The Arena is a building in Call to Power II.
Gameplay[]
Nothing pleases people more than free, live entertainment. Always the main source of entertainment in any city, the Arena features convicted felons disemboweling each other for the torrid amusement of a depraved populace.
Great Library entry[]
The Roman Empire created some of largest, most sophisticate entertainment venues in the ancient age. Arenas and amphitheatres were designed to suit the specific forms of entertainment that the Romans loved, namely, gladiatorial conflicts and venationes, "animal hunts" involving men hunting exotic beasts or, occasionally, beasts hunting each other. Originally, this kind of entertainment took place in a city's forum, with wooden stands erected to seat spectators. One of the first permanent entertainment arenas was at Pompeii. Built around 80 BC, it accommodated about 20,000 spectators. Other large arenas were found at Verona and Capua. The most famous arena, the Colosseum, was in Rome itself. Remains of more than 75 Roman arenas have been found scattered about the Mediterranean, including ones at Nimes and Arles in France, Pula in Istria (Croatia), Thysdrus (El Djem) in Africa and at Caerleon in Gwent, Wales.
An average-sized arena was about 200 to 300 feet long and about 115 to 200 feet wide, and rose 50 to 95 feet about the ground. Most had a labyrinthine network of passages, cages and rooms all ingeniously connected with the arena above by trap doors. A system of elevators and machines were used to hoist animals and stage sets through the doors into the arenas. Around the main arena, a metal screen-topped high wall rose to the spectator seats, which were divided into several sections. In the lowest section, or podium, the emperor and his attendants sat in a special box. On the opposite side of the arena sat consuls, praetors, ambassadors, priest, vestal virgins and other persons of distinction. The rest of the podium contained senators and those of equestrian rank. The second gallery accommodated patricians, the third plebeians and the fourth, women, who were seated in boxes. A large awning could be manipulated to shield spectators from the sun.
See also[]
- Arena in other games