The Amphitheater is the largest monument in Anno 117: Pax Romana. We walk you through its construction step by step, explain what you need to watch out for, and show you which bonuses await.
Anyone looking to establish a true center of power in Anno 117: Pax Romana can’t get around building the Amphitheater. This imposing structure is far more than decorative flair. It marks a major milestone in city development, delivers powerful bonuses to population, happiness, and prestige, and unlocks entirely new mechanics such as gladiator games and naumachiae. This guide explains what to consider during construction, how to secure resources efficiently, and how to get the most out of this monumental building.
Requirements for the Amphitheater: When You Should Start Building
Before you can even lay the first foundation, several conditions must be met:
- You need the highest Roman population tier: Patricians.
- For construction phase 3, you need at least 750 Patricians on the island.
- For the final phase 4, you’ll need a massive 2,250 Patricians.
What this means: Without a stable, mature city—complete with reliable supply chains, a strong economy, and a balanced population—you shouldn’t even consider starting construction. One key factor: Patricians only contribute about 10% of their population as a workforce. That means you’ll either need far more Patricians than the minimum requirement or boost workforce efficiency through research and specialists. Do not start building the Amphitheater too early. The ideal moment is when your island economy is already well diversified and producing ample surplus resources.
Choosing the Right Location: Space Requirements and Area of Effect
The Amphitheater takes up a huge amount of space. You should therefore reserve a suitable, centrally located area on your island early on. Use planning mode (key P) to map out the footprint in advance.
Important: The monument provides permanent bonuses to all buildings within its area of influence (see the “Rewards” section). The more central the location, the more homes benefit. Placing it on the outskirts wastes valuable effects.
- Tip: Place the Amphitheater near other prestige buildings like temples, theaters, or the forum to create a powerful city center.
The Construction Process: All Four Phases and Resource Requirements in Detail
Building the Amphitheater consists of four distinct phases, each with its own demands for resources, population, and workforce.
Managing Resources Smartly: The Most Important Materials
Over the course of construction, you’ll need the following resources:
Resource Total Required Strategy Concrete 560 Build a strong chain of limestone, sand, and mixing plants early Timber 250 Set up extra lumber camps on underused islands (key research: “Forest Renewal”) Tile 600 Exploit clay deposits and run multiple brickworks Ropes 450 Prepare hemp and rope production early Marble 600 Use a dedicated marble island with stonemasons Mosaics 300 Set up the complex chain (minerals, clay, coal, dyes) as early as possible Gold 60 Gold mines become available everywhere via the “Ulex & Agogae” research
- Tip: Use the statistics panel (Ctrl+Q) to spot bottlenecks early and adjust production.
Phase 1: Laying the Foundation
- Cost: 75,000 denarii, 100 timber, 60 concrete
- No workforce required
- No timer – the construction site appears instantly
This phase is primarily about positioning. You should already build upgraded warehouses with plenty of loading ramps nearby to shorten delivery routes later on.
Phase 2: The Base Structure
- Cost: 150 timber, 300 concrete, 150 ropes
- Workforce: 350 Liberti
- Build time: 30 minutes
This is where construction truly begins. Make sure you have enough basic workforce available. Since many production chains also depend on Liberti, your economy can quickly suffer. If things get tight, temporarily pause industries you don’t need right away.
- Tip: Set up temporary wood and rope production on a secondary island to ease the load on your main island.
Phase 3: The Outer Walls
- Requirement: 750 Patricians on the island
- Cost: 150 concrete, 300 tiles, 300 marble, 150 ropes
- Workforce: 200 Plebeians
- Build time: 30 minutes
At this stage, the monument finally starts to look like an Amphitheater. The required materials are significantly more expensive, with marble and bricks posing the biggest risk of bottlenecks. Make sure your supply chains and trade routes are rock-solid.
- Tip: Use this construction pause to reduce excess Plebeian workforce through targeted upgrades and transition more citizens into Equites.
Phase 4: The Arena
- Requirement: 2,250 Patricians
- Cost: 300 concrete, 300 tiles, 300 marble, 300 mosaics, 60 gold
- Workforce: 150 Equites
- Build time: 30 minutes
Phase 4 is the final push. You’ll need not only a massive Patrician population, but also highly complex production chains. Mosaics and gold in particular are endgame resources that require careful planning.
- Tip: Create a dedicated island for mosaic production and supply it via trade routes. Use research like “Ulex & Agogae” to unlock gold mines everywhere.
How to Speed Up Construction
To speed up construction of the Amphitheater, build warehouses with as many loading ramps as possible directly next to the site so materials arrive quickly. Also make sure to deliver only the resources required for the current phase to avoid clogging storage. Temporarily pausing non-essential production frees up a workforce you can redirect to the monument.
It also helps to deploy specialists with workforce bonuses in nearby villas and activate research that increases available labor. If your supply chains start to struggle, it’s often better to pause Amphitheater construction briefly rather than overstretch logistics. Stable supply lines are key to smooth progress.
The Reward: What the Finished Amphitheater Gives You
Once the arena is complete, the building transforms into a lavish monument. From this point on, you gain:
- +3 population, +3 happiness, +7 prestige across a massive radius
- -400 denarii upkeep – the Amphitheater pays for itself
- Access to events such as gladiator games and naumachiae
The area of effect is enormous. Even on sprawling islands, it easily covers most of your population.
Amphitheater Events: Entertainment with Powerful Effects
Once completed, the Amphitheater lets you host three types of events (local gladiator games, grand gladiator games, and naval battles), each with nine tiers alternating between splendor and glory. These trigger a wide range of effects, including bonuses to happiness, productivity, prestige, knowledge, needs, land units, ships, and trade income. Requirements scale from basic goods to luxury items. For naval battles (naumachiae), you’ll even need a cistern connected to an aqueduct nearby.
- Tip: Repeating events increases their effects. A well-timed naumachia can give your entire island economy a major boost.
