vomitoria

Vomitoria (singular vomitorium) are architectural features in ancient Roman theatres, amphitheaters, and stadiums that function as exit passages. The term comes from Latin vomitorium, from vomere “to spew forth,” and describes how crowds could be directed out of seating areas. The phrase is often misunderstood as referring to rooms used for inducing vomiting; there is little evidence for such spaces in ancient sources, and most scholars treat vomitoria as passages rather than rooms.

Design and purpose: Vomitoria typically ran beneath seating tiers or along the sides of a venue, connecting interior seating sections with external avenues or courtyards. They were wide and often vaulted, allowing many spectators to move simultaneously without crossing paths, thus facilitating efficient egress after performances or events.

Examples: In major Roman venues such as the Colosseum and other theatres and circuses, multiple vomitoria enabled rapid dispersal of crowds. Their layout could be straight or radiating, and they opened onto street levels or adjacent corridors, improving safety and crowd flow in large structures.

Legacy and usage: The concept persists in modern architecture as crowd exit routes in large venues; the term vomitory or vomitoria is used in architectural and civil engineering contexts. The term’s popular misinterpretation as spaces for purging is a modern myth not supported by historical or architectural evidence.