What are some more facts about the Colosseum in Rome?

Answer 1

hey there are many facts about the roman colosseum. one fact is that it is believed the opening ceremony lasted for more than 100 days! it was finished in the year A.D. 80 42 Roman Emperors witnessed the carnage at the amphitheatre. Roman Colosseum remained in use for nearly 500 years. The last recorded games were held in it in the 6th century. The games played in the Colosseum are believed to have taken the lives of about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals.

Answer 2

Roman Colosseum is a most important landmark as well as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome.

It is a marvelous example of the ancient Roman architecture.

The Roman Colosseum was originally called the "Flavian Amphitheater."

The Roman Colosseum had around 76 ways in it as well as an additional four different entrances set aside for the nobles, the gladiators and the emperor.

Colosseum is planned in such a style that whole onlookers could be isolated in barely five minutes.

It was battleground for Gladiators who used to fight for entertainment of the Emperor.

Answer 3

1) The actual name of the Colosseum was Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium). Colosseum was a nickname which is thought to have been derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby which was called Colossus, after the Colossus of Rhodes. It was named after the emperors of the Flavian dynasty who built it.

2) Its construction was commissioned by the emperor Vespasian after the storming of Jerusalem in 70, during the First Roman-Jewish War. It was completed in 80 by Vespasian's son and successor Titus. Domitian, Titus' brother and successor added a fourth tier.

3) The Colosseum was financed with the funds from the spoil of war of the victorious First Jewish-Roman War and was built by Jewish slaves. In antiquity slaves were enslaved war captives. Josephus estimated that the Romans took 97,000 slaves from Jerusalem to Rome. It is not clear how many of them worked on the Colosseum. One estimate gives 20,000.

4) The Colosseum was built:

- To provide a replacement for the first part-stone amphitheatre (arena) for gladiatorial games in Rome which had been inaugurated by Augustus in 29-30 BC and which burned down in 64 AD.

- To reclaim the area in front of Nero's enormous palace (the Domus Aurea, Golden House) for public use;

- To celebrate the Roman victory against the Jews in the revolt of the First Roman-Jewish War (66-73 AD).

- To show the grandeur of Emperor Vespasian and bolster is position as emperor as he obtained his position through wars between rival claimants to the imperial title.

5) The construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre involved the drainage of an artificial lake Nero had made in front of his Domus Aurea. Drains were built 8m (26 ft.) below surface, to channel the streams which flow through the valley. The elliptic foundations were made of concrete: under the outer walls and seating, they are 12-13m (39-42 ft.) deep. Under of the arena, they are 4m (13 ft.) deep, and designed in strips beneath concentric walls.

6) Its construction was made possible by the invention of concrete and the simple (barrel) arch and the vaulted arch or vault. The core of the structure was made of Roman concrete (which was different than modern concrete), which was covered with stone of stucco (a type of plaster) because concrete was unsightly. Local tuff stone was used and travertine stone, which was brought from 20 miles from Rome, were used. The outer facade was covered with travertine the stones were braced by 300 bronze clamps. it was supported by 80 simple arches. The seating was supported by vaults.

6) The Colosseum is elliptic in shape, measured 187.5x159.5 metres (615x523 ft.) and could host 50,000 spectators. It height is 48.5 metres (159 ft.), but it probably was originally 52 metres high (177ft.). The actual arena was 86x54 metres (282x177 feet) and was separated from the seating by a 4 metre high platform. Below the floor there were 12 corridors arranged symmetrically around the two sides. This area hosted the machinery and the animals used for the games. At the two opposite ends there were two monumental entrances for the gladiators and the animals which were too heavy to be hoisted from below the arena.

7) Three tiers have 80 arches with Doric columns on the first, Ionic ones on the second and Corinthian ones on the third. The fourth tier was walled and had 80 windows. The arches on the first tier provided 80 entrances: 76 numbered entrances for the general public (plastered and painted white and red) and four un-numbered grand entrances decorated with stuccoes. One entrance was for the magistrates (officers of state). One was the ceremonial entrance for the emperor, the senators and the Vestal Virgins. One entrance gave direct access to the arena via the Gate of death of Porta Libitina (Gate of Libitina, the goddess of funerals). Dead gladiators and animals were taken through this exit. A tunnel connected the gate to the Spoliarium, a room under the arena, where the bodies of the gladiators were stripped and the weapons and armour were taken. One entrance also led directly to the arena, but via the Gate of Life or Porta Sanaviva. It was used for the procession of gladiators into the arena and their exit. A tunnel connected the gate to the Ludus Magnus gladiator school, 60 meters (180 feet) to the east.

