After traveling over 1200 kilometers, traversing the Italian peninsula into Gaul, we find ourselves in the ancient city of Lugdunum, today known as Lyon, France. After Caesar conquered Gaul, Lucius Munatius Plancus organized the colony at Lugdunum in 43 BCE. For the next 70 years, Roman officials led efforts to construct infrastructure in the area, and it became the central point of Agrippa's Gallic roads. By 12 BCE, it was established that the leaders of territories in Gaul were to meet at Lugdunum for yearly assemblies, making it the capital of Gaul.
Lugdunum spanned 350 hectares and approximately 30,000 people occupied the city. As one of the most important cities in Gaul, Lugdunum was home to a rich entertainment scene. This mosaic captures the lively chariot races of Lugdunum's circus. Much like their Roman counterparts, charioteers were divided into four factions: the Reds, Blues, Greens, and Whites. We see two charioteers from each faction racing through the track. Two charioteers have collapsed, and their horses seem to panic.
The mosaic also gives us a glimpse into the roles of those who staffed these chariot races. We see the sparsor carrying a basin of water in the upper left space of the track. The sparsor was responsible for refreshing the charioteers and horses mid-race. We see magistrates near the starting gate on the edge of the composition. One holds a mappa, the tool used to signal the start of the race.
Charioteers were famous figures in Roma cities. These medallions from Lugdunum depict victorious charioteers, identified by inscriptions. We know that the charioteer featured in the fragmented medallion was of the Green faction, and the charioteer represented on the jar was of the Blue faction.
Each charioteer drives a quadriga, or four-horse chariot, while holding a laurel crown and a palm wreath emblematic of their victories. Much like we wear merchandise from our favorite sports teams today, Romans likely owned this memorabilia to represent their own teams.
Scenes of chariot races were scattered around the city. A fragment of a bas-relief captures two men driving biga, or two-horse chariots as they rush past a central balustrade. The horses leap forward, creating a sense of energy and motion.
Archaeologists are unsure where the circus was located. Sources from the 18th century suggest that it was in the Trion district, but archaeological evidence has yet to confirm this suggestion.
Lugdunum's amphitheatre was built in 19 CE by C. Julius Rufus, a priest, during the reign of Tiberius. The maenianum or balcony for spectators, was reserved for the delegates of the gallic tribes. Their names have been inscribed there. Meanwhile, lower tiers of the theatre were reserved for the people of Lugdunum and its visitors.
The amphitheatre, also referred to as the "large theatre" is the oldest example of a theatre in Gaul. Spectacles would have occurred in the amphitheatre, much like those of other Roman cities.
Everyday objects uncovered throughout the former lands of Lugdunum reveal a persistent fascination with gladiatorial spectacles that existed across the empire. Ancient dining ware and lighting fixtures alike were adorned with intense fighting scenes and fully armored gladiators.
As we saw in Pompeii, the walls of Lugdunum were also spaces for people to sketch their favorite gladiatorial figures. Surviving graffiti from a house in the city shows two gladiators distinguished by their armor in these seemingly quick etchings.
Two theatres survive in Lugdunum: the large theatre and the small theatre or odeon. The large theatre was built in 15 BCE by Augustus. The theatre stages tragedies and comedies for an audience as large as 4700. However, during Hadrian's reign, the theatre was expanded with the capacity to sit over 10,000.
Situated next to the large theatre, the odeon could seat approximately 2500 people. Unlike the large theatre, it was not used to stage theatrical performances. Instead, it was used to host political gatherings and musical contests.
In both theatres, the orchestras, or stages, are elaborately decorated with colorful stones, including red porphyry, green porphyry, blue granite, and pink marble. The tiles were arranged in a symmetrical geometric pattern that survives mostly intact today. These vibrant stones were likely imported from Egypt and Italy to adorn the theatres.
