This thoroughly corrected, updated and enlarged edition illuminates the epic story of the birth, early development, widespread flourishing and slow decline of that most typical Roman monument, the amphitheatre. This lucid and accessible work, lavishly illustrated with plans and photographs, breaks new ground with the incorporation of sociological, psychological, historical and even ecological material into the study of the amphitheatre. This edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, including a new interpretation of the phasing of the Pompeii amphitheatre as well as inclusion of the latest information on the other amphitheatres in this monograph. This volume is a valuable reference work for students and scholars of Roman history and architecture, and this new updated edition will bring this topic to a new generation of readers.