The Roman Colosseum
The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.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 Colosseum of Rome is the ruins of an enormous outdoor stadium. It ranks as one of the finest and largest examples of Roman architecture ever created. In fact, the word Colosseum in Latin-the language of ancient Rome-means huge. The Roman people used the Colosseum as a giant entertainment center featuring wild animal fights, chariot races, and gladiator battles. The Romans also staged mock battles between the Romans and their real-life enemies. Encounters between Christians and fierce beasts, as well as other savage games took place. Sometimes they removed the wooden floor and flooded the entire arena to hold fake naval battles.
The construction of the Colosseum started in 69 A.D. and was completed in 80 A.D. The Colosseum was built of brick and concrete covered with stone and stood four stories high. The first three stories had beautiful arches decorated with columns while the fourth story, added later, was plainer. Awnings hung on long poles from the fourth story shielded the audience from the hot sun.
Like modern stadiums, the Colosseum was oval shaped. Its length was 620 feet, and its width was 156 feet. It seated about 50,000 people on benches made of wood and marble. Eighty entrances allowed people to get in and out quickly and easily. The Roman emperor had a tunnel for his personal use.
The floor of the Colosseum was built of heavy wooden planks. The Romans kept the wild beasts in pens under the flooring. The builders included special passageways through which they could move dangerous animals, and they designed elevators to lift the animals to the main floor. The Romans used the Colosseum for nearly 400 years. Then, during the Middle Ages, the Romans began to use it as a handy quarry, removing many of the stones to erect newer buildings in Rome.
The Colosseum is the most famous landmark in Rome, Italy. Most of the Colosseum still stands today near the center of the city. The Italian government has banned traffic from the road around it because of its fragile condition. Although several earthquakes have damaged the Colosseum, it remains a strong monument to the power of ancient Rome. The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
