We attended games at the Flavian Amphitheatre (people here have long called it the Coliseum, especially since the time of the emperor Carinus, as you will shortly appreciate). It is located almost precisely in the middle of the city--as if all roads lead to Flavius. It is enormous, with three tiers of arched walls totaling 150 feet high at least (Johnston 277). Depending on whom you talk to, there are 64 (Gibbon 299) or 80 (Johnston 277) different entrances, or vomitoria, accommodating spectators, and just as many rows of seats. So you never have the fee

Morey, William C. Outlines of Roman History. New York: American Book Company, 1901. But what is most special about the Stabian Baths is the interior decoration and furnishings. The walls are painted artistically, and the couches are luxurious. And it does not stop there. The whole of Pompeii is exquisite. Its forum is several hundred feet long, its width perhaps 20% of that length, and if you stand at one end you have a beautiful view of Vesuvius in the distance. Along the colonnade are wonderful sculptures--portraits of leading citizens, most impressive equestrian statues, and "colossal" statues of the imperial family. I believe one in the center is a colossal portrait of the divine Augustus, and there are also statues of Claudius I, Agrippina, Nero, and Tiberius (Mau 47-8). You should see the temples of Jupiter and Apollo, right next to the Forum. The Jupiter is on a grand scale, having been restored by Vespasian after it burned (Mau 107). The floor of the Apollo--exquisite geometric patterns of mosaic tile--is especially beautiful. I am told it was fully restored after an earthquake during Nero's reign (Mau 80). There is a temple to Vespasian as well; the bas relief fronting marble altar shows the sacrifice of a bull.

Mau, August. Pompeii, Its Life and Art. Trans. Francis W. Kelsey. New York: Macmillan Company, 1907.