The Colosseum in Rome is the greatest of the many amphitheatres of the Empire, and a marvel of Roman engineering.
Opened by the emperor Titus in 80 CE, it held about 50,000 people, and was designed so well that everyone could have gotten out of the building in a few minutes.
Opened by the emperor Titus in 80 CE, it held about 50,000 people, and was designed so well that everyone could have gotten out of the building in a few minutes.
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| Photo credit Tim Sackton |
Unlike earlier amphitheatres, which were nearly all dug into convenient hillsides for extra support, the Colosseum is a three-storey free-standing structure of stone and concrete, measuring 190 by 155 metres overall.
Seeing someone get killed was considered entertainment!
However, this extraordinary building was constructed for a horrible purpose: to allow people to watch killing and bloodshed for amusement. Gladiators fought each other to the death, and other men fought animals from the four corners of the Roman world.
These so-called games were public shows paid for by emperors and other important Romans to gain popularity.
The floor of the arena was covered with sand, a useful material that could absorb blood very quickly. Beneath it there were hidden elevators and trap doors which allowed animals and men to appear 'on stage' from beneath the ground.
The ancient Romans were great builders. They built things to last. The Colosseum was built of concrete, faced with stone, as were most amphitheatres. It was built in the early days of the Roman Empire, around 70 CE. It was designed to host huge spectacles. Anyone could attend the events in the Colosseum. Admission was free.
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| Photo credit Jhon Emmanuel |
How did it get its name?
The Colosseum's original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium, often Anglicized as Flavian Amphitheatre. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, hence its original name, after the reign of Emperor Nero.
The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby. (the statue of Nero was named after the Colossus of Rhodes).
In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted:
"As long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world"
(The Colossus did eventually fall,
possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze.)
This quote is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus.
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 Colosseum was damaged by lightning and earthquakes in medieval times and, even more severely, by vandalism; all the marble seats and decorative materials disappeared. A restoration project was undertaken in the 1990s.
