The origin of Arena

Monday, March 21, 2011

The arena, a large structure for open-air sports or entertainment, is present in ancient and modern worlds as a place for watching athletic events, concerts, plays, or any public event...even combat activities...and its origin is most connected to the last reason, combat and fighting.

The ancient Romans went to amphitheaters for entertainment to watch gladiators or wild animals fight to their deaths. The ground couldn't soak up the quantities of blood spilled on it, so the show producers covered it with absorbent arena (sand). The sand, or arena, became the permanent name for this type of venue. That's a macabre word origin, for sure!

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