- Wonder Of The World
Colosseum
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
Contents
• 1 Name
• 2 History
o 2.1 Ancient
o 2.2 Medieval
o 2.3 Modern
• 3 Physical description
o 3.1 Exterior
o 3.2 Interior seating
o 3.3 Arena and hypogeum
o 3.4 Supporting buildings
• 4 Use
o 4.1 Today
• 5 Christians and the Colosseum
• 6 Flora
• 7 Appearances in media
Name
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
Contents
• 1 Name
• 2 History
o 2.1 Ancient
o 2.2 Medieval
o 2.3 Modern
• 3 Physical description
o 3.1 Exterior
o 3.2 Interior seating
o 3.3 Arena and hypogeum
o 3.4 Supporting buildings
• 4 Use
o 4.1 Today
• 5 Christians and the Colosseum
• 6 Flora
• 7 Appearances in media
Name
The Colosseum's original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium, often anglicized as Flavian Amphitheater. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, hence its original name, after the reign of Emperor Nero This name is still used in modern English, but generally the structure is better known as the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum; this name could have been strictly poetic. This name was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheater of the same name in Puteoli
The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby. This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.
In the 8th century, the Venerable Bede (c. 672–735) wrote a famous epigram celebrating the symbolic significance of the statue, Quandiu stabit coliseus, stabit et Roma; quando cadit coliseus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus ("as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world"). This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage). However, at the time that Bede wrote, the masculine noun coliseus was applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre.
The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.
The name was further corrupted to Coliseum during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as il Colosseo, and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as le Colisée (French), el Coliseo (Spanish) and o Coliseu (Portuguese).
History Ancient
A map of central Rome during the Roman Empire, with the Colosseum at the upper right corner
The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby. This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.
In the 8th century, the Venerable Bede (c. 672–735) wrote a famous epigram celebrating the symbolic significance of the statue, Quandiu stabit coliseus, stabit et Roma; quando cadit coliseus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus ("as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world"). This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage). However, at the time that Bede wrote, the masculine noun coliseus was applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre.
The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.
The name was further corrupted to Coliseum during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as il Colosseo, and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as le Colisée (French), el Coliseo (Spanish) and o Coliseu (Portuguese).
History Ancient
A map of central Rome during the Roman Empire, with the Colosseum at the upper right corner
Construction of the Colosseum began under the rule of the Emperor Vespasian in around 70–72AD. The site chosen was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills, through which a canalised stream ran. By the 2nd century BC the area was densely inhabited. It was devastated by the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64, following which Nero seized much of the area to add to his personal domain. He built the grandiose Domus Aurea on the site, in front of which he created an artificial lake surrounded by pavilions, gardens and porticoes. The existing Aqua Claudia aqueduct was extended to supply water to the area and the gigantic bronze Colossus of Nero was set up nearby at the entrance to the Domus Aurea.
Although the Colossus was preserved, much of the Domus Aurea was torn down. The lake was filled in and the land reused as the location for the new Flavian Amphitheatre. Gladiatorial schools and other support buildings were constructed nearby within the former grounds of the Domus Aurea. According to a reconstructed inscription found on the site, "the emperor Vespasian ordered this new amphitheatre to be erected from his general's share of the booty." This is thought to refer to the vast quantity of treasure seized by the Romans following their victory in the Great Jewish Revolt in 70AD. The Colosseum can be thus interpreted as a great triumphal monument built in the Roman tradition of celebrating great victories. Vespasian's decision to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero's lake can also be seen as a populist gesture of returning to the people an area of the city which Nero had appropriated for his own use. In contrast to many other amphitheatres, which were located on the outskirts of a city, the Colosseum was constructed in the city centre; in effect, placing it both literally and symbolically at the heart of Rome.
The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian's death in 79. The top level was finished and the building inaugurated by his son, Titus, in 80. Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. The building was remodelled further under Vespasian's younger son, the newly designated Emperor Domitian, who constructed the hypogeum, a series of underground tunnels used to house animals and slaves. He also added a gallery to the top of the Colosseum to increase its seating capacity.
In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by a major fire (caused by lightning, according to Dio Cassius which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre's interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320. An inscription records the restoration of various parts of the Colosseum under Theodosius II and Valentinian III (reigned 425–455), possibly to repair damage caused by a major earthquake in 443; more work followed in 484 and 508. The arena continued to be used for contests well into the 6th century, with gladiatorial fights last mentioned around 435. Animal hunts continued until at least 523.
Medieval
Map of medieval Rome depicting the Colosseum
The Colosseum underwent several radical changes of use during the medieval period. By the late 6th century a small church had been built into the structure of the amphitheatre, though this apparently did not confer any particular religious significance on the building as a whole. The arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle.
Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, causing the outer south side, lying on a less stable alluvional terrain, to collapse. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. A religious order moved into the northern third of the Colosseum in the mid-14th century and continued to inhabit it until as late as the early 19th century. The interior of the amphitheatre was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere, or (in the case of the marble façade) was burned to make quicklime. The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today.
Modern
Interior of the Colosseum, Rome. Thomas Cole, 1832. Note the Stations of the Cross around the arena and the extensive vegetation, both removed later in the 19th century.
During the 16th and 17th century, Church officials sought a productive role for the vast derelict hulk of the Colosseum. Pope Sixtus V (1585–1590) planned to turn the building into a wool factory to provide employment for Rome's prostitutes, though this proposal fell through with his premature death. In 1671 Cardinal Altieri authorized its use for bullfights; a public outcry caused the idea to be hastily abandoned.
The Colosseum in a 1757 engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi
In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV endorsed as official Church policy the view that the Colosseum was a sacred site where early Christians had been martyred. He forbade the use of the Colosseum as a quarry and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ and installed Stations of the Cross, declaring it sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there (see Christians and the Colosseum). However there is no historical evidence to support Benedict's claim, nor is there even any evidence that anyone prior to the 16th century suggested this might be the case; the Catholic Encyclopedia concludes that there are no historical grounds for the supposition. Later popes initiated various stabilization and restoration projects, removing the extensive vegetation which had overgrown the structure and threatened to damage it further. The façade was reinforced with triangular brick wedges in 1807 and 1827, and the interior was repaired in 1831, 1846 and in the 1930s. The arena substructure was partly excavated in 1810–1814 and 1874 and was fully exposed under Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.
Between 1993 and 2000, parts of the outer wall were cleaned (left) to repair the Colosseum from automobile exhaust damage (right)
The Colosseum is today one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions, receiving millions of visitors annually. The effects of pollution and general deterioration over time prompted a major restoration programme carried out between 1993 and 2000, at a cost of 40 billion Italian lire ($19.3m / €20.6m at 2000 prices). In recent years it has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum's night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released, or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Most recently, the Colosseum was illuminated in gold when capital punishment was abolished in the American state of New Mexico in April 2009.
Today, the Colosseum is a background to the busy metropolis that is modern Rome.
Because of the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the Colosseum to host large events; only a few hundred spectators can be accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop. Performers who have played at the Colosseum in recent years have included Ray Charles (May 2002), Paul McCartney (May 2003), and Elton John (September 2005).
On July 7, 2007, the Colosseum was voted as one of New Open World Corporation's New Seven Wonders of the World.
Physical description
Exterior
The exterior of the Colosseum, showing the partially intact outer wall (left) and the mostly intact inner wall (right)
Original façade of the Colosseum
Entrance LII of the Colosseum, with Roman numerals still visible
Cross-section from the Lexikon der gesamten Technik (1904)
Unlike earlier Greek theatres that were built into hillsides, the Colosseum is an entirely free-standing structure. It derives its basic exterior and interior architecture from that of two Roman theatres back to back. It is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of 6 acres (24,000 m2). The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet). The perimeter originally measured 545 meters (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The central arena is an oval (287 ft) long and (180 ft) wide, surrounded by a wall (15 ft) high, above which rose tiers of seating.
The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic meters (131,000 cu yd) of travertine stone which were set without mortar held together by 300 tons of iron clamps. However, it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries, with large segments having collapsed following earthquakes. The north side of the perimeter wall is still standing; the distinctive triangular brick wedges at each end are modern additions, having been constructed in the early 19th century to shore up the wall. The remainder of the present-day exterior of the Colosseum is in fact the original interior wall.
The surviving part of the outer wall's monumental façade comprises three stories of superimposed arcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters. Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical mythology.
Two hundred and forty mast corbels were positioned around the top of the attic. They originally supported a retractable awning, known as the velarium, that kept the sun and rain off spectators. This consisted of a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center. It covered two-thirds of the arena, and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors, specially enlisted from the Roman naval headquarters at Misenum and housed in the nearby Castra Misenatium, were used to work the velarium.
The Colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators. Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite. All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted stucco reliefs, of which fragments survive. Many of the original outer entrances have disappeared with the collapse of the perimeter wall, but entrances XXIII (23) to LIV (54) still survive.
Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered pottery shards, which directed them to the appropriate section and row. They accessed their seats via vomitoria (singular vomitorium), passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within only a few minutes. The name vomitoria derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which English derives the word vomit.
Interior seating
Side view of Colosseum seating
According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000. They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society. Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena. Flanking them at the same level was a broad platform or podium for the senatorial class, who were allowed to bring their own chairs. The names of some 5th century senators can still be seen carved into the stonework, presumably reserving areas for their use.
The tier above the senators, known as the maenianum primum, was occupied by the non-senatorial noble class or knights (equites). The next level up, the maenianum secundum, was originally reserved for ordinary Roman citizens (plebians) and was divided into two sections. The lower part (the immum) was for wealthy citizens, while the upper part (the summum) was for poor citizens. Specific sectors were provided for other social groups: for instance, boys with their tutors, soldiers on leave, foreign dignitaries, scribes, heralds, priests and so on. Stone (and later marble) seating was provided for the citizens and nobles, who presumably would have brought their own cushions with them. Inscriptions identified the areas reserved for specific groups.
Another level, the maenianum secundum in legneis, was added at the very top of the building during the reign of Domitian. This comprised a gallery for the common poor, slaves and women. It would have been either standing room only, or would have had very steep wooden benches. Some groups were banned altogether from the Colosseum, notably gravediggers, actors and former gladiators.
Each tier was divided into sections (maeniana) by curved passages and low walls (praecinctiones or baltei), and were subdivided into cunei, or wedges, by the steps and aisles from the vomitoria. Each row (gradus) of seats was numbered, permitting each individual seat to be exactly designated by its gradus, cuneus, and number.
Arena and hypogeum
The Colosseum arena, showing the hypogeum. The wooden walkway is a modern structure.
Detail of the hypogeum
The arena itself was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet). It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground"). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.
The hypogeum was connected by underground tunnels to a number of points outside the Colosseum. Animals and performers were brought through the tunnel from nearby stables, with the gladiators' barracks at the Ludus Magnus to the east also being connected by tunnels. Separate tunnels were provided for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins to permit them to enter and exit the Colosseum without needing to pass through the crowds.
Substantial quantities of machinery also existed in the hypogeum. Elevators and pulleys raised and lowered scenery and props, as well as lifting caged animals to the surface for release. There is evidence for the existence of major hydraulic mechanisms and according to ancient accounts, it was possible to flood the arena rapidly, presumably via a connection to a nearby aqueduct.
Supporting buildings
The Colosseum - a view from the Oppian Hill
The Colosseum and its activities supported a substantial industry in the area. In addition to the amphitheatre itself, many other buildings nearby were linked to the games. Immediately to the east is the remains of the Ludus Magnus, a training school for gladiators. This was connected to the Colosseum by an underground passage, to allow easy access for the gladiators. The Ludus Magnus had its own miniature training arena, which was itself a popular attraction for Roman spectators. Other training schools were in the same area, including the Ludus Matutinus (Morning School), where fighters of animals were trained, plus the Dacian and Gallic Schools.
Also nearby were the Armamentarium, comprising an armory to store weapons; the Summum Choragium, where machinery was stored; the Sanitarium, which had facilities to treat wounded gladiators; and the Spoliarium, where bodies of dead gladiators were stripped of their armor and disposed of.
Around the perimeter of the Colosseum, at a distance of 18 m (59 ft) from the perimeter, was a series of tall stone posts, with five remaining on the eastern side. Various explanations have been advanced for their presence; they may have been a religious boundary, or an outer boundary for ticket checks, or an anchor for the velarium or awning.
Right next to the Colosseum is also the Arch of Constantine.
Use
Pollice Verso ("Thumbs Down") by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1872
The Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by private individuals rather than the state. They had a strong religious element but were also demonstrations of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular with the population. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt, or venatio. This utilized a great variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa and the Middle East, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, aurochs, wisents, barbary lions, panthers, leopards, bears, caspian tigers, crocodiles and ostriches. Battles and hunts were often staged amid elaborate sets with movable trees and buildings. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale; Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia in 107 with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators over the course of 123 days.
During the early days of the Colosseum, ancient writers recorded that the building was used for naumachiae (more properly known as navalia proelia) or simulated sea battles. Accounts of the inaugural games held by Titus in AD 80 describe it being filled with water for a display of specially trained swimming horses and bulls. There is also an account of a re-enactment of a famous sea battle between the Corcyrean (Corfiot) Greeks and the Corinthians. This has been the subject of some debate among historians; although providing the water would not have been a problem, it is unclear how the arena could have been waterproofed, nor would there have been enough space in the arena for the warships to move around. It has been suggested that the reports either have the location wrong, or that the Colosseum originally featured a wide floodable channel down its central axis (which would later have been replaced by the hypogeum).
Sylvae or recreations of natural scenes were also held in the arena. Painters, technicians and architects would construct a simulation of a forest with real trees and bushes planted in the arena's floor. Animals would be introduced to populate the scene for the delight of the crowd. Such scenes might be used simply to display a natural environment for the urban population, or could otherwise be used as the backdrop for hunts or dramas depicting episodes from mythology. They were also occasionally used for executions in which the hero of the story — played by a condemned person — was killed in one of various gruesome but mythologically authentic ways, such as being mauled by beasts or burned to death.
Today
The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena, though entrance for EU citizens is partially subsidised, and under-18 and over-65 EU citizens' entrances are free. There is now a museum dedicated to Eros located in the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. Part of the arena floor has been re-floored.
The Colosseum is also the site of Roman Catholic ceremonies in the 20th and 21st centuries. For instance, Pope Benedict XVI leads the Stations of the Cross called the Scriptural Way of the Cross (which calls for more meditation) at the Colosseum on Good Fridays.
Christians and the Colosseum
The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer, by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1883).
In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was clearly not regarded as a sacred site. Its use as a fortress and then a quarry demonstrates how little spiritual importance was attached to it, at a time when sites associated with martyrs were highly venerated. It was not included in the itineraries compiled for the use of pilgrims nor in works such as the 12th century Mirabilia Urbis Romae ("Marvels of the City of Rome"), which claims the Circus Flaminius — but not the Colosseum — as the site of martyrdoms. Part of the structure was inhabited by a Christian order, but apparently not for any particular religious reason.
It appears to have been only in the 16th and 17th centuries that the Colosseum came to be regarded as a Christian site. Pope Pius V (1566-1572) is said to have recommended that pilgrims gather sand from the arena of the Colosseum to serve as a relic, on the grounds that it was impregnated with the blood of martyrs. This seems to have been a minority view until it was popularised nearly a century later by Fioravante Martinelli, who listed the Colosseum at the head of a list of places sacred to the martyrs in his 1653 book Roma ex ethnica sacra.
Martinelli's book evidently had an effect on public opinion; in response to Cardinal Altieri's proposal some years later to turn the Colosseum into a bullring, Carlo Tomassi published a pamphlet in protest against what he regarded as an act of desecration. The ensuing controversy persuaded Pope Clement X to close the Colosseum's external arcades and declare it a sanctuary, though quarrying continued for some time.
At the instance of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) forbade the quarrying of the Colosseum and erected Stations of the Cross around the arena, which remained until February 1874. St. Benedict Joseph Labre spent the later years of his life within the walls of the Colosseum, living on alms, prior to his death in 1783. Several 19th century popes funded repair and restoration work on the Colosseum, and it still retains a Christian connection today. Crosses stand in several points around the arena and every Good Friday the Pope leads a Via Crucis procession to the amphitheatre.
Good Friday the Pope leads a Via Crucis procession to the amphitheatre.
Flora
Plants on the inner walls of the Colosseum
The Colosseum has a wide and well-documented history of flora ever since Domenico Panaroli made the first catalogue of its plants in 1643. Since then, 684 species have been identified there. The peak was in 1855 (420 species). Attempts were made in 1871 to eradicate the vegetation, because of concerns over the damage that was being caused to the masonry, but much of it has returned. 242 species have been counted today and of the species first identified by Panaroli, 200 remain.
The variation of plants can be explained by the change of climate in Rome through the centuries. Additionally, bird migration, flower blooming, and the growth of Rome that caused the Colosseum to become embedded within the modern city centre rather than on the outskirts of the ancient city, as well as deliberate transport of species, are also contributing causes. One other romantic reason often given is their seeds being unwittingly transported on the animals brought there from all corners of the empire.
Appearances in media
The iconic status of the Colosseum has led it to be featured in numerous films and other items of popular culture:
• Cole Porter's song "You're the Top" from the musical Anything Goes (1934) includes the line "You're the Top, You're the Colosseum".
• In the 1953 film Roman Holiday, the Colosseum famously serves as the backdrop for several scenes.
• In the 1954 film Demetrius and the Gladiators, the Emperor Caligula anachronistically sentences the Christian Demetrius to fight in the Colosseum.
• The conclusion of the 1957 film 20 Million Miles to Earth takes place at the Colosseum.
• In the 1972 film Way of the Dragon, Bruce Lee fought Chuck Norris in the Colosseum.
