amphitheater, Trier
   L to R: The Trier amphitheater today; model of the amphitheater and hippodrome (in the Roman museum); satellite image of the amphitheater. |
Near the imperial baths in Trier, Germany, are the ruins of a Roman amphitheater, dating from the first century AD. The amphitheater was used in the Roman imperial era (until the 5th century) for gladiator fights and animal contests.
The entire structure, consisting of an elliptical arena and a stepped auditorium, was surrounded by a high wall, divided into individual stories by colonnaded arcades. The complex could seat up to 25,000 people. Underneath the arena is a vast basement where gladiators, criminals, and exotic beasts were kept prior to their release into the arena.
In the 5th century, the inhabitants of Trier used the amphitheater as a place of refuge from the increasingly frequent raids by Germanic tribes. The site was used as a quarry in the Middle Ages.
Today, the amphitheater area is used for the Antiquity Festival and open-air concerts.
Quick Facts
| Address: | Petrisberg, Trier, Germany (city map) |
| Phone: | 0651/97 8080 |
| Hours: | Apr-Sep: 9-6; Oct-Mar: 9-5. |
| Cost: | adults €2.10 |
- DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Germany (2003), 329
- Amphitheater - CityGuide Trier