8) The seating was divided into 5 horizontal sectors. The lowest one was reserved for the senators and their families. The other ones were assigned by social status, with poorer people sitting at a higher level. Women sat on steps under a portico, separated from the men. The poor sat on a terrace above the portico. They had the worst view and the worst seats. Their lower steps were of marble and the higher ones were made of wood. The passages to the seats were called the vomitorium (plural: vomitoria) and were below or behind the tiers of seats. The crowds could "spit or vomit there.

9) The arena of the Colosseum could also be flooded to stage mock naval battles (naumachiae). Parts of the underground structure were built with waterproof material. There were gates could to let in water and close it off when it reached a depth of five feet. It has been estimated that four million gallons of water were used and that the arena could be flooded in seven hours. There were eighteen blocks which held wooden props which supported the floor of the arena. This floor was removed to make room for the naumachiae. Due to the limited space of the arena and the shallowness of its flooding, mock ships were used. They came in a small scale and were flat bottomed. Ramming ships, the procedure to sink enemy ships in a real battle, was not possible. Therefore, boardings were staged. As the water was shallow, the fighters who fell off the ships could continue to fight in the water.

10) Over the centuries, like many other ancient Roman buildings, the Colosseum was quarried for building materials. The interior was stripped of stone, and so was the marble of the facade. The bronze clamps which held the stones together were ripped away. . In 1349 the upper part of the southern façade collapsed in an earthquake because the soil is less stable on that side. The fallen stones were taken and used as building materials.

Answer 4

Here is some:

Lions fought Bears.

Gladiators fought Gladiators with nets, maces, hammers and axes.

It could fit many thousand viewers.

It is like a big Baseball area.

Answer 5

Did you know the seats were arranged according to the social status of the spectators? The seats on the first three rows from the top were usually reserved for the nobles while the common man used the seats on the fourth row Did you know when Vespasian became the Emperor of Rome in 69 A. D. he promised to make a difference. He did not want to live the rich life that Nero (emperor before) had. So Vespasian tore down Nero's Golden House and turned the land into a public park. He also tore down Nero's giant gold statue called the Colossus. With the money from the statue's gold Vespasian built an amphitheatre. He called it the Colosseum after the statue Did you know that before you enter the coliseum there is a 25m Arch, the Arch of Constantine (Arco di Costantino) Did you know that the coliseum qualified as one of the 7 wonders of the world Did you know the arena of the Coliseum was made of sand and wood. There were lofty nets along the sides of the Coliseum to shield the audience The Colosseum was a large center for entertainment. It took ten years to build of marble and limestone The Colosseum was oval shaped. It was 160 feet tall, and had four stories of windows, arches, and columns. Women and the poor sat on the top tier. A large canopy could be stretched over the top to keep out the hot sun. A wooden floor covered the chambers where the gladiators and animals were kept. The roman coliseum was on a five-cent euro coin.

