Actia 5608888 179933288 2007-12-24T09:50:20Z Flavius Hermogenes 6061021 /* Stadium of Nikopolis */ In [[Ancient Roman]] religious tradition, '''Actia''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: ''{{polytonic|Ἄκτια}})'' was a festival of [[Apollo]], celebrated at [[Nicopolis]] in [[Epirus (region)|Epirus]], with [[wrestling]], musical contests, [[horse racing]], and sea battles. It was established by [[Augustus]], in commemoration of his [[Battle_of_Actium|victory]] over [[Mark Antony]] off [[Actium]], and was probably the revival of an ancient festival; for there was a celebrated temple of Apollo at Actium, which is mentioned by [[Thucydides]] <ref>''[[History of the Peloponnesian War]]'', i.29</ref>, and [[Strabo]] <ref>''[[Geographica (Strabo)|The Geography]]'', vii p325</ref>, and which was enlarged by Augustus. The games instituted by Augustus were celebrated every four years (''{{polytonic|πενταετηρίς}}'', ''ludi quinquennales''); they received the title of a sacred [[Agon]], and were also called [[Ancient Olympic Games|Olympia]]. <ref>Strabo, ''The Geography'' l.c.; [[Dio Cassius]], ''Roman History'', li.1; [[Suetonius]], ''[[Lives of the Twelve Caesars]]'', "Life of Augustus", 18; [[Philipp August Böckh|Böckh]], ''Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum'', No. 1720, p845; J.H. Krause, ''Olympia'', p221.</ref> ==Stadium of Nikopolis== This ancient stadium was located in the so-called 'Proasteion' (sacred grove) of the Graeco-Roman city of Nikopolis. Together with the nearby gymnasion, theatre and hippodrome it was the location of the famous Actian Games. These games, which featured athletic, equestrian and musical events, were first held in 27 B.C. to celebrate the victory of the first Roman emperor Augustus over his adversaries, Marc Antony and his Egyptian wife Cleopatra. They were held every four years up to the mid-third century A.D.[[Image:101-0178 IMG.JPG|thumb|The stadium of Nikopolis at present.|right|250px]] Dating from just after the city's foundation, the ancient stadium of Nikopolis has two semicircular ends (sphendones), typical of the amphitheatre type that was in use during the first two centuries of the principate. The stadiums of ancient Laodikeia (near Pamukkale, Turkey) and Aphrodisias (Geyre, Turkey) have a similar architecture. The north side of the stadium, which must have held a capacity of at least 10,000 spectators, was built on the side of a hill, while artificial deposits were used for the other sides. The walls were made of a rubble core faced with several courses of bricks. On the west side of the stadium were three apsidal entrances leading to the gymnasion, the central one larger than the others. The entrances in the spendone at the east led to the theatre nearby. On the sphendone at the south side there were residential rooms and facilities for athletes and spectators (inns, shops, hotels etc.) Locals call this stadium 'to karavi', meaning 'the ship', which of course relates to the structure's shape. Archaeological investigations are still regularly undertaken in and around the stadium today. [[Image:Nikopolis1.jpg|thumb|Archaeological research at the stadium in november 2006|250px]] ==Notes== <references/> ==References== *{{GRA}} [[Category:Ancient Roman festivals]] [[fr:Actia]]