Where was the center of roman entertainment held?

Answer 1

There was not a centre for enetertainment in ancient Rome. There were entertainment venues at wveroius palces around the city.

There were the two amphitheatres, arenas for gladiatorial games, the Flavian Amphitheatre (better known by its nickname, Colosseum) and the amphitheatre Castrense. The former was between the Caelian and the Esquiline hills the latter was quite far out, on the Esquiline Hill, just outside the Aurelian Walls. There was a chariot racing track, the Circus Maximus, and a smaller racing track, the circus Flaminius, where the religious games of the Ludi Taurii were held, which were most likely for horseback races rather than chariot races. The former was in the Murcia valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the latter was in the central area of the campus Martius (Field of Mars). There was also a stadium for athletics competitions, the Stadium Domitianus which was in the northern part of the campus Martius. There were three theatres, the Theatre of Pompey, the Theatre of Marcellus and the Teatrum Pons Aurelius. They were in the southern area of Campus Martius.

The baths can be considered as places of entertainment because people spent an average of two hours socialising, exercising and playing sport and having a massage as well as bathing, which involved a warm bath, a sauna and a cold plunge bath. There were poetry readings and musical and theatrical performances. There were two massive baths, the baths of Diocletian and the bath of Caracalla. Other baths were the Baths of Agrippa, the Thermae Etrusci, the Baths of Nero, the Baths of Titus, the Baths of Domitian, and the Baths of Trajan. There were also other smaller and unrecorded baths which are no longer extant. Thermae Etrusci is a term coined by historians. They were commissioned by Claudius Etruscus, a freedman at the court of the emperor Claudius who became the head of the imperial financial administration.

There was also street entertainment with street music, theatrical and acrobatic performances. People also played Board Games outdoors at the forum.

Entertainment also occurred at the popina, which was a bar which served wine and simple foods, such as olives, bread and stew. People played board games and gambled with dice, even though this was illegal.