• In Ridley Scott's 2000 film Gladiator, the Colosseum was re-created via computer-generated imagery (CGI) to "restore" it to the glory of its heyday in the 2nd century. The depiction of the building itself is generally accurate and it gives a good impression of what the underground hypogeum would have been like.
• In the 2003 science fiction film The Core, the Colosseum along with the rest of Rome is destroyed by a huge lightning superstorm.
• In 2004, the remaining girls of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 2 did a photoshoot in the Colosseum for Solstice Sunglasses.
• In the 2008 film Jumper, the Colosseum was used as the location for one of the battles between the jumpers and the paladins.
The Colosseum's fame as an entertainment venue has also led the name to be re-used for modern entertainment facilities, particularly in the United States, where theatres, music halls and large buildings used for sport or exhibitions have commonly been called Colosseums or Coliseums.
• The optical disc authoring software program Nero Burning ROM uses an image of the Colosseum on fire as one of its main icons, even though Emperor Nero's Great Fire of Rome (which the program's name and icon refer to) occurred in 64 AD, before the Colosseum was built.
• In 2009 Nickelback used the Colosseum to film their latest Music Video, entitled "Gotta be somebody".
• In 2010, an episode of Life After People: The Series titled "Wrath of God" features the structure's long demise after the disappearance of humans.
The Colosseum is without a doubt the most famous of Rome's many sights.
You'll probably never forget your first glimpse of the Colosseum (Colosseo), one of the world's most famous buildings. As you get to know Rome, the huge arena may slide down your list of Rome priorities, but its initial impact is overwhelming.
The building, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, received its more common name from a giant statue, or colossus, of Nero, which stood close to the spot. Designed to replace the excesses of Nero's unpopular Domus Aurea (or Golden House), the Colosseum was begun by Vespasian and inaugurated after his death in 79AD by his son Titus. Up to 50,000 spectators enjoyed immense gladiatorial shows of death and violence. They entered through numbered arches - the Roman numerals above the entrances are still visible in places. Later the Colosseum was denuded by popes who wanted to use its marble elsewhere; it was also damaged by an earthquake.
Over the road from the Colosseum, next to Via San Giovanni in Laterano, you'll see a partially excavated area. This was the site of the gladiators' barracks. A small arena suggests that here they were given the opportunity to practice their crowd-pleasing moves.
The Colosseum is located at the foot of Mussolini's Via dei Fori Imperiali; from Piazza Venezia head past the Roman Forum. Colosseo Metro station (Linea B) is right opposite. The Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum are next to the Colosseum, as is the Arch of Constantine, cobbled together from earlier monuments. The Circus Maximus is a short walk away; the Baths of Caracalla are a little further.
A full price ticket to the Colosseum costs €8 and includes entrance to the Palatine. The Colosseum is open every day from 9am. Closing time varies from 4.30pm in the winter to 7.30pm in the summer. The ticket office closes 1 hour before closing time. Info and bookings: tel. (+39)06 39967700. Expect a queue.
If you're on a tight budget or timescale, just walk around the outside. You'll miss any special exhibitions that might be on, but there are a few places where you can peer inside; in any case the interior contains no great surprises and probably nothing you won't have seen on television. Free tours run around the exterior; the guides regale you with gory, occasionally dubious, details and generally ask for a tip. Those without licences sometimes get picked up by police, which could make your visit more interesting.
The Roman Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was commisioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian. It was completed by his son, Titus, in 80, with later improvements by Domitian.
The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum and was built to a practical design, with its 80 arched entrances allowing easy access to 55,000 spectators, who were seated according to rank. The Coliseum is huge, an ellipse 188m long and 156 wide. Originally 240 masts were attached to stone corbels on the 4th level.
Just outside the Coliseum is the Arch of Constantine (Arco di Costantino), a 25m high monument built in AD315 to mark the victory of Constantine over Maxentius at Pons Milvius.
Vespesian ordered the Colosseum to be build on the site of Nero's palace, the Domus Aurea, to dissociate himself from the hated tyrant.
His aim was to gain popularity by staging deadly combats of gladiators and wild animal fights for public viewing. Massacre was on a huge scale: at inaugural games in AD 80, over 9,000 wild animals were killed.
Roman gladiators
were usually slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals. Most were men, but there were a few female gladiators. These combats were attended by the poor, the rich, and frequently the emperor himself. As gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses were heard from the audience around the Roman Colosseum. One contest after another was staged in the course of a single day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered over with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on. The gladiatorial games continued until Christianity progressively put an end to those parts of them which included the death of humans.
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The Roman Coliseum is located in the heart of piazza del Colosseo, on the homonymous B(blue) metro line.
Colosseum admission fee:
Full ticket - €15.50
EU reduced ticket - €10.50 (available only for European citizens aged between 18 and 25)
EU complimentary ticket- €4.50 (available only for EU citizens aged above 65 and under 18)
Opening hours:
Mid February - mid March: 9 AM - 4.30 PM
Mid March - end March: 9 AM - 5.00 PM
End March - end August: 9 AM - 7.00 PM
End August - end Sept.: 9 AM - 6.30 PM
End Sept. - end October: 9 AM - 6.00 PM
End October - mid March: 9 AM - 4.00 PM
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy - visitor information
The Colosseum or Coliseum is today the most recognisable of Rome's Classical buildings. Even 2,000 years after it was built, and despite centuries when the abandoned building was pillaged for building materials, it is instantly recognisable ... a Classical template for the stadia of today. It was the first permanent amphitheatre to be raised in Rome, and the most impressive arena the Classical world had yet seen. And with accommodation for 60,000 seated and 10,000 standing, all of whom could enter and leave in a matter of minutes, courtesy of 80 entrances, this is a structure that the designers of modern sports stadia could learn from.
The name Colosseum is in fact a much later addition. It was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, and was conceived as a peculiarly Roman political gesture ... a gift from a new dynasty of Roman emperors to a populace kept happy by bread and circuses.
In 68AD Emperor Nero died and with him the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Vespasian was made emperor by the Senate in the following year and decided the city needed a new amphitheatre. Just like a modern politician, such gestures simultaneously pleased the populace and would (hopefully) leave a lasting monument to the emperor's greatness. Well maybe. The city's first amphitheatre in stone had been built in 29BC by Statilius Taurus, but Caligula (12-41AD) had adjudged it too small and started building his own.
Claudius succeeded Caligula and immediately halted his grand plan. And when Nero ruled Rome he eschewed the Statilius arena and made plans for his own, to be built in the Campus Martis. A magnificent building by all accounts, but razed in the fire that swept Rome in 64AD.
So Rome needed a new arena and a line drawn under the profligate and acquisitive rule of Nero, who had built a personal empire in the heart of Rome, taking public land to build his palace, the Domus Area. Very impressive it was too, with a vast artificial lake in the parklands of Nero's residence, but Vespasian elected to make a gift of the land back to the people of Rome - a gesture of reconciliation after the excesses of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The wisest Roman rulers always realised that the Emperors were ultimately elected (not gods) and that they ruled by the consent of the populace.
Remarkably it took only 10 years to built the arena. Remarkable because this was one of the most impressive pieces of architecture the world had seen.
The Colosseum is a huge ellipse with tiered seating, with an elliptical arena within. It combined a mix of materials including (a surprise for modern visitors here perhaps) concrete for the foundations. The Romans invented the super-strong material, and it allowed them to build larger, more stable buildings. Travertine stone (mined from the hills of Latium around Rome) was used for the piers and arcades. Tufa (softer volcanic rock) was used as infill between the piers on the walls of the lower two levels. Concrete faced with brick was used for the upper levels and for the ceiling vaults. The characteristic rounded arches that the builders used also provided great strength and support, spreading the weight of the upper tiers.
There was a mix of styles too. The Romans may not have been architectural innovators on a par with the Greeks, but they could replicate the detail. The three tiers of arcades had a facade of three-quarter columns and entablatures, with a succession of architectural orders: Doric on the first storey, Ionic on the second, Corinthian on the third. The attic storey bore Corinthian pilasters and little square windows in alternating bays. Along the top were brackets and sockets to support the velarium, a canopy providing shade ... the first sports arena with a retractable roof.
Eighty radiating walls supported the rising tiers of seating for the 50,000 seated spectators and for the stairs and passages that linked the vast complex. Within the outer walls, staircases joined the levels, and the Colosseum had much in common with a modern football stadium.
The whole thing covered some six acres, measuring 188 x 156 metres (615 ft x 510 ft), with the base of the building covering about 6 acres. Vaults span between eighty radial walls to support tiers of seating and for passageways and stairs. The facade rose to 48.5m, about the height of 15 modern storeys. The new arena was alternatively known as the Amphitheatrum Caesareum (hunting theatre) a reflection of the hunting games that took place alongside the gladiatorial contests.
