Amphitheatre of Pompeii, Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy

The Amphitheatre of Pompeii is a Roman arena in the ancient city of Pompeii, Italy, located at the southeastern edge of the archaeological site. The oval stone structure has an arena that sits below ground level, with tiered seating rising around the central playing field on multiple levels.

The arena was built around 70 BC by magistrates Caius Quinctius Valgus and Marcus Porcius and is the earliest known Roman stone structure of this type. It remained buried under volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD until excavations began in the 18th century.

Painted posters on the outer walls advertised fights, naming gladiators with nicknames; one was billed as the "heart throb of the girls", and results were painted over after the games. Seating was graded: the ima cavea for city notables, the media cavea for the people, the summa cavea for women. A parapet about two metres high, once frescoed with duels, ringed the arena.

The site is fully open-air and requires walking, so comfortable footwear is helpful for navigating the staircases and passageways. A visit typically takes about half an hour, depending on how long you spend exploring the tiers and the arena floor.

The arena was the site of a famous riot in 59 AD, when fans from Pompeii and the neighboring city of Nuceria clashed, leading to a years-long ban on games. The incident was documented by ancient writers and shows how intense rivalry between cities could become during such events.