Rome's Colosseum - Home Of The Gladiators Of Time Gone Past
by: JillianKammer |
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If somebody told you to visit the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome or even Il Colosseo, that might not ring a bell. But those were the original Roman names for the huge elliptical stadium that we now know as The Colosseum. This marvel of engineering - when it was in full use - could seat 50,000 Roman citizens and it covered six acres of land.
The famous scenes of humans and animals fighting in the Colosseum that we see in movies are accurate to the kinds of things that went on there in the first century. But the centuries have erased any evidence of those games except for the passageways and vaults underground where participants in those spectacles entered the Colosseum or were stored until it was their time to fight.
The Colosseum has taken a lot of damage from fires and earthquakes since it was active in Roman times. But if you visit it, you can still get a feel for the majesty of that original structure.
When you visit the Colosseum and see how large it is from the top of the structure 157 feet up, you can almost see the huge spectacles that happened there so many years ago as though they just happened last week. Of course the days when slaves and warriors and lions passed through those red brick arches that are now crumbling are far in the past. But as you walk the passageways of this fascinating Roman attraction, you can sense the ghosts of those who fought there in the past mixing with the other tourists around you.
Like a modern football stadium, the seats are laid out in layers. From any of those seats you can look out over the numerous levels of arches that surround the spread out stadium. Take a seat in the stands for a moment and you can just about hear as the crowd erupts with cheers when the Emperor enters through one of the four gates that are only for the use of him and his party. The other 76 entrances to the stadium were there for citizens to enter and enjoy the festivities, along with Roman royalty.
It is interesting that it was a 130 foot tall statue named "the Colossus" that gave the stadium its common name way back in 80 AD when it finally opened for public use after 15,000 slaves labored for 8 years to build it. The reason that statue was so popular is many thought it looked like Nero. But over the years the Colossus showed the face of whatever emperor was in power. When you visit the Colosseum, you will still be able to find the base of the Colossus between the Venus and the Temple of Roma nearby.
When the Colosseum opened, there was a marathon of celebrations that went on for 100 days at every level of society from royalty to the barbarian, as they revelled in their new stadium. Huge throngs of people watched gladiators fighting to the death as well a form of lion taming that was far more brutal than anything we would put up with in our times.
Seating in the Colosseum was assigned by your rank and status in society. The Emperor had the best seat near the base of the facility and the highest levels were left for women who were not part of the royal party. But there were no bad seats because from any of the 50,000 seats, you could see the combat unfold. And the spectacular display of elephants, hippopotami and other exotic animals that became part of the grand show along with the great cats that were used for combat made for a diversion that kept the Roman people excited and anticipating the next big performance.
To this day it is a mystery how Roman engineers designed the massive masts and velarium which made up the huge canopy that was used to provide shade to many in the hall. That part of the design was claimed by the ravages of time long ago. But you will be able to admire the various styles of Roman columns throughout the stadium, including the Doric styles on the lower levels to the Ionic style on the second tier and finally the Corinthian on the third level.
While it's understandable that tourists are amazed at even these remains of that once mighty building, it is also greatly admired and even copied by stadium designers of modern times. The Colosseum set the standard as the first and the largest and the most famous stadium of its type at the time. Before it was built, arenas were comparatively simple structures dug out of hillsides. You can still find remnants of those stadiums around Rome on your visit if you are interested.
But as you plan your schedule for your visit of Rome, visiting the amazing Colosseum is a must.
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