Mini Colosseum Emperor Commodus found in Genzano
That the emperor Commodus, the controversial son of Marcus Aurelius, had a passion for gladiatorial games and fighting against the beasts, he was known. No coincidence that the historical sources told that the heir of the emperor philosopher had a private amphitheater in his native Lanuvio where he loved to tempt fate, falling dressed as a gladiator in the arena and killing wild beasts. But what seemed so far only reported by a backstory biography of the ‘Historia Augusta’, now has its archaeological evidence. The confirmation that Commodus had really his personal temple to erect other, already dubbed by scholars as “the little Coliseum.”
The ARENA
The arena over 35 meters by 24, an external structure of more than 50 to 40 meters, an area of the auditorium of more than 9 thousand square meters, and a capacity of over 1300 seats, not to mention the entire imperial stage. A monument dating back to the mid-second century AD But the suggestion to hit are the decorative marbles from all over the Mediterranean. The outstanding discovery was made in Genzano in the archaeological complex of the so-called Villa of the Antonines, the original imperial residence which extended in Roman times in ‘”Ager Lanuvinus,” the ancient Lanuvio, birthplace of Marco Aurelio and, indeed, Commodus.
MARBLES
It is here that since 2010 the team of the Center for Heritage and Archaeological Studies at Montclair State University is leading the excavation project on the teaching of Villa Antonini under the direction of Deborah Chatr Aryamontri and Timothy Renner, thanks to an agreement issued by the Ministry for cultural heritage in accordance with the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Lazio, and in collaboration with the Municipality of Genzano. The excavations summer had so far investigated the structures of large thermal plant of the Antonines, but above all they had identified a small portion of the curved walls: “There now seemed anomalous because they seemed arranged in an elliptic plan – tells the Chatr Aryamontri – and today we are at a turning point. The investigations with GPR have verified the entire ground plan of the walls and foundations, excavations have brought to light a new portion of curvilinear structures mirror. “
Blocks of volcanic rock alternating with brick, covered with marble. “The repertoire of the marbles is awesome, antique yellow, the pavonazzetto, the greek writing, the pink granite and serpentine – warns the Aryamontri – Valuable also pave the coatings between black and white mosaic tiles, vitreous glass, including glass tiles transparent covered with gold leaf. Quality production turned to a rich client. ” All around the arena runs a culvert, over 50 cm wide: “The hypothesis is that it was also used for the performances of naval battles,” the scholar dares. Also under the arena, stands a spiral staircase that descends for almost three meters. Maybe even the “small Colosseum» Commodus had its underground for stage machinery functional to the show. Private, but awesome.
