El Djem
| El Djem |
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| administration | |||
| Country |
 Tunisia
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| Governorate | Mahdia | ||
| Post Code | 5160 | ||
| Demographics | |||
| population | 18,302 pop (2004) | ||
| geography | |||
| height | 106 m | ||
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| Coordinates | 35 ° 18 ' N , 10 ° 43' E | ||
El Djem or El Jem ( Arabic الجم al-Dschamm , DMG al-Ǧamm ) is a city in central Tunisia with about 20,000 inhabitants.
It is located in the Mahdia governorate , founded on the ruins of the ancient city of Thysdrus ( Greek Θύσδρος Thysdros ). It is known for its Roman amphitheater . The city is also home to a museum that exhibits archaeological discoveries from the area.
history
The city, which dates back to a Punic foundation, is first documented in literature by the writing De bello Africo - a continuation of Gaius Iulius Caesar's commentaries on his wars from the hand of an unknown contemporary - after it was destroyed in the course of the African War in 46 BC. Became a tributary garrison town for Caesar's troops, but could not raise the tribute due to the poverty of the population. Before that, according to Pliny, it was an oppidum liberum , a free community. Under Emperor Hadrian , the city experienced a significant economic boom due to its oil production. The Roman emperor Septimius Severus elevated the city, which was located in the province of Africa , later in Byzacena , to the rank of municipality . During the proconsulate Gordianus I , the inhabitants of Thysdrus built the third largest known amphitheater of the Roman Empire , which is also the largest surviving Roman monument in Africa. Gordianus, who resided in Thysdrus as proconsul, was proclaimed emperor at the instigation of the landowners there and confirmed by the Roman Senate . The ensuing disputes led to the death of his son Gordianus II. Gordian himself committed suicide. The city was destroyed by the loyal forces of Maximinus Thrax and never recovered. The amphitheater was left unfinished.
amphitheater
With a capacity of 35,000 spectators, it is the third largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire after the Colosseum in Rome and the Roman amphitheater in Capua . It was built in 238 under Proconsul Gordianus I , but not by the Romans, but by the wealthy inhabitants of El Djem. The Romans had built an amphitheater for 2000 people, the remains of which can still be seen in El Djem. The inhabitants of El Djem, who are rich through olive oil production, wanted to build an amphitheater for all inhabitants and did so. It was probably intended to be used to hold gladiator fights , public executions, and other circus games , but it never did. The residents of El Djem instead used it to barricade themselves from the Roman tax collectors (El Djem = olive oil producer), and to prevent this, the Romans tore off a side front. You can still see the lions' den and prison cells there, some of which have been painstakingly restored. Despite being partially destroyed when it was used as a quarry for the construction of El Djem, it is still surprisingly well preserved. It is believed that it remained completely intact until the 17th century. It is still used today for concerts such as an annual jazz festival.
The amphitheater of El Jem was 1979 in the list of World Heritage Sites added.
Picture gallery
Aerial view of El Djem with amphitheater (around 1986)
From the outside
Inside
Excavation site
1.jpg)
See also
literature
- Hans Treidler : Thysdrus. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VI A, 1, Stuttgart 1936, Col. 753-755.
- Hédi Slim: Thysdrus (El Djem) Tunisia . In: Richard Stillwell et al. a. (Ed.): The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 1976, ISBN 0-691-03542-3 .
- Hédi Slim: El Jem, l'antique Thysdrus. Édition Alif, Tunis 2007.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Institut National de la Statistique - Tunisie: Census 2004 ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . ( french )
- ↑ De bello Africo 36.2 and more; there called Thysdra.
- ↑ Pliny, Naturalis historia 5,3,30.
- ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Amphitheater of El Jem. Retrieved August 22, 2017 (English).