The arena had a wooden floor spread with sand to absorb the blood (our word 'arena' derives from the Roman harena meaning sand). Beneath this, a subterranean complex of passages and rooms, cages for the lions and tigers, food stores for the spectators, robing room for the spectators, had been built within the dip of Nero's old lake. Trap doors from here opened onto the floor of the arena itself, providing continual surprises for the spectators (and contestants) within.
Vespasian began his amphitheatre 72 AD and his son Titus opened it in 80AD with a games lasting 100 days (one gets intimations of the hubris and decadence that led to the eventual fall of Rome here). The building wasn't actually finished when it opened (nothing changes) but Domitian, Titus's brother, saw it to a conclusion.
The most popular games were hunts (venationes) and gladiatorial games (munerae). Domitian constructed four ludi, the prisons where gladiators were trained, next to the arena. There were also bestiarii, gladiators who fought lions, tigers and other beasts. The Catholic Church today claims the Colosseum as a shrine to the Christian martyrs they say were fed to the lions ... though some historians dispute this popular image.
The Colosseum saw around 450 years of service as Rome's entertainment centre. Architectural historians have read many alterations and additions to Vespasian's original structure. In 217AD the higher storeys were wrecked by fire, and there were earthquakes in 442, 470 and 847AD. The last recorded gladiatorial contest was in 404AD, the last hunt in 523AD. It would be tempting to think that Romans had become softened and civilised as Christianity took hold, but the decline is probably down to a lack of cash. The Roman empire was faltering. A series of invasions by Goths, Huns and others were weakening their hold and the revenue being pulled in from its territories ... and Games were expensive.
By the tenth century AD, the Colosseum had been abandoned and Rome was a shadow of its imperial height. Houses and shops were built within the structure, many of them hacking off chunks of the tufa to build with. Now it was used as a defensive wall, a fortress against invaders. During the Renaissance, Rome rose again, and more stone was pilfered from the Colosseum for new palazzi. Restoration began in the 18th century Its destruction was hastened during the renaissance and later by its use as a source of building materials, until restoration started again in the eighteenth century.
More recent restoration has focused on simply maintaining the Colosseum ... nobody seriously talks about rebuilding it in its entirety, and a €20m restoration project was completed in 2000. Today, lit from within on a Roman night, the Colosseum never fails to make visitors catch their breath: it is still recognisably the building started nearly 2,000 years ago to entertain the Roman public.
Roman Colosseum - Gladiators
Facts and information about the life, training and role of the Gladiator and their fights to the death at the Roman Colosseum. Fast, concise facts about the different types of gladiators including the Bestiarii gladiator (gladiators who specialised in beast fighters), the Retiarii gladiator ( gladiators who carried a trident, a dagger, and a net), the Dimachaeri gladiator ( gladiators who used two-swords, one in each hand) and their clothing. There is also a section on Female Gladiators and Famous Gladiators. How did a gladiator prepare for his fight at the Colosseum? What was the life of a gladiator in the Colosseum of Ancient Rome? What were the ceremonies in the arena of the Colosseum? Comprehensive facts and information about the life of the gladiator who fought in the Colosseum and Circus Maximus of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Emperors
The Roman Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus constructed the Roman Colosseum. Many Roman Emperors enjoyed the spectacles that the Colosseum had to offer and many of the games were financed by the emperors themselves. There was even an Emperor who took great delight in participating in the games held at the Colosseum - the Emperor Commodus - the Emperor featured in the Russell Crowe Movie Gladiator. Much of the movie was fiction rather than fact - the real Commodus was much worse than the character depicted in the film! This section features the history, facts and information about the famous Emperors and their clothing together with biographies and timelines of the Roman Emperors and the part they played in the persecution of the Christians and the history of the Colosseum. Interesting facts and information about the emperors of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Empire
The history, facts and information about the Roman Empire are detailed in this section. The growth of Rome, its early history and kings and the Kingdom of Rome, its rise, decline and fall as the Roman Republic and the rise and the fall of the Roman Empire which was ruled by the all-powerful emperors. The period of time which is covered so information is divided into categories - the Kingdom of Rome, the Republic and the Empire with lists, dynasties and timelines of the Emperors. The History of Rome, Timelines, a brief History of Rome, the Rise, Decline and Fall of the Republic and the the Rise, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Definition of the Ancient Roman Empire. What was the Empire? Why was the Ancient Empire established? When was the Empire established? Who established the Empire? What events led to the Decline of the Empire? When did the Empire of Rome fall? Reason why the Roman Empire fell. The split of the Empire.
The Roman Colosseum - Architecture
This section of the website provides an overview of Roman Architecture, much of which is featured in the construction, design and building of the Roman Colosseum. Basilicas, Baths, Amphitheaters such as the Roman Colosseum, Triumphal arches, Villas, Temples, Roads, Forts and Stockades, Towns, Aqueducts and the Roman Baths. Facts and Information about their discovery of concrete and their famous columns and arches. The Colosseum was situated in the centre of Rome, it was in fact a symbol of the might, the wealth and the power of the Roman Empire. The Colosseum took less than 10 years to build, a remarkable achievement for the excellent engineers and their famous engineering skills. The architecture of the Roman Colosseum illustrates their use of one of the Romans most famous inventions - concrete. The Roman arch was prominently featured in the design and building of the Colosseum as were the different styles of architecture reflected in the Roman columns. Look carefully at pictures of the Colosseum and you will see Tuscan columns at the bottom, then Ionic, with Corinthian columns in the third storey. Facts and information about the beautiful Roman mosaics and Roman Art are also included. Comprehensive facts about the art and architecture of Ancient Rome. Interesting facts about the Colosseum and architecture of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - History
This history of the Roman Colosseum started hundreds of years before it was actually built when the tastes of Roman citizens craved the excitement and blood lust of the gladiatorial games. Their taste for blood and this form of entertainment dates back to 264AD when the first recorded Roman gladiatorial combats took place in Rome. The Roman Colosseum was opened in 80AD and was originally the called the Flavian Amphitheatre. The idea of this great arena was that of the Roman Emperor Vespasian and the construction started in c70AD and was financed from the proceeds gained from the Roman sacking of Jerusalem. The history of the bloody arena continues through the reigns of various emperors, the emergence of the new Christian religion, the horror stories of the deaths of Christian martyrs in the Colosseum, the Gladiator fights and the killing of thousands of exotic animals in Ancient Rome. The madness of the mob and craving for this type of entertainment finally ended in the 6th century. Interesting facts about the Colosseum of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Life
Who were the people who could be found at the Roman Colosseum? The Roman Life section provides history, facts and information about the people of Ancient Rome. Facts and information about the clothing and lives and life of women, children, the family, marriage, education and food. The history facts and information about the Patricians and the Plebeians, the citizens of Rome, the slaves and the senators. There are several articles relating to Roman slaves including the Slave Market, Slave Auction, Slave Trade, Slave Punishment and the Day in the Life of a Slave. This section also describes the history, information and facts about the activities and entertainments in Ancient Rome. Additional articles, facts and information about Roman Numerals and the numbers 1 100 in Roman numerals, the names of the days of the week and the months, weights, measures and coins. Who was allowed to go to the games at the Colosseum? How much did it cost to go into the Colosseum? Who sat where in the Colosseum? How often did people go to the Colosseum? Comprehensive facts about life in Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Gods and Goddesses - Gods - Religion and Mythology
This section contains facts and information about religion, mythology, and the Gods and Goddesses. The Roman's attitude towards religion and how other religions were assimilated into their culture and society. The role that religion took in state occasions, politics and the lives and future of the Romans. The names of the most important gods and goddesses are include together with descriptions of other terms closely related to Roman mythology. A list, description and details of all the Gods and Goddesses including Jupiter the King of the Gods, Juno the Queen of the Gods, Neptune the God of the Sea, Pluto the God of Death, Apollo the God of the Sun, Diana the Goddess of the Moon, Mars the God of War, Venus the Goddess of Love, Cupid the God of Love, Mercury the Messenger of the Gods, Minerva the Goddess of Wisdom, Ceres the Earth Goddess, Proserpina the Goddess of the Underworld, Vulcan, Bacchus the God of Wine, Saturn the God of Time, Vesta the Goddess of the Home, Janus the God of Doors and Uranus the Father of Saturn. Information about the Underworld, the Fates and the Furies. The role and clothing of the Vestal Virgins, the Augurs and Auguries, Aruspices, Pontifices, Priests and Religious ceremonies and festivals. The role of religion and the Colosseum.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Weapons
The history, facts and information about roman weapons including those used by the gladiators in the Colosseum. The army, the legions, centurions and the soldiers. Their armor, helmets, shields, siege weapons including the catapult and ballista, the chariots and facts about the different types of weapons and clothing used by soldiers and gladiators. Facts and information about the Roman Siege Weapons including the Tormentum, Ballista, Testudo, Vinea (arbor-sheds), Helepolis, Turris, Battering Ram and the Wild Ass (Onager).
