Gallia Romana

City	Orange (Vaucluse, 84)
Subject(s)
Author(s)
Resource type	Printed book
Date	1616
Inscription
References	Zinzerling 1616, pp. 258-262
Bibliography	Bernard 1859, pp. 1-14 ; Lemerle 2003, pp. 17-20 ; Lemerle 2005, pp. 32-33, 94 ; Roumégoux 2009, pp. 231-243
Remarks

Transcription

Bernard 1859, pp. 1-14 ; Lemerle 2003, pp. 17-20 ; Lemerle 2005, pp. 32-33, 94 ; Roumégoux 2009, pp. 231-243

« Lesdicts Romains, pour ganer la bonne grace du peuple, embellirent aussi ladicte ville d’Orange, d’un cirque qui est au pied de la montaigne en forme de theatre, que le vulgaire appelle Circ par abus, ayant devant et en perspective un des plus beaux ponts par des murailles, qui soit en Europe, tenant 18. cannes de hauteur, 64 et un quart de long, ce qui revient à 227. pieds français, duquel les jeux et combats se faisoient tantost des hommes seuls, et tantost avec les bestes sauvages, comme Ours, Taureaux, Lyons, Pantheres, et quelquesfois les hommes combat[259]toyent entre eux à pied ou à cheval, dans ces lices et stades telles que celle qu’on voit au devant dudit cirque, ce qui se peut verifier par les marques des bastimens qui sont encor au dehors d’iceluy, par ou on voit les sieges des spectateurs faicts en forme de degrez, et en voutes basses tirant contre-mont la montaigne, servant pour toutes sortes de personnes : mais principalement pour les chevaliers, lesquels sieges estoient appellez par les mesmes Romains Cannae ; on y remarque encore par dedans et sur le milieu des colomnes parquets, capitaux et une cornice de marbre richement entaillée, fort eslevée, ou possible estoit le lieu destiné pour le siege des Consuls et autres personnes, appellé Podium, ou pieça estoit l’Orchestre, là où les Magistrats se tenoyent, ou plutost ce devoit estre le siege des Empereurs ou leurs Lieutenans, qui estoit eminent et eslevé, appelé Suggestum, comme l’endroit ou ladicte cornice est posée : laquelle marque par la richesse de ces ouvrages, la dignité de la place destinée pour le siege des plus honorables personnes. Il y a aussi plusieurs arcs et portes en ladicte muraille, fermans ledict cirque du costé du Septentrion, dont [260] il y en a une au milieu très-grande comme la principale, les autres estant tellement proportionné, et d’un costé et d’autre, avec leurs pilastres chapiteaux et corniches que cet edifice est du tout admirable. Mais il a grande apparence que lesdictes portes qui ont esté fermées puis peu de temps, comme se voit par le bastiment d’icelles qui n’est gueres vieux, servant principalement pour le passage des hommes et des bêtes destinées au combat […]. Et quant aux deux corps de logis qui sont à chasque bout dudit cirque, il y a apparence que c’estoyent ordinairement les Theatres et Amphitheatres, pour enserrer les bestes sauvages […], et l’autre servoit pour enfermer les gladiateurs, et les en faire sortir pour entrer au combat ou d’homme à homme, ou avec les bestes : Car quelquesfois les hommes comme les prisonniers de guerre et les Chrestiens du temps des Empereurs estoyent exposez aux bestes, dans les Theatres, pour donner passe-temps au [261] peuple […]. Laquelle sorte de combat estoit extremement cruelle et effroyable se faisant de sang froid. C’est pourquoy la plus part du temps ceux qui estoyent condamnez à tels spectacles aimoient mieux se desfaire de leurs propres mains, que de servir de passetemps au peuple, et de pasture aux animaux. Or tous ces combats se faisoyent premierement, lors qu’on devoit aller en quelque expédition, et à la guerre, pour accoustumer les soldats aux armes et combats, et au sang, et lors desdits combats, on avoit accoustumé de jetter du sable au fond du Theatre, à fin que le sang ne fist horreur aux gladiateurs, et pour y aller plus à l’aise. C’est pourquoi on appelle les cirques et theatres des Arenes, on avait aussi dans ledit cirque des degrez servans pour monter aux sieges et lieux plus eslevés et eminents.’
