Amphitheater of Lyon

About

The Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls of Lugdunum (the present city of Lyon) is an element of the federal sanctuary of the Three Gauls dedicated to the cult of Rome and Augustus celebrated by the sixty Gaulish nations gathered in Lugdunum. The remains of the amphitheatre have been classified as historical monuments since November 27, 1961.

First amphitheatre: The amphitheatre is located at the foot of the hill of La Croix-Rousse at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône of the time. An inscription engraved on blocks found on site in 1957 makes it possible to attach it to the sanctuary of Rome and Augustus, and to identify its origin:

« [...]E TI(beris) CAESARIS AVG(vsti) AMPHITHEATR [...]ODIO C ICL C[?] RVFVS SACERDOS ROM(ae) AND AVG(vsti)

[...]FILII F. AND NEPOS [-]X CIVITATE SANTON. D(e) S(ua). P(ecunia).FECERVNT » Which can be completed as follows:

The date chosen for this donation is 19 A.D. The figures that finance the construction belong to an old family of Gallic aristocrats of Saints who received Roman citizenship very early. The formula "filii f(ilius)" may refer to the desire to assert the seniority and continuity of their lineage, well-attested...