Roman Colosseum - Roman Army
The history, facts and interesting information about the Roman Army. The Romans were essentially military and antagonistic in all their tastes and habits. Twenty-five legions made the conquest of the known world, and retained that conquest for 500 years. The army of the Romans was one of the greatest armies that the world has ever seen. History, interesting facts and information on the army and the fleet and ships of the navy: Soldiers, Consuls, Centurion and Tribune, Ensigns, Flags, the Standard, Army Ranks Dictionary, Soldiers and the clothing, the Legion and Cohorts, army battle plans, strategy, army tactics and army formations. There are also facts and information about the 'Praetorian Guard' which originated from the 'Praetoria Cohors' who were the troops who guarded the Praetor and then the Consuls who served as commanders in a military capacity.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Clothing
Interesting facts and information about the different types and colors of the clothing worn by the Romans who lived in Ancient Rome and visited places of spectacle and entertainment like the Colosseum. Clothing worn by the Emperors, Senators, Soldiers, Roman citizens, Slaves, the Women, the Vestal Virgins and of course the Gladiators. Interesting facts and information about the Roman Clothing worn by people who lived in Ancient Rome.
Information and Facts about the Roman Colosseum
Interesting facts and information on the Colosseum arena in Ancient Rome. Why was this arena in Ancient Rome called the Colosseum? The Colosseum was originally called the the Flavian Amphitheatre but was given the name Colosseum. The name Colosseum was taken from the Latin word 'colosseus' meaning colossal referring to a gigantic statue of the Emperor Nero, measuring 100 to 120 Roman feet (37m) high, which had once occupied the location of the Colosseum in Ancient Rome.
Although the Colossus was preserved, much of the Domus Aurea was torn down. The lake was filled in and the land reused as the location for the new Flavian Amphitheatre. Gladiatorial schools and other support buildings were constructed nearby within the former grounds of the Domus Aurea. According to a reconstructed inscription found on the site, "the emperor Vespasian ordered this new amphitheatre to be erected from his general's share of the booty." This is thought to refer to the vast quantity of treasure seized by the Romans following their victory in the Great Jewish Revolt in 70AD. The Colosseum can be thus interpreted as a great triumphal monument built in the Roman tradition of celebrating great victories. Vespasian's decision to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero's lake can also be seen as a populist gesture of returning to the people an area of the city which Nero had appropriated for his own use. In contrast to many other amphitheatres, which were located on the outskirts of a city, the Colosseum was constructed in the city centre; in effect, placing it both literally and symbolically at the heart of Rome.
The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian's death in 79. The top level was finished and the building inaugurated by his son, Titus, in 80. Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. The building was remodelled further under Vespasian's younger son, the newly designated Emperor Domitian, who constructed the hypogeum, a series of underground tunnels used to house animals and slaves. He also added a gallery to the top of the Colosseum to increase its seating capacity.
In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by a major fire (caused by lightning, according to Dio Cassius which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre's interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320. An inscription records the restoration of various parts of the Colosseum under Theodosius II and Valentinian III (reigned 425–455), possibly to repair damage caused by a major earthquake in 443; more work followed in 484 and 508. The arena continued to be used for contests well into the 6th century, with gladiatorial fights last mentioned around 435. Animal hunts continued until at least 523.
Medieval
Map of medieval Rome depicting the Colosseum
The Colosseum underwent several radical changes of use during the medieval period. By the late 6th century a small church had been built into the structure of the amphitheatre, though this apparently did not confer any particular religious significance on the building as a whole. The arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle.
Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, causing the outer south side, lying on a less stable alluvional terrain, to collapse. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. A religious order moved into the northern third of the Colosseum in the mid-14th century and continued to inhabit it until as late as the early 19th century. The interior of the amphitheatre was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere, or (in the case of the marble façade) was burned to make quicklime. The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today.
Modern
Interior of the Colosseum, Rome. Thomas Cole, 1832. Note the Stations of the Cross around the arena and the extensive vegetation, both removed later in the 19th century.
During the 16th and 17th century, Church officials sought a productive role for the vast derelict hulk of the Colosseum. Pope Sixtus V (1585–1590) planned to turn the building into a wool factory to provide employment for Rome's prostitutes, though this proposal fell through with his premature death. In 1671 Cardinal Altieri authorized its use for bullfights; a public outcry caused the idea to be hastily abandoned.
In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV endorsed as official Church policy the view that the Colosseum was a sacred site where early Christians had been martyred. He forbade the use of the Colosseum as a quarry and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ and installed Stations of the Cross, declaring it sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there (see Christians and the Colosseum). However there is no historical evidence to support Benedict's claim, nor is there even any evidence that anyone prior to the 16th century suggested this might be the case; the Catholic Encyclopedia concludes that there are no historical grounds for the supposition. Later popes initiated various stabilization and restoration projects, removing the extensive vegetation which had overgrown the structure and threatened to damage it further. The façade was reinforced with triangular brick wedges in 1807 and 1827, and the interior was repaired in 1831, 1846 and in the 1930s. The arena substructure was partly excavated in 1810–1814 and 1874 and was fully exposed under Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.
Between 1993 and 2000, parts of the outer wall were cleaned (left) to repair the Colosseum from automobile exhaust damage (right)
The Colosseum is today one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions, receiving millions of visitors annually. The effects of pollution and general deterioration over time prompted a major restoration programme carried out between 1993 and 2000, at a cost of 40 billion Italian lire ($19.3m / €20.6m at 2000 prices). In recent years it has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum's night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released, or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Most recently, the Colosseum was illuminated in gold when capital punishment was abolished in the American state of New Mexico in April 2009.
Today, the Colosseum is a background to the busy metropolis that is modern Rome.Because of the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the Colosseum to host large events; only a few hundred spectators can be accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop. Performers who have played at the Colosseum in recent years have included Ray Charles (May 2002), Paul McCartney (May 2003), and Elton John (September 2005).
On July 7, 2007, the Colosseum was voted as one of New Open World Corporation's New Seven Wonders of the World.
Physical description
Exterior
The exterior of the Colosseum, showing the partially intact outer wall (left) and the mostly intact inner wall (right)
Original façade of the Colosseum
Entrance LII of the Colosseum, with Roman numerals still visible
Cross-section from the Lexikon der gesamten Technik (1904)
Unlike earlier Greek theatres that were built into hillsides, the Colosseum is an entirely free-standing structure. It derives its basic exterior and interior architecture from that of two Roman theatres back to back. It is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of 6 acres (24,000 m2). The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet). The perimeter originally measured 545 meters (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The central arena is an oval (287 ft) long and (180 ft) wide, surrounded by a wall (15 ft) high, above which rose tiers of seating.
The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic meters (131,000 cu yd) of travertine stone which were set without mortar held together by 300 tons of iron clamps. However, it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries, with large segments having collapsed following earthquakes. The north side of the perimeter wall is still standing; the distinctive triangular brick wedges at each end are modern additions, having been constructed in the early 19th century to shore up the wall. The remainder of the present-day exterior of the Colosseum is in fact the original interior wall.
The surviving part of the outer wall's monumental façade comprises three stories of superimposed arcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters. Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical mythology.
Two hundred and forty mast corbels were positioned around the top of the attic. They originally supported a retractable awning, known as the velarium, that kept the sun and rain off spectators. This consisted of a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center. It covered two-thirds of the arena, and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors, specially enlisted from the Roman naval headquarters at Misenum and housed in the nearby Castra Misenatium, were used to work the velarium.
The Colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators. Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite. All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted stucco reliefs, of which fragments survive. Many of the original outer entrances have disappeared with the collapse of the perimeter wall, but entrances XXIII (23) to LIV (54) still survive.
Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered pottery shards, which directed them to the appropriate section and row. They accessed their seats via vomitoria (singular vomitorium), passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within only a few minutes. The name vomitoria derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which English derives the word vomit.
Interior seating
Side view of Colosseum seating
According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000. They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society. Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena. Flanking them at the same level was a broad platform or podium for the senatorial class, who were allowed to bring their own chairs. The names of some 5th century senators can still be seen carved into the stonework, presumably reserving areas for their use.
The tier above the senators, known as the maenianum primum, was occupied by the non-senatorial noble class or knights (equites). The next level up, the maenianum secundum, was originally reserved for ordinary Roman citizens (plebians) and was divided into two sections. The lower part (the immum) was for wealthy citizens, while the upper part (the summum) was for poor citizens. Specific sectors were provided for other social groups: for instance, boys with their tutors, soldiers on leave, foreign dignitaries, scribes, heralds, priests and so on. Stone (and later marble) seating was provided for the citizens and nobles, who presumably would have brought their own cushions with them. Inscriptions identified the areas reserved for specific groups.
Another level, the maenianum secundum in legneis, was added at the very top of the building during the reign of Domitian. This comprised a gallery for the common poor, slaves and women. It would have been either standing room only, or would have had very steep wooden benches. Some groups were banned altogether from the Colosseum, notably gravediggers, actors and former gladiators.
Each tier was divided into sections (maeniana) by curved passages and low walls (praecinctiones or baltei), and were subdivided into cunei, or wedges, by the steps and aisles from the vomitoria. Each row (gradus) of seats was numbered, permitting each individual seat to be exactly designated by its gradus, cuneus, and number.
