 |
| #Rome_Colosseum The Rome Colosseum is a structure made of limestone, volcanic rock (tuff), timber and concrete which stands an impressive four stories tall It took 60,000 to 100,000 Jewish slaves (after their defeat during the Jewish-Roman War) eight years to complete its construction It is still the largest amphitheater (Greek word amphi...both sides or all around) on earth During those times of neglect plus abandonment the nearby Roman Catholic Church used the Colosseum like a quarry for its stone and built the Basilicas of St Peter, St John & Palazzo Venezia Times have changed as now the arena welcomes millions of tourists per year KeyTip: Tickets will range from $100 up to $400 depending on if its a private tour, to where you visit inside the Colosseum from the underground or arena floor |
 |
There were eighty entrances to the amphitheater, as the arches were numbered with Roman Numerals to serve as guides for sitting A) Seventy-six entry points were for the general audience B) Two access ways for the participants of the events, which was called The Gate of Life for the gladiators C) The Gate of Death (located on the western side) for the combatants who did not fair so well in the contest and were carried out D) Finally two archways was used exclusively by the Emperor |
 |
When the Colosseum first opened the Emperor Titus celebrated the completion of this massive structure with a hundred days of celebrations that included gladiatorial games and other events One such fight between Priscus and Verus went so well that (in a rare display of clemency) Titus declared both of them winners, so granted them their freedom (the wooden sword) Also the Emperor would engage in public gift giving by throwing wooden balls into the crowd that had the prizes etched on them, which could of been for clothing, gold or even slaves The venue was also used to host dramas, navy battle reenactments and even public executions of criminals in theatrical ways based on Greek or Roman mythology |
.jpg) |
After the fall of the Roman Empire which was a gradual process resulting in a combination of factors including political instability, economic troubles, internal corruption and outside invading forces The Colosseum began to deteriorate Add in earthquakes, passage of time and human neglect, which all meant by the 20th century nearly two-thirds of the original building had been destroyed |
.jpg) |
A restoration project began in the 1990s to repair the Colosseum and so today it plays host to millions of visitors each year plus has musical concerts plus events inside the arena |
 |
We think of the Colosseum as old (1952 years) but compared to the Pyramids of Giza (4000 years) and Stonehenge which dates back 5000 years, it is young in historical terms but still very impressive |
 |
Fun fact; The original name of the Colosseum was the Flavian Amphitheater, which was the name of the dynasty that ruled the empire at this time Historians also believe the current name came from The Colossus of Nero statue that stood outside the amphitheater |
Being a huge follower of history, i couldn't wait to visit the Colosseum located in the middle of Rome. It was awe inspiring to see this amphitheater Now once inside the arena you can envision when it could hold around 50,000 spectators who would view gladiatorial contests, executions and even mock sea battles. How you ask
Through a series of underground tunnels the Romans would flood the arena floor for Emperor Titus. Then they used special flat bottomed boats (because of the shallow water) to replicate naval battles, also they built an artificial island so sailors could land to fight
The floor was around 83 by 48 meters (272 x 157 feet) but since it was made from wood plus covered with sand its long gone So because of this the top is open to view, you can now see how the hypogeum (underground) worked with its two level subterranean network of tunnels, hidden maze of rooms and cages
There were also 80 vertical shafts to access the hypogeum plus an extensive network of trap doors through which scenery elements could be deployed during the spectacles.
If you were Roman your entry fee was free as Emperors used the arena to promote their political policies, if a foreigner you were of no use to the agenda being spoken so had to pay to watch.
Speaking of no more use 😄 the site that the Colosseum sits on was once the location of an artificial lake from the Golden House of Nero. Following his demise, much of his luxurious palace was destroyed or put to public use including his private lake
 |
Fun Facts; A) The movie Gladiator was not filmed inside the Colosseum even though the director had permission. He decided it needed to look newer so built a stand-in Colosseum in Malta, plus many of the location shots were computer generated B) You think of the Roman Empire and the name of Julius Caesar comes into your thoughts But he was never inside the Colosseum as the two never existed simultaneously, where he was assassinated 125 years before the gladiator games even started |
 |
The Colosseum was built with approximately 100,000 cubic meters / 3.5 million cubic feet of travertine limestone that was used for the main pillars, ground floor, external walls and the seats (they no longer exists) Also the slabs of travertine were paved into the area to support the outer realm of the building and the remaining site was constructed with a mixture of concrete that were held together by 300 tons of iron clamps Finally the Romans built a special road designed to transport the limestone from the quarries of Tivoli ( 32 kms / 20 miles away) to the arena |
_(16).jpg)
.jpg)
