The Colosseum, Rome

The Colosseum - Roman Empire

The Colosseum is located in Rome, Italy.

Also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, it is an oval amphitheater and the largest ever built.

Construction began under Emperor Vespasian around 70-72 A.D.

and was completed under his successor and heir, Titus, in 80 A.D.

Further modifications were made during the Flavian dynasty,

so the amphitheater was named as the Amphitheatrum Flavium, or Flavian Amphitheatre.

It stood at 50 meters high, and 156 meters wide, and was constructed from concrete and sand.

Arches and columns framed the structure and strengthened it.

It had 80 exits and entrances, 76 of which were used by ordinary citizens.

The Colosseum was also covered by a controllable velarium to shade spectators from the sun.

Nearby the Colosseum stood the Colossus of Nero, a great bronze statue,

later changed to a statue of the sun god, Sol.

The arena was made of a wooden floor covered by sand.

Around it were the spectators' seats, determined by the citizens' importance, with the best seats reserved for senators.

Special boxes were reserved for the emperor.

The Colosseum could hold around 70,000 spectators.

Under the arena was the hypogeum, still visible today.

This was a series of underground tunnels used to house animals imported from Africa and the Middle East,

such as lions, rhinos, and panthers, which could be released through trapdoors.

The hypogeum was also used to release slaves through lifts, and to create

different moving scenarios or scenery, such as hills, groves, and small lakes.

The arena hosted a variety of blood sports as entertainment.

The schedule for the day consisted of men hunting dangerous animals and executions of criminals,

but the main event would be the gladiatorial combat.

Ancient writers wrote about mock sea battles, or 'naumachiae,' before the hypogeum was developed.

It is speculated that hydraulic mechanisms were used to flood the arena rapidly for such naval battles.

Gladiatorial combat, and public entertainment, was shown at the Colosseum all the way until the 6th century A.D.,

when costs became too high to justify it, and public taste had shifted.

Over the centuries it was reused for various purposes, such as a material quarry.

Today, it is the symbol of Rome, and one of the most-visited archaeological sites all over the world.

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