Arena and hypogeumThe Colosseum arena, showing the hypogeum. The wooden walkway is a modern structure.
Detail of the hypogeum
The arena itself was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet). It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground"). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.
The hypogeum was connected by underground tunnels to a number of points outside the Colosseum. Animals and performers were brought through the tunnel from nearby stables, with the gladiators' barracks at the Ludus Magnus to the east also being connected by tunnels. Separate tunnels were provided for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins to permit them to enter and exit the Colosseum without needing to pass through the crowds.
Substantial quantities of machinery also existed in the hypogeum. Elevators and pulleys raised and lowered scenery and props, as well as lifting caged animals to the surface for release. There is evidence for the existence of major hydraulic mechanisms and according to ancient accounts, it was possible to flood the arena rapidly, presumably via a connection to a nearby aqueduct.
Supporting buildingsThe Colosseum - a view from the Oppian Hill
The Colosseum and its activities supported a substantial industry in the area. In addition to the amphitheatre itself, many other buildings nearby were linked to the games. Immediately to the east is the remains of the Ludus Magnus, a training school for gladiators. This was connected to the Colosseum by an underground passage, to allow easy access for the gladiators. The Ludus Magnus had its own miniature training arena, which was itself a popular attraction for Roman spectators. Other training schools were in the same area, including the Ludus Matutinus (Morning School), where fighters of animals were trained, plus the Dacian and Gallic Schools.
Also nearby were the Armamentarium, comprising an armory to store weapons; the Summum Choragium, where machinery was stored; the Sanitarium, which had facilities to treat wounded gladiators; and the Spoliarium, where bodies of dead gladiators were stripped of their armor and disposed of.
Around the perimeter of the Colosseum, at a distance of 18 m (59 ft) from the perimeter, was a series of tall stone posts, with five remaining on the eastern side. Various explanations have been advanced for their presence; they may have been a religious boundary, or an outer boundary for ticket checks, or an anchor for the velarium or awning.
Right next to the Colosseum is also the Arch of Constantine.
UsePollice Verso ("Thumbs Down") by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1872
The Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by private individuals rather than the state. They had a strong religious element but were also demonstrations of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular with the population. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt, or venatio. This utilized a great variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa and the Middle East, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, aurochs, wisents, barbary lions, panthers, leopards, bears, caspian tigers, crocodiles and ostriches. Battles and hunts were often staged amid elaborate sets with movable trees and buildings. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale; Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia in 107 with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators over the course of 123 days.
During the early days of the Colosseum, ancient writers recorded that the building was used for naumachiae (more properly known as navalia proelia) or simulated sea battles. Accounts of the inaugural games held by Titus in AD 80 describe it being filled with water for a display of specially trained swimming horses and bulls. There is also an account of a re-enactment of a famous sea battle between the Corcyrean (Corfiot) Greeks and the Corinthians. This has been the subject of some debate among historians; although providing the water would not have been a problem, it is unclear how the arena could have been waterproofed, nor would there have been enough space in the arena for the warships to move around. It has been suggested that the reports either have the location wrong, or that the Colosseum originally featured a wide floodable channel down its central axis (which would later have been replaced by the hypogeum).
Sylvae or recreations of natural scenes were also held in the arena. Painters, technicians and architects would construct a simulation of a forest with real trees and bushes planted in the arena's floor. Animals would be introduced to populate the scene for the delight of the crowd. Such scenes might be used simply to display a natural environment for the urban population, or could otherwise be used as the backdrop for hunts or dramas depicting episodes from mythology. They were also occasionally used for executions in which the hero of the story — played by a condemned person — was killed in one of various gruesome but mythologically authentic ways, such as being mauled by beasts or burned to death.
Today
The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena, though entrance for EU citizens is partially subsidised, and under-18 and over-65 EU citizens' entrances are free. There is now a museum dedicated to Eros located in the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. Part of the arena floor has been re-floored.
The Colosseum is also the site of Roman Catholic ceremonies in the 20th and 21st centuries. For instance, Pope Benedict XVI leads the Stations of the Cross called the Scriptural Way of the Cross (which calls for more meditation) at the Colosseum on Good Fridays.
Christians and the Colosseum
The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer, by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1883).
In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was clearly not regarded as a sacred site. Its use as a fortress and then a quarry demonstrates how little spiritual importance was attached to it, at a time when sites associated with martyrs were highly venerated. It was not included in the itineraries compiled for the use of pilgrims nor in works such as the 12th century Mirabilia Urbis Romae ("Marvels of the City of Rome"), which claims the Circus Flaminius — but not the Colosseum — as the site of martyrdoms. Part of the structure was inhabited by a Christian order, but apparently not for any particular religious reason.
It appears to have been only in the 16th and 17th centuries that the Colosseum came to be regarded as a Christian site. Pope Pius V (1566-1572) is said to have recommended that pilgrims gather sand from the arena of the Colosseum to serve as a relic, on the grounds that it was impregnated with the blood of martyrs. This seems to have been a minority view until it was popularised nearly a century later by Fioravante Martinelli, who listed the Colosseum at the head of a list of places sacred to the martyrs in his 1653 book Roma ex ethnica sacra.
Martinelli's book evidently had an effect on public opinion; in response to Cardinal Altieri's proposal some years later to turn the Colosseum into a bullring, Carlo Tomassi published a pamphlet in protest against what he regarded as an act of desecration. The ensuing controversy persuaded Pope Clement X to close the Colosseum's external arcades and declare it a sanctuary, though quarrying continued for some time.
At the instance of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) forbade the quarrying of the Colosseum and erected Stations of the Cross around the arena, which remained until February 1874. St. Benedict Joseph Labre spent the later years of his life within the walls of the Colosseum, living on alms, prior to his death in 1783. Several 19th century popes funded repair and restoration work on the Colosseum, and it still retains a Christian connection today. Crosses stand in several points around the arena and every Good Friday the Pope leads a Via Crucis procession to the amphitheatre.
Good Friday the Pope leads a Via Crucis procession to the amphitheatre.Flora
Plants on the inner walls of the Colosseum
The Colosseum has a wide and well-documented history of flora ever since Domenico Panaroli made the first catalogue of its plants in 1643. Since then, 684 species have been identified there. The peak was in 1855 (420 species). Attempts were made in 1871 to eradicate the vegetation, because of concerns over the damage that was being caused to the masonry, but much of it has returned. 242 species have been counted today and of the species first identified by Panaroli, 200 remain.
The variation of plants can be explained by the change of climate in Rome through the centuries. Additionally, bird migration, flower blooming, and the growth of Rome that caused the Colosseum to become embedded within the modern city centre rather than on the outskirts of the ancient city, as well as deliberate transport of species, are also contributing causes. One other romantic reason often given is their seeds being unwittingly transported on the animals brought there from all corners of the empire.
Appearances in media
The iconic status of the Colosseum has led it to be featured in numerous films and other items of popular culture:
• Cole Porter's song "You're the Top" from the musical Anything Goes (1934) includes the line "You're the Top, You're the Colosseum".
• In the 1953 film Roman Holiday, the Colosseum famously serves as the backdrop for several scenes.
• In the 1954 film Demetrius and the Gladiators, the Emperor Caligula anachronistically sentences the Christian Demetrius to fight in the Colosseum.
• The conclusion of the 1957 film 20 Million Miles to Earth takes place at the Colosseum.
• In the 1972 film Way of the Dragon, Bruce Lee fought Chuck Norris in the Colosseum.
• In Ridley Scott's 2000 film Gladiator, the Colosseum was re-created via computer-generated imagery (CGI) to "restore" it to the glory of its heyday in the 2nd century. The depiction of the building itself is generally accurate and it gives a good impression of what the underground hypogeum would have been like.
• In the 2003 science fiction film The Core, the Colosseum along with the rest of Rome is destroyed by a huge lightning superstorm.
• In 2004, the remaining girls of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 2 did a photoshoot in the Colosseum for Solstice Sunglasses.
• In the 2008 film Jumper, the Colosseum was used as the location for one of the battles between the jumpers and the paladins.
The Colosseum's fame as an entertainment venue has also led the name to be re-used for modern entertainment facilities, particularly in the United States, where theatres, music halls and large buildings used for sport or exhibitions have commonly been called Colosseums or Coliseums.
• The optical disc authoring software program Nero Burning ROM uses an image of the Colosseum on fire as one of its main icons, even though Emperor Nero's Great Fire of Rome (which the program's name and icon refer to) occurred in 64 AD, before the Colosseum was built.
• In 2009 Nickelback used the Colosseum to film their latest Music Video, entitled "Gotta be somebody".
• In 2010, an episode of Life After People: The Series titled "Wrath of God" features the structure's long demise after the disappearance of humans.
The Colosseum is without a doubt the most famous of Rome's many sights.