Answer 6

The Colosseum was a massive amphitheater located in central Rome. It was built near Emperor Nero's Domus Aurea (Golden house). It got its name because it was constructed where Nero had erected a huge colossis (statue) of himself. This elliptical shaped amphitheater was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater because Emperor Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty. This structure was started by Emperor Vespasian between 70 and 76 A.D. and was completed by his son Titus in 80 A.D. After the sudden death of Titus, his brother Domitian added the lower subterranean chambers known as the hypogeum. The Colosseum, a colossal entertainment center and prestigious and amazing building, reminds us every day of the unbelievable architectural success of the Romans. This structure possessed amazing architectural, interior and exterior design features which astound modern day people. Without current technologies, the ancient Romans were able to build a spectacular place for entertainment which was the site of violent events and extravagant performances. All and all, this incredible building is still as popular today as it was in ancient Roman times (however it is no longer used to execute people anymore). The architects who designed the Colosseum probably created precise floor plans drawn to scale and perhaps 3-D models to help them visualize the exterior features of the Flavian Amphitheater. The plans and models depicted an elliptical shaped amphitheater that sat on a NW to SE axis. The architects probably chose an elliptical shape due to the purpose of the Colosseum. Since sporting and gladiatorial events were held here the elliptical shape would prevent players from retreating to corners and would allow spectators to be closer to the action than a circle would allow. The building stands on a base of two steps. The entire base covers about 6 acres. The Colosseum measures 48 meters (144 feet) high, 188 meters long (615 feet), and 156 meters (510 feet) wide. The exterior of the structure was made of travertine stone, a type of marble quarried near Tibur (present-day Tivoli). The Romans built a road from the quarry to the building site. At one time metal pins held the marble blocks together, but after they were stolen by thieves they were replaced by mortar. The awning or velarium was made of canvas and was supported with wooden beams and ropes. Architects carried out their plans and built the practical building know as the Colosseum. Originally the Colosseum had three stories, but a fourth was added by Alexander Severus when he refurbished the building around 230 A.D. (MONUM/ARCHEOL). The first three floors of arcades were built in travertine stone. These first three stories had 80 arches each which were divided with pillars with a half column. They were separated by an architrave (a horizontal band running around the amphitheater). The four arches of the building were the main entrances, and were probably decorated with a little porch and statue. The other 76 arches were numbered for easier access to the seats. Only 31 arches of the outer ring, from number XXII to LIV have remained intact. The ground floor half columns are Doric in style; those of the second floor are Ionic and those of the third floor are Corinthian. The fourth floor is divided into panels by Corinthian columns, with a rectangular window every second panel. Ancient authors mention - and the images we have confirm it - that a series of bronze shields (called clipea) were affixed all around the fourth story on the panels without windows (Descriptio). The floors measured between 32 - 42 feet (10.5 - 13.9 meters) in height. The total height of the building was around 144 feet (48 meters). Attached to the fourth floor was an innovative cooling system called the valerium. It consisted of a canvas material, shaped like a net with ropes attached. There was also a hole in the center to let sunlight through, among other things. It sloped downward to catch wind and provide a breeze for spectators. Sailors, who stood on special platforms, pulled the ropes on command and controlled the valerium. Hence, every floor had a job, reason, and purpose to the unique design behind it. To build the Colosseum, ancient Roman builders used a variety of building materials. Tufa, a relatively soft porous rock, was used. Bricks made of red clay were also counted as a building material. These bricks were thinner and smaller than the bricks we use today. Opus Cementicium (concrete made of small lumps of tuff in mortar) was the "glue" used by Roman architects while working on the Flavian Amphitheater. When a fine volcanic dust taken from an area near Pozzuoli was mixed with lime it made the concrete waterproof. This concrete was used for foundations, walls, and the supporting columns of arches. Plaster was used to plaster walls before they were painted in red and white. Travertine marble can be found on the interior of the Colosseum. Wooden planks were used on the arena floor. The materials used by ancient Roman architects must have kept the Colosseum strong and sturdy because it is still standing today. The arena was the main focal point of the Colosseum. The action took place on the arena floor, which measured 76 by 44 meters. Yellow sand from the hill of Monte Mario absorbed blood before it could get to the wooden planks below. Also, this floor had trap doors to allow animals and gladiators to enter the arena by surprise. The arena hosted spectacular games, fights between animals (called venations), the murdering of prisoners by animals and various other executions, naval battles, and combats between gladiators (all for the public to watch). Nets along the side protected the audience members in the podium from animal attacks and projectiles. The seating was a gradient of 37 degrees to give a good view of the arena to any spectator no matter where they sat. The arena was the "main stage" where the entertainment took place at the Colosseum. The seating arrangement inside the Colosseum was called the cavea. The podium was the terrace immediately around the arena (and was part of the cavea). This section contained the best seats in the entire building. This section of seating was reserved for Roman senators and contained the emperor's private marble box. The podium was raised about 3.6 meters above the arena floor. Marble decorations embellished the podium. When wild beasts were in the amphitheater, a fence was erected all around the podium; the fence had wooden rollers on top to protect audience members from animals that could climb over. The cavea, the entire seating arrangement, was divided into three parts: the podium, gradation, and porticus. The gradatio was divided horizontally into three levels (called maeniana) by praecintiones (which were corridors), and vertically into cunei (which were sectors) by the scalaria (the steps leading to the vomitoria, which were the entrances). Upon entering the Flavian Amphitheater, spectators had to present a tablet (tessera) that reported the cuneus, gradus, and locus (location) of their seats (Descriptio). The first level of seating (podium) was for Roman senators and the emperor. Above this section was the maenianum primum, for other Roman aristocrats who were not in the senate. The maenianum secundum, third level, was divided further into three sections. The lower part (the immum) was for wealthy citizens, while in contrast, the upper part was for poor citizens (the summum). A third wooden section (the maenianum secundum in legneis) was a wooden structure at the very top of the Flavian Amphitheater. This was a standing room for lower-class women only (Crystalinks). Thus, the cavea was not a place of action, but rather where audience members could enjoy a game or perhaps a gory execution. Beneath the Colosseum arena floor, Emperor Domitian had a vast network of subterranean chambers, also called the hypogeum, constructed during his reign. These underground tunnels connected to points outside the amphitheater, too. The once two-leveled hypogeum had 32 animal pens and housed animals of all shapes and sizes. Lots of machinery and equipment, like winches, elevators, pulleys, and capstands were also stored there to allow for special effects on the arena stage floor. Plus, there were hegmatas, or special hinged platforms used to hoist things up to the arena. Slaves, animal keepers, and some gladiators were allowed into the hypogeum. Slaves had to make sure animals were released into the correct passages and work the machinery stored there, among other jobs. Therefore, the hypogeum was where the "works" of the Colosseum were located, but most people never got to see this unpleasant section of the amphitheater that made everything in the arena run smoothly.

