Plovdiv Roman Stadium

Today, the stadium is located in the centre of Plovdiv, under the main pedestrian street. The northern end of the edifice can be observed at Dzhumayata Square. The larger portion still lies beneath the buildings along the main street, running south from the visible part where parts are visible in basements of several shops.

Unusually, it was situated within the fortified city close to the walls (most stadia elsewhere were placed outside the walls), in the natural bowl-shaped terrain between Taksim Tepe and Sahat Tepe.

Map of the discovered part of the stadium

Model of the full size of stadium

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Philippopolis
Buildings and structures
Public  • Theatre  • Stadium  • Forum  • Odeon  • Library Religious  • Great Basilica  • Small Basilica  • Synagouge Fortification  • Nebet Tepe  • Hisar Kapia  • Eastern gate Residential  • Eirene Residence
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The stadium was built in the beginning of the 2nd century AD during the reign Emperor Hadrian (117-138). Approximately 240 m (790 ft) m long and 50 m wide, it could seat up to 30000 spectators. The length of the track is one stadion - 625 Roman steps or 600 Greek steps, or approx 180 m (590 ft).

The spectators' seats are tiered in 14 rows, crossed by stepped aisles down to the track. The seats are made of solid marble blocks (40 cm high and 75 cm wide) and the front parts are decorated with stylized lion paws. The front part of the lowest row is revetted with massive marble 1.80 metre plates (orthostats) on solid marble blocks. The seats from the highest row had backrests.[1]

The northern curved part of the stadium is in situ in Dzhumaya Square. Also a covered vaulted passage under the tiered rows of seats (cavea) links the track with the outside Roman road next to the city walls.

In the 4th century AD this area was crossed by an ancient aqueduct the arch support of which remain.

Like the other imperial buildings for spectacular events, the stadium had its seats of honuor preserved by inscriptions in the marble blocks. Seats with Greek inscriptions were found, proving the existence of special seats for members of higher public position.

The main southern entrance to the stadium is formed by masonry pillars decorated with marble pilasters and reliefs. On the pilasters there are busts of Hermes (hermai) with placed above them prize vases with palm sprays, accompanied by Hercules’ attributes – lion skin, a mace and a quiver. In front of the entrance a granite pavement was uncovered, consisting of hexagonal blocks – 0.70 by 0.70 m diagonally.

The outside walls of the cavea are built from granite ashlars, labelled with letters at some places. The architectural marble elements of the entrance and the orthostats on the front row were tied to each other with lead-set iron cramps.

The sfendona and Dzhumaya mosque - view from the stadium track.

According to the epigraphic and numismatic monuments games similar to the Pythian Games in Greece were held in the town. To honour the visit of the Roman emperor Caracalla in 214 the games were called Alexandrian while the games for the visit of emperor Elagabalus in 218 were called Kedrisian Games.

The games were organised by the General Assembly of the province of Thrace. In their honour the royal mint of Trimontium coined money featuring the face of the ruling emperor as well as the types of athletic events held in the Ancient Stadium. A marble slab stone was found during the excavations of the sfendona proving that there were games celebrating the favourite man of emperor Hadrian – Antinous. The votive tablet dedicated to Antinous is exhibited in the Regional Archaeological Museum - Plovdiv.

Athletes competed in two categories of age – men and boys. Agonothetes (organisers of the sport events) presided over the games. The latter started with a contest for criers and buglers. Sporting events were usually accompanied by music, poetry and art contests.

The stadium was discovered in 1923. More elaborate excavations were undertaken about half a century later by the archaeologist Liliya Botusharova.[2]

In 1995 the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis was listed as a cultural value of national significance.

In 2010-2013, the area around the stadium was further renovated.

• The Ancient Stadium
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  The Ancient Stadium and Dzhumaya square - view from above
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  Part of the sfendona of the Ancient Stadium
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  The vaulted passage-street under the sfendona of the stadium
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  Dzhumaya square - view from North towards the fortification wall and the main pedestrian street of Plovdiv
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  The Ancient Stadium - pillars of the aqueduct and the fortification wall
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  The Ancient Stadium - detail of a signed seat at the sfendona
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  The Ancient Stadium - detail of a seat decorated with a lion paw

• The list of Circus (building), where the stadium of Philippopolis is referred to as Trimontium Roman circus. The relatively small size of the structure, which predicts its usage mainly for athletic games, however, suggests that it is more correct to consider it a stadium, than a circus.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ancient stadium, Plovdiv.

• The Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis (official website) - a detailed information and map of ancient sites in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• The Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis - 3D reconstruction and virtual tour
• Regional Archaeological Museum Plovdiv - Roman Art, Ancient Sculptures Collection