Herodian Amphitheatre

Caesarea


Seven-lap chariot races and bloody gladiatorial contests in which prisoners and slaves battled lions and crocodiles were held in the 10,000-seat amphitheatre (aka the hippodrome and the circus), the 250m-long dirt plaza between the harbour and the Promontory Palace. Because the chariots tended to crash when going around the turns, seats at each end of the amphitheatre were most prized.


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