The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater
at Piazza del Colosseo Roma
The Colosseum in Rome Italy
The Colosseum, also known as the elliptical amphitheatre was ordered by Emperor Vespasian the founder of the Flavian Dynasty to start construction in 72 AD. His son Titus completed it in 80 AD, the year after Vespasian’s death. After Titus’s untimely death, his younger brother Domitian finished all of the decorative work and built the underground caverns. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world and it is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture. It is also one of the seven wonders of the world. The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a giant statue of Nero that stood nearby. It was built on the site of an artificial lake, part of Nero’s huge park in the center of Rome which also included the Golden House – Domus Aurea – and the nearby Colossus statue. The Colosseum is very big measuring at 188m long, 156 wide and reaching a height of more than 159 ft. It had 80 entrances allowing the 55,000 spectators easy access. To protect the spectators from the sun and rain, they would cover the Colosseum with a giant sail known as the velarium. It was attached to large poles on top of the Colosseum and anchored to the ground by large ropes.
Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public with free games. They held thousands of hand-to-hand combats between gladiators to the death, contests between men and wild animals. The men who fought were prisoners of war, slaves or condemned criminals. They sometimes would flood the arena with water and have mock naval engagements. Part of the structure has fallen into ruin. The southern side of the Colosseum was felled by an earthquake in 847, a great fire destroyed parts of it too. Parts of the building were later used for other construction.
The Colosseum Ruins are currently under a renovation that is expected to take close to a full year to complete.