Atque hæc ita in commune credita fuerunt. Aliter hac de re sensit Isacius qui arcum illum non Marii sed Q. Fab. Maximi trophæum fuisse njicit : cum ex authoritate Flori, [262] tum quod in ipso Arcu, qua parte Lugdunum spectat, statuæ Regis manus a tergo devinctas habentis in pectore inscriptum BVDVACVS : quod nominis Arvernis usitatum apud Florum, & inscriptioni veteri apud Goltzium, tum simile fœminæ apud Tacitum restituendum sit. Observavit idem tres veluti effigies triumphantium in hoc arcu conspici, quas opinatur esse C. Sexti, Cn. Domitii Ænobarbi, & Q. Fabii Maximi : a quorum primo tentata potissimum hæc Galiæ pars ab Ænobarbo victoriis plurimis conquassata, tandemque succedente Fabio Maximo, superatoque postremum Buduaco in provinciam redacta fuit. »
= “’The Romans, in order to gain the goodwill of the people, also embellished the town of Orange with a ‘circus’, which is situated at the foot of the hill. The locally used term for it – ‘circus’ – is in fact erroneous, since it has the shape of a theatre. Its front and side walls form one of the finest antique constructions in Europe. These walls measure 18 cannes [1 canne = approx. 2 metres] in height and 64 and a quarter in length, which makes about 227 French feet. The games and combats which took place in it sometimes involved men alone, sometimes wild animals, such as bears, bulls, lions and panthers. The men fought, either on foot or on horseback, in the arenas or stadiums situated in the front part of the circus; this is confirmed by the buildings situated nearby, in which one can see traces of the spectators seats, which took the form of steps built over low arcades rising up the hillside. These seats were used by all kinds of people, but principally by knights, whose seats were designated by the same Roman word ‘cannae‘ [that is used as a unit of measure (the ‘canne‘, mentioned above)]. One can still see within the circus, on the stage, columns, parquets, capitals and a richly worked marble cornice, set very high; this was possibly the place known as the ‘podium’, where the consuls and other important persons sat, or that known as the ‘orchestra’, where the magistrates sat, or else it may have been the place where the emperors and their lieutenants sat; this eminent place was known as the ‘suggestum’ and was customarily situated very high – in precisely the kind of place where one can see the afore mentioned cornice, the rich ornamentation of which suggests that this place was intended for the most honourable people. There are also several arches or doorways in the walls which close the circus on the northern side; the one in the centre is very large and seems to be the main doorway; the others, endowed with pilasters, capitals and cornices, are all similar in size and aligned on either side of the main doorway. The overall effect is most admirable. It would seem that these doorways, which were only walled up recently, as can be seen by the fact that the constructions which occupy them are not at all old, were those through which the men and the animals entered the ring for the games [ ]. As for the two buildings situated at either end of the circus, it would seem that these were a typical feature of theatres and amphitheatres and that one was used to keep the wild animals in [ ] and the other was where the gladiators waited for their turn to fight – either man to man or with the animals, since men such as prisoners of war or, during the time of the emperors, Christians, were indeed put into the arenas with wild animals as a form of entertainment [ ]. This kind of combat was extremely cruel and horrific, to the point of making one’s blood run cold. Consequently, those who were condemned to such a fate generally preferred to kill themselves beforehand rather than be thus used to entertain the people and feed the animals. All these combats took place each time an expedition or war was being planned, in order to prepare the soldiers for battle and blood, though, for the games, it was customary to sprinkle the arena with sand so that the blood spilt there did not shock the gladiators too much and make them ill at ease. This is why the word ‘arena’ is used for these circuses and theatres. There were also in the circus in question, steps leading up to the upper seats and the highest, most eminent places.”