Naumachia

A naumachia (in Latin naumachia, from the Ancient Greek ναυμαχία/naumachía, literally "naval combat") was a mock naval battle staged as mass entertainment by the Ancient Romans. These events were special kinds of shows where people would act out sea fights to amuse large crowds.

The Romans built special places to hold these naumachiae. These areas were dug out from the ground and filled with water, creating a space that looked like a part of the sea. This allowed the audience to watch boats and fighters pretend to have a big sea battle right before their eyes.

These performances were very popular and often held to celebrate big occasions or to entertain people during festivals. They showed how clever the Romans were at creating new ways for people to have fun and enjoy shows that were different from regular plays or gladiator fights.

Early naumachiae

The first known naumachia was held by Julius Caesar in Rome in 46 BC to celebrate his victory in a series of battles. He had a special area dug near the Tiber river where real ships could sail. About 2,000 fighters and 4,000 rowers, all prisoners of war, took part in this mock naval battle.

Later, in 2 BC, Augustus organized an even bigger naumachia to celebrate the opening of the Temple of Mars Ultor. This event showed a battle between the Greeks and the Persians and needed a very large space that crossed over the Tiber river. In 52 AD, Claudius held a grand naumachia on Fucine Lake to mark the finish of important construction work there. This show featured one hundred ships and 19,000 fighters, who were prisoners sentenced to death.

These events were more intense than gladiator fights because they often ended with the deaths of the participants. They were very costly and were only held for very special occasions connected to the emperor and his achievements. The naumachia could tell stories from history, with each side representing different sea powers from Ancient Greece or the Hellenistic world.

Naumachia building

Caesar's naumachia was likely a simple basin dug into the ground near the Tiber, though its exact spot remains unknown, possibly in Trastevere or the Campus Martius. Augustus' naumachia was much grander, measuring about 533 × 355 meters, with an island in the center connected by a bridge for special guests.

Claudius' naumachia was held on Lake Fucino, large enough for real naval tactics, unlike Augustus'. The water for Augustus' event came from a special aqueduct, the Aqua Alsietina, with extra water used for nearby gardens. Over time, the basin was replaced by a sacred forest dedicated to Augustus' grandsons.

Naumachiae in amphitheatres

During the time of Nero, Romans began holding naumachiae—mock naval battles—in amphitheatres. In 57 AD, Nero held such an event in a wooden amphitheatre on the Campus Martius. Another event followed in 64 AD, featuring hunts, gladiators, and a feast.

When the Colosseum opened in 80 AD, Emperor Titus presented two naumachiae. Later, Domitian also organized these mock battles, once inside the Colosseum and again in a special basin dug beyond the Tiber River. The Colosseum's arena was smaller than older basins, so these battles likely used stage props to look like ships and sea battles.

Water in the amphitheatres

Amphitheatres in ancient Rome were used for many types of shows, including naumachiae, which were mock naval battles. These venues needed to be filled with water quickly and then drained again for other performances. We know about this from writers like Dio Cassius and Martial, who described naumachiae held by emperors Nero and Titus.

Archaeological evidence from two smaller amphitheatres — at Verona and Mérida, Spain — gives us clues about how water might have been managed. The Verona amphitheatre had a special deep pit that could hold water, connected to an aqueduct for filling and the Adige River for draining. The basin at Mérida was shallower, about as deep as a person's waist, and had features like pool-like coverings and access stairs. Because these basins were not very large, any naumachiae held there — or possibly even in big venues like the Colosseum — would have used only a thin layer of water just enough to float small ships.

Decline of Roman naumachiae

The introduction of new technologies led to more frequent mock naval battles called naumachiae. These events became smaller and less grand, often held in amphitheatres rather than huge basins. Most of these later battles happened during the time of Emperor Nero and the Flavian dynasty.

After the Flavian period, mentions of naumachiae became rare. One record shows that Emperor Trajan created a naumachia basin in the town of Ostia in 109. This area, now called the Naumachia Vaticana, had seating for spectators and was much smaller than earlier basins. While direct records are scarce, it’s believed these events may have continued in a simpler form for many years, though they lost their earlier grand scale. In other regions, Roman-style naval games influenced local traditions, such as competitions in Athens and events on the Moselle River.

Post-Roman naumachiae

A naumachia was performed for Henry II of France in Rouen in 1550. It was also part of the festivities for the wedding of Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici and Christina of Lorraine in Florence in 1589.

Other notable naumachiae took place in Valencia in 1755 and in Milan for Napoleon in 1807. In modern times, artist Duke Riley staged a naumachia in 2009 at the Queens Museum of Art.