Answer 7

The actual name of the Colosseum was the Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium). It was named after the three emperors of the Flavian dynasty. Vespasian (reigned 69-79) commissioned it, his son Titus (reigned (reigned 79-81) completed it and Domitian, Titus's younger brother (reigned 81-86) made modifications.. Construction started in 70 and it was inaugurated in 80 . Its construction was made possible by the invention of concrete and the vaulted arches. Since the Romans were still learning about concrete as its strength and durability were uncertain, they combined it with stone. Local tuff stone was used together with travertine stone which was brought from 20 miles from Rome. On the outside wall the stones were braced by 300 bronze clamps. Concrete made it construction much quicker.

The Colosseum was elliptic in shape, measured 187.5X159.5 metres (615x523 feet) and could host 50,000 spectators. It height is 48.5 metres (159 feet), but it probably was originally 52 metres high (177 feet). Three tiers have 80 arches. The fourth tier is walled as had 40 windows. The seating was divided into 5 horizontal sectors. The lowest one was reserved for the senators and their families. The other ones were assigned by social status, with poorer people sitting at a higher level. Women sat on steps under a portico, separated from the men. The poor sat on a terrace above the portico. They had the worst view and the worst seats. Their steps were made of wood, while the others were made of marble. Access to the seating was though the arches, 12 of them were reserved for the senators.

The actual arena was 86x54 metres (282x177 feet) and was separated from the seating by a 4 metre high platform. Below the floor there were 12 corridors arranged symmetrically around the two sides. This area hosted the machinery and the animals used for the games. At the two opposite ends there were two monumental entrances for the gladiators and the animals which were too heavy to be hoisted from below the arena. The arena could be flooded for mock naval battles. After a fight the arena was covered with sand to soak up the blood.

The amphitheatre was built by draining a lake at the entrance of the massive Golden House of Nero. Its construction may have involved a populist gesture of returning to the public an area Nero had appropriated for his house. It may also have been a triumphal monument to celebrate the victory in the First Jewish War in 70 AD.

The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby which was named after the Colossus of Rhodes). An 8th century epigram which said: 'When the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world. It referred to the Colossus, the statue, but it is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus. The Colossus was eventually pulled down, probably to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue was largely forgotten and only its base survives. It is between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma. The name further evolved to Coliseum during the Middle Ages.

Answer 8

One interesting fact about the Colosseum I learned is that it had a retractable roof, powered by people.

Answer 9

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