Thysdrus, circa 3rd Century A.D.; after nearly 4 centuries of occupation, the Empire of Rome decided to import a particularly Roman feature into this North African outpost that had gained prominence as a center of the trade in olive oil.
So in 238 A.D., proconsul Gordius I ordered the construction of an amphitheater within the town; unfortunately it was never completed because of a lack of funds and a war with Emperor Maximinus which resulted in the suicide of the self-declared Emperor Gordius I.
Even though incomplete, the construction of the amphitheater at Thysdrus was a remarkable feat. Unlike other coliseums/ amphitheaters that were built into hills, this was built on a plain, and it had no foundation to support its massive weight. It was an entirely freestanding structure supported by an intricate network of vaults and arches. It took an elliptical form, and researchers think that it probably had four floors.
The amphitheater, the largest such Roman monument in North Africa since it was erected, measures 138m by 114m, and it had 2 passageways beneath it for the animals, gladiators, and prisoners whose deaths were to entertain the masses.
Most estimates put the sitting capacity of the theater at 35,000, though some go as high as 60,000, which would make it virtually equal in capacity to the Coliseum in Rome. The amphitheater is ranked as the third largest Roman coliseum/ amphitheater in the world, falling behind the Coliseum in Rome, and the Coliseum in Capua (close to Naples, Italy).
The stones used to build the amphitheater were quarried 50km away, and they were clearly worth the distance. The amphitheater has survived for more than 17 centuries, weathering the elements and man’s numerous attempts at its destruction.
When its use as a theater had ceased, the amphitheater was used as a bastion by the local communities to defend themselves against the waves of Arabs that were sweeping from the Arabian Peninsula from the 7th Century. This is why some of it walls bear marks of cannon fire.
Relatively speaking, this destruction was insignificant; it was a millennium later that the site was seriously damaged. In 1695, the northern part of the Amphitheater was breached by the occupying Ottoman Turks so that it could no longer be used as a fort, and when it had been so opened, it was immediately turned into a quarry, used by residents of the adjacent village to build their own homes.
Much of the old town of Thysdrus has been built over by the modern day town of El Djem, Tunisia, but the splendor and grandeur of the Amphitheater still looms large over the town, which, according to its 2004 Census, had fewer people than it could fit into the amphitheater in its heydays (18,000 vs a sitting capacity of 35,000)!
The amphitheater at El Djem is a UN World Heritage Site, and has been well preserved; even sections of it are renovated. It is one of the few decent coliseums/ amphitheaters still standing in the world, and it has been used as a scene in several films, most notably the Oscar award winning The Gladiator.
El Djem is some 200km south of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, so when you drop in the country, include it in your itinerary, and get the chance to step into an unforgettable past.
By Matengo Chwanya
Sources: Unesco, Touropia, Perseus, Rome art lover, World heritage site, wickipedia
Africa Global News Publication
