The amphitheatre of El Jem was built in 238 CE, most likely under the emperor Gordian III.
Back then, the city was called Thysdrus. It had a population of 50,000. The amphitheatre could hold 35,000.
Thysdrus was on the edge of the Roman Empire, although it is only 45 miles from the Mediterranean coast, it was close to the southern boundary of the North African province.
The amphitheatre is actually the third largest in the Roman Empire after the Colosseum and the Amphitheatre of Capua in Italy.
So why build such a large amphitheatre on the edge of empire?
There are likely to be a few reasons.
- The Emperor Gordian III was born in the city of Thysdrus
- The city was surrounded by extensive olive groves which made Gordian’s family extremely rich, therefore he could afford to build such a large public structure
- It was a statement – to show that the Romans could show anyone outside of the empire what the Romans could achieve
Gordian III died in 244 at the age of only 19, and following this, his successors had no inclination to complete the construction and so it remained unfinished.
Find out more about the history of the amphitheatre by watching my YouTube video below.