VIRTUAL VISIT

Circus Mosaic

This pavement was discovered at the beginning of the 11th century on the Presqu’île not far from the Basilica of St. Martin of Ainay. Circuses were very popular throughout the Roman Empire. Unlike courses today, spectators did not bet on numbers, but on one of the four colors that the chariot drivers wore on their jerseys (red, white, blue, and green). But the other lure was the quality of the spectacle that attracted crowds to the circus. Here, two chariots have crashed in the curves. There is no winner in this highly realistic scene: the palm branch is still in the hands of one of the two figures in the center of the median strip.



Circus Colors:  the Victorious Driver

On decorated ceramic medallions, one of the most frequently depicted scenes is that of the final triumph of the chariot race. The victorious driver makes a victory round holding the palm branch and crown. Cheering accompanies him:

CALOS VENETE: Long live Blue!

NICA PRASINE: Go, Green!

Public Monuments, Private Funds:
Dedicating the Amphitheatre

Imagine that the city mayor, hardly elected, paid for the construction of an Olympic stadium or large community center out of his own pocket for the benefit of his citizens! This astonishing practice was the general rule in Roman cities during the first centuries of the era.  The Croix-Rousse amphitheatre is a good example! The inscription commemorating its construction reveals that it was built in approximately 20 AD at the expense of Caius Julius Rufus, a rich noble from Saintes, at the time of his election to the High Priesthood of the Lyon Sanctuary.

Photo translation:
In honor of Emperor Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Caius Julius Rufus, son of Caius, priest of Rome and Augustus, from the city of Santons, [and other family members], have paid for the construction of this amphitheatre [...] and its podium.



Gladiator: A Risky Business
Callimorphus, a gladiator, offered a sacrifice to the god Mars, probably in gratitude for having survived numerous combats. Callimorphus was awarded an honor attesting to his longevity.

At the end of an indecisive combat, the two gladiators were sometimes declared stantes misi : “sent back standing” (alive). Even vanquished, the gladiator was not always put to death if the public believed that he had fought courageously.

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