The tiers for the middle class were next, followed by seating for slaves and foreigners. Finally, at the very top, wooden seats were installed for women, and the very poorest of Romans. .
Romans were not always so enthralled with games and shows. The last two centuries of the Republic showed a change in the attitudes of the citizens. Romans slowly went from a conservative and serious demeanor to more casual. Street shows, which were once thought of as undignified, became more popular with time.
The first "psudo-stadiums- were nothing more than a few planks and concrete blocks set up around the city forum. As these shows became more popular people began constructing larger, freestanding buildings. Seating capacities of these buildings ranged from a few hundred to tens of thousands of people. The main building material was wood with the intention of disassembling and reassembling the stadium as needed. Hundreds of builders were required for this construction, causing shows to be very expensive. Only the wealthy aristocrats and businessmen were able to attend. A few thrifty commissioners attempted to use cheap materials or unqualified engineers. These stadiums were poorly designed and occasionally lead to disaster, collapsing and killing thousands of spectators. .
Permanent stone stadiums began appearing in approximately 80B.C. The first of these was built in the city of Pompeii, located 140 miles South East of Rome. It was 445 feet long by 341 feet wide and sat 20,000 people - Pompeii's entire population. To support the weight of the tiers, the arena floor was constructed below ground level. Thefazade of the arena utilized high brick arches and several large exterior staircases. Vendors sold refreshments in the stands while spectators sat on cushions and watched the games. A velarium was even erected and used on occasion to shade the audience. .
Rome was outmoded; it did not have a stadium to be compared with that in Pompeii.