You'll probably never forget your first glimpse of the Colosseum (Colosseo), one of the world's most famous buildings. As you get to know Rome, the huge arena may slide down your list of Rome priorities, but its initial impact is overwhelming.
The building, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, received its more common name from a giant statue, or colossus, of Nero, which stood close to the spot. Designed to replace the excesses of Nero's unpopular Domus Aurea (or Golden House), the Colosseum was begun by Vespasian and inaugurated after his death in 79AD by his son Titus. Up to 50,000 spectators enjoyed immense gladiatorial shows of death and violence. They entered through numbered arches - the Roman numerals above the entrances are still visible in places. Later the Colosseum was denuded by popes who wanted to use its marble elsewhere; it was also damaged by an earthquake.
Over the road from the Colosseum, next to Via San Giovanni in Laterano, you'll see a partially excavated area. This was the site of the gladiators' barracks. A small arena suggests that here they were given the opportunity to practice their crowd-pleasing moves.
The Colosseum is located at the foot of Mussolini's Via dei Fori Imperiali; from Piazza Venezia head past the Roman Forum. Colosseo Metro station (Linea B) is right opposite. The Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum are next to the Colosseum, as is the Arch of Constantine, cobbled together from earlier monuments. The Circus Maximus is a short walk away; the Baths of Caracalla are a little further.
A full price ticket to the Colosseum costs €8 and includes entrance to the Palatine. The Colosseum is open every day from 9am. Closing time varies from 4.30pm in the winter to 7.30pm in the summer. The ticket office closes 1 hour before closing time. Info and bookings: tel. (+39)06 39967700. Expect a queue.
If you're on a tight budget or timescale, just walk around the outside. You'll miss any special exhibitions that might be on, but there are a few places where you can peer inside; in any case the interior contains no great surprises and probably nothing you won't have seen on television. Free tours run around the exterior; the guides regale you with gory, occasionally dubious, details and generally ask for a tip. Those without licences sometimes get picked up by police, which could make your visit more interesting.
The Roman Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was commisioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian. It was completed by his son, Titus, in 80, with later improvements by Domitian.
The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum and was built to a practical design, with its 80 arched entrances allowing easy access to 55,000 spectators, who were seated according to rank. The Coliseum is huge, an ellipse 188m long and 156 wide. Originally 240 masts were attached to stone corbels on the 4th level.
Just outside the Coliseum is the Arch of Constantine (Arco di Costantino), a 25m high monument built in AD315 to mark the victory of Constantine over Maxentius at Pons Milvius.
Vespesian ordered the Colosseum to be build on the site of Nero's palace, the Domus Aurea, to dissociate himself from the hated tyrant.
His aim was to gain popularity by staging deadly combats of gladiators and wild animal fights for public viewing. Massacre was on a huge scale: at inaugural games in AD 80, over 9,000 wild animals were killed.
Roman gladiators
were usually slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals. Most were men, but there were a few female gladiators. These combats were attended by the poor, the rich, and frequently the emperor himself. As gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses were heard from the audience around the Roman Colosseum. One contest after another was staged in the course of a single day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered over with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on. The gladiatorial games continued until Christianity progressively put an end to those parts of them which included the death of humans.
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The Roman Coliseum is located in the heart of piazza del Colosseo, on the homonymous B(blue) metro line.
Colosseum admission fee:
Full ticket - €15.50
EU reduced ticket - €10.50 (available only for European citizens aged between 18 and 25)
EU complimentary ticket- €4.50 (available only for EU citizens aged above 65 and under 18)
Opening hours:
Mid February - mid March: 9 AM - 4.30 PM
Mid March - end March: 9 AM - 5.00 PM
End March - end August: 9 AM - 7.00 PM
End August - end Sept.: 9 AM - 6.30 PM
End Sept. - end October: 9 AM - 6.00 PM
End October - mid March: 9 AM - 4.00 PM
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy - visitor information
The Colosseum or Coliseum is today the most recognisable of Rome's Classical buildings. Even 2,000 years after it was built, and despite centuries when the abandoned building was pillaged for building materials, it is instantly recognisable ... a Classical template for the stadia of today. It was the first permanent amphitheatre to be raised in Rome, and the most impressive arena the Classical world had yet seen. And with accommodation for 60,000 seated and 10,000 standing, all of whom could enter and leave in a matter of minutes, courtesy of 80 entrances, this is a structure that the designers of modern sports stadia could learn from.
The name Colosseum is in fact a much later addition. It was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, and was conceived as a peculiarly Roman political gesture ... a gift from a new dynasty of Roman emperors to a populace kept happy by bread and circuses.
In 68AD Emperor Nero died and with him the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Vespasian was made emperor by the Senate in the following year and decided the city needed a new amphitheatre. Just like a modern politician, such gestures simultaneously pleased the populace and would (hopefully) leave a lasting monument to the emperor's greatness. Well maybe. The city's first amphitheatre in stone had been built in 29BC by Statilius Taurus, but Caligula (12-41AD) had adjudged it too small and started building his own.
Claudius succeeded Caligula and immediately halted his grand plan. And when Nero ruled Rome he eschewed the Statilius arena and made plans for his own, to be built in the Campus Martis. A magnificent building by all accounts, but razed in the fire that swept Rome in 64AD.
So Rome needed a new arena and a line drawn under the profligate and acquisitive rule of Nero, who had built a personal empire in the heart of Rome, taking public land to build his palace, the Domus Area. Very impressive it was too, with a vast artificial lake in the parklands of Nero's residence, but Vespasian elected to make a gift of the land back to the people of Rome - a gesture of reconciliation after the excesses of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The wisest Roman rulers always realised that the Emperors were ultimately elected (not gods) and that they ruled by the consent of the populace.Remarkably it took only 10 years to built the arena. Remarkable because this was one of the most impressive pieces of architecture the world had seen.
The Colosseum is a huge ellipse with tiered seating, with an elliptical arena within. It combined a mix of materials including (a surprise for modern visitors here perhaps) concrete for the foundations. The Romans invented the super-strong material, and it allowed them to build larger, more stable buildings. Travertine stone (mined from the hills of Latium around Rome) was used for the piers and arcades. Tufa (softer volcanic rock) was used as infill between the piers on the walls of the lower two levels. Concrete faced with brick was used for the upper levels and for the ceiling vaults. The characteristic rounded arches that the builders used also provided great strength and support, spreading the weight of the upper tiers.
There was a mix of styles too. The Romans may not have been architectural innovators on a par with the Greeks, but they could replicate the detail. The three tiers of arcades had a facade of three-quarter columns and entablatures, with a succession of architectural orders: Doric on the first storey, Ionic on the second, Corinthian on the third. The attic storey bore Corinthian pilasters and little square windows in alternating bays. Along the top were brackets and sockets to support the velarium, a canopy providing shade ... the first sports arena with a retractable roof.
Eighty radiating walls supported the rising tiers of seating for the 50,000 seated spectators and for the stairs and passages that linked the vast complex. Within the outer walls, staircases joined the levels, and the Colosseum had much in common with a modern football stadium.
The whole thing covered some six acres, measuring 188 x 156 metres (615 ft x 510 ft), with the base of the building covering about 6 acres. Vaults span between eighty radial walls to support tiers of seating and for passageways and stairs. The facade rose to 48.5m, about the height of 15 modern storeys. The new arena was alternatively known as the Amphitheatrum Caesareum (hunting theatre) a reflection of the hunting games that took place alongside the gladiatorial contests.The arena had a wooden floor spread with sand to absorb the blood (our word 'arena' derives from the Roman harena meaning sand). Beneath this, a subterranean complex of passages and rooms, cages for the lions and tigers, food stores for the spectators, robing room for the spectators, had been built within the dip of Nero's old lake. Trap doors from here opened onto the floor of the arena itself, providing continual surprises for the spectators (and contestants) within.
Vespasian began his amphitheatre 72 AD and his son Titus opened it in 80AD with a games lasting 100 days (one gets intimations of the hubris and decadence that led to the eventual fall of Rome here). The building wasn't actually finished when it opened (nothing changes) but Domitian, Titus's brother, saw it to a conclusion.
The most popular games were hunts (venationes) and gladiatorial games (munerae). Domitian constructed four ludi, the prisons where gladiators were trained, next to the arena. There were also bestiarii, gladiators who fought lions, tigers and other beasts. The Catholic Church today claims the Colosseum as a shrine to the Christian martyrs they say were fed to the lions ... though some historians dispute this popular image.
The Colosseum saw around 450 years of service as Rome's entertainment centre. Architectural historians have read many alterations and additions to Vespasian's original structure. In 217AD the higher storeys were wrecked by fire, and there were earthquakes in 442, 470 and 847AD. The last recorded gladiatorial contest was in 404AD, the last hunt in 523AD. It would be tempting to think that Romans had become softened and civilised as Christianity took hold, but the decline is probably down to a lack of cash. The Roman empire was faltering. A series of invasions by Goths, Huns and others were weakening their hold and the revenue being pulled in from its territories ... and Games were expensive.
