Question 229 of 350 · Beginnings and the Old Swiss Confederacy
From which ancient power and culture does the amphitheatre shown here (in Avenches) come?
Von welcher antiken Herrschaft und Kultur stammt das hier abgebildete Amphitheater (in Avenches)?
Correct answer: B
Why
Amphitheatres with an arena and rows of seats are typical Roman buildings. At that time, Avenches was called Aventicum and was the Roman capital of the Helvetii.
Common mistakes
- A: from the Gauls
- The Gauls were Celts like the Helvetii; they did not build stone amphitheatres.
- D: from the Greeks
- The Greeks built theatres, but not in Switzerland; the amphitheatre is a Roman type of building.
Topic
More than 2000 years ago, Celtic peoples lived in the area of present-day Switzerland. The most important people were the Helvetii. They lived mainly in the Plateau between the Jura, the Alps and the Rhine. Switzerland is still named after them today: in Latin it is called «Helvetia». The CH on car number plates also comes from this. It stands for «Confoederatio Helvetica», in other words the Helvetic Confederation.
History of Switzerland · Beginnings and the Old Swiss Confederacy
Sources
Official question of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.