By the tenth century AD, the Colosseum had been abandoned and Rome was a shadow of its imperial height. Houses and shops were built within the structure, many of them hacking off chunks of the tufa to build with. Now it was used as a defensive wall, a fortress against invaders. During the Renaissance, Rome rose again, and more stone was pilfered from the Colosseum for new palazzi. Restoration began in the 18th century Its destruction was hastened during the renaissance and later by its use as a source of building materials, until restoration started again in the eighteenth century.More recent restoration has focused on simply maintaining the Colosseum ... nobody seriously talks about rebuilding it in its entirety, and a €20m restoration project was completed in 2000. Today, lit from within on a Roman night, the Colosseum never fails to make visitors catch their breath: it is still recognisably the building started nearly 2,000 years ago to entertain the Roman public.
Roman Colosseum - Gladiators
Facts and information about the life, training and role of the Gladiator and their fights to the death at the Roman Colosseum. Fast, concise facts about the different types of gladiators including the Bestiarii gladiator (gladiators who specialised in beast fighters), the Retiarii gladiator ( gladiators who carried a trident, a dagger, and a net), the Dimachaeri gladiator ( gladiators who used two-swords, one in each hand) and their clothing. There is also a section on Female Gladiators and Famous Gladiators. How did a gladiator prepare for his fight at the Colosseum? What was the life of a gladiator in the Colosseum of Ancient Rome? What were the ceremonies in the arena of the Colosseum? Comprehensive facts and information about the life of the gladiator who fought in the Colosseum and Circus Maximus of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Emperors
The Roman Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus constructed the Roman Colosseum. Many Roman Emperors enjoyed the spectacles that the Colosseum had to offer and many of the games were financed by the emperors themselves. There was even an Emperor who took great delight in participating in the games held at the Colosseum - the Emperor Commodus - the Emperor featured in the Russell Crowe Movie Gladiator. Much of the movie was fiction rather than fact - the real Commodus was much worse than the character depicted in the film! This section features the history, facts and information about the famous Emperors and their clothing together with biographies and timelines of the Roman Emperors and the part they played in the persecution of the Christians and the history of the Colosseum. Interesting facts and information about the emperors of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Empire
The history, facts and information about the Roman Empire are detailed in this section. The growth of Rome, its early history and kings and the Kingdom of Rome, its rise, decline and fall as the Roman Republic and the rise and the fall of the Roman Empire which was ruled by the all-powerful emperors. The period of time which is covered so information is divided into categories - the Kingdom of Rome, the Republic and the Empire with lists, dynasties and timelines of the Emperors. The History of Rome, Timelines, a brief History of Rome, the Rise, Decline and Fall of the Republic and the the Rise, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Definition of the Ancient Roman Empire. What was the Empire? Why was the Ancient Empire established? When was the Empire established? Who established the Empire? What events led to the Decline of the Empire? When did the Empire of Rome fall? Reason why the Roman Empire fell. The split of the Empire.
The Roman Colosseum - Architecture
This section of the website provides an overview of Roman Architecture, much of which is featured in the construction, design and building of the Roman Colosseum. Basilicas, Baths, Amphitheaters such as the Roman Colosseum, Triumphal arches, Villas, Temples, Roads, Forts and Stockades, Towns, Aqueducts and the Roman Baths. Facts and Information about their discovery of concrete and their famous columns and arches. The Colosseum was situated in the centre of Rome, it was in fact a symbol of the might, the wealth and the power of the Roman Empire. The Colosseum took less than 10 years to build, a remarkable achievement for the excellent engineers and their famous engineering skills. The architecture of the Roman Colosseum illustrates their use of one of the Romans most famous inventions - concrete. The Roman arch was prominently featured in the design and building of the Colosseum as were the different styles of architecture reflected in the Roman columns. Look carefully at pictures of the Colosseum and you will see Tuscan columns at the bottom, then Ionic, with Corinthian columns in the third storey. Facts and information about the beautiful Roman mosaics and Roman Art are also included. Comprehensive facts about the art and architecture of Ancient Rome. Interesting facts about the Colosseum and architecture of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - History
This history of the Roman Colosseum started hundreds of years before it was actually built when the tastes of Roman citizens craved the excitement and blood lust of the gladiatorial games. Their taste for blood and this form of entertainment dates back to 264AD when the first recorded Roman gladiatorial combats took place in Rome. The Roman Colosseum was opened in 80AD and was originally the called the Flavian Amphitheatre. The idea of this great arena was that of the Roman Emperor Vespasian and the construction started in c70AD and was financed from the proceeds gained from the Roman sacking of Jerusalem. The history of the bloody arena continues through the reigns of various emperors, the emergence of the new Christian religion, the horror stories of the deaths of Christian martyrs in the Colosseum, the Gladiator fights and the killing of thousands of exotic animals in Ancient Rome. The madness of the mob and craving for this type of entertainment finally ended in the 6th century. Interesting facts about the Colosseum of Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman LifeWho were the people who could be found at the Roman Colosseum? The Roman Life section provides history, facts and information about the people of Ancient Rome. Facts and information about the clothing and lives and life of women, children, the family, marriage, education and food. The history facts and information about the Patricians and the Plebeians, the citizens of Rome, the slaves and the senators. There are several articles relating to Roman slaves including the Slave Market, Slave Auction, Slave Trade, Slave Punishment and the Day in the Life of a Slave. This section also describes the history, information and facts about the activities and entertainments in Ancient Rome. Additional articles, facts and information about Roman Numerals and the numbers 1 100 in Roman numerals, the names of the days of the week and the months, weights, measures and coins. Who was allowed to go to the games at the Colosseum? How much did it cost to go into the Colosseum? Who sat where in the Colosseum? How often did people go to the Colosseum? Comprehensive facts about life in Ancient Rome.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Gods and Goddesses - Gods - Religion and Mythology
This section contains facts and information about religion, mythology, and the Gods and Goddesses. The Roman's attitude towards religion and how other religions were assimilated into their culture and society. The role that religion took in state occasions, politics and the lives and future of the Romans. The names of the most important gods and goddesses are include together with descriptions of other terms closely related to Roman mythology. A list, description and details of all the Gods and Goddesses including Jupiter the King of the Gods, Juno the Queen of the Gods, Neptune the God of the Sea, Pluto the God of Death, Apollo the God of the Sun, Diana the Goddess of the Moon, Mars the God of War, Venus the Goddess of Love, Cupid the God of Love, Mercury the Messenger of the Gods, Minerva the Goddess of Wisdom, Ceres the Earth Goddess, Proserpina the Goddess of the Underworld, Vulcan, Bacchus the God of Wine, Saturn the God of Time, Vesta the Goddess of the Home, Janus the God of Doors and Uranus the Father of Saturn. Information about the Underworld, the Fates and the Furies. The role and clothing of the Vestal Virgins, the Augurs and Auguries, Aruspices, Pontifices, Priests and Religious ceremonies and festivals. The role of religion and the Colosseum.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Weapons
The history, facts and information about roman weapons including those used by the gladiators in the Colosseum. The army, the legions, centurions and the soldiers. Their armor, helmets, shields, siege weapons including the catapult and ballista, the chariots and facts about the different types of weapons and clothing used by soldiers and gladiators. Facts and information about the Roman Siege Weapons including the Tormentum, Ballista, Testudo, Vinea (arbor-sheds), Helepolis, Turris, Battering Ram and the Wild Ass (Onager).
Roman Colosseum - Roman Army
The history, facts and interesting information about the Roman Army. The Romans were essentially military and antagonistic in all their tastes and habits. Twenty-five legions made the conquest of the known world, and retained that conquest for 500 years. The army of the Romans was one of the greatest armies that the world has ever seen. History, interesting facts and information on the army and the fleet and ships of the navy: Soldiers, Consuls, Centurion and Tribune, Ensigns, Flags, the Standard, Army Ranks Dictionary, Soldiers and the clothing, the Legion and Cohorts, army battle plans, strategy, army tactics and army formations. There are also facts and information about the 'Praetorian Guard' which originated from the 'Praetoria Cohors' who were the troops who guarded the Praetor and then the Consuls who served as commanders in a military capacity.
Roman Colosseum - Roman Clothing
Interesting facts and information about the different types and colors of the clothing worn by the Romans who lived in Ancient Rome and visited places of spectacle and entertainment like the Colosseum. Clothing worn by the Emperors, Senators, Soldiers, Roman citizens, Slaves, the Women, the Vestal Virgins and of course the Gladiators. Interesting facts and information about the Roman Clothing worn by people who lived in Ancient Rome.
Information and Facts about the Roman Colosseum
Interesting facts and information on the Colosseum arena in Ancient Rome. Why was this arena in Ancient Rome called the Colosseum? The Colosseum was originally called the the Flavian Amphitheatre but was given the name Colosseum. The name Colosseum was taken from the Latin word 'colosseus' meaning colossal referring to a gigantic statue of the Emperor Nero, measuring 100 to 120 Roman feet (37m) high, which had once occupied the location of the Colosseum in Ancient Rome.
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