Gladiator games in the coliseum and battles. The Colosseum, the legendary amphitheater of Rome. The largest ever built
When I watch TV, I always try to stay on the History channel. Yes, they tell the official, generally accepted view on this topic (let me remind you that history is called science). But often there are interesting topics there. One of these is the water shows at the Colosseum.
It was a surprise for me to learn that the Colosseum was not only a complex architectural, but also an engineering object. Without drawings and calculations, building a hydraulic structure is not only difficult, but often impossible.
Gladiatorial naval battles in Ancient Rome or shows with simulated naval battles were considered a special luxury among spectacles.
Battles on ships were called naumachia, from the Greek. "Ναυμαχία" - naval battle. One of the first major naumachias (water gladiator fights) was the battle of 46 BC.
Subsequently, a number of large naumachia took place, for example, an imitation of the Battle of Salamis between the fleets of the Greeks and Persians (24 warships and 3 thousand gladiators took part).
The largest naumachia was a show organized by order of Emperor Claudius. 50 warships were launched onto Lake Fucino near Rome, the number of gladiators amounted to 20 thousand people. Due to fears of rebellion, troops were drawn to the site of the naumachia. The number of spectators was about half a million people (the surrounding hills, forming a “natural amphitheater,” made it possible to accommodate such a number of people).
After the battle, the surviving gladiators and criminals (who were also used) were released, with the exception of the crews of a few galleys who evaded the battle.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, naumachia were organized by Henry II in France in 1550 and Napoleon in Italy (in Milan) in 1807.
You can watch a documentary about the Colosseum at these links:
http://kivvi.kz/watch/ybk4wyj8pl6a/
http://kivvi.kz/watch/22lo8n7cudkc/
http://kivvi.kz/watch/t55i59d4xh65/
http://kivvi.kz/watch/rmof2lrspvw3/
A documentary about the greatest arena of the ancient world - the Flavian Amphitheater, better known as the Colosseum. How was the amphitheater built, what is its internal structure, and is it true that sometimes it served as an arena not only for land battles, but also for naumachia - sea battles.
In the fourth part of the video, I especially liked the phrase: “The valley where the Colosseum is located has changed a lot. The ground level has risen by almost 10m in 1000 years.” Wasn't the city cleaned up of dirt?
And in Rome there is still a working aqueduct!
Let's take a look at the Colosseum itself:
The outside walls are made of limestone blocks
Blocks of decent size, which would be impossible to stack without lifting mechanisms
The height of the arches is amazing. Not human-sized - obviously. Like many doors and passages in historical buildings in Europe
Colosseum Arena. Underground communications
And a strange combination of blocks and bricks begins
Do you see the concrete floors?
Brickwork. But brick is afraid of water like most cats...
Most likely, they removed the flooring and filled the insides of the arena through an aqueduct
According to calculations, the Colosseum was filled with 4.5 million liters of water
Here you can see that the internal supports were built from bricks and debris. Medieval restoration?
In some places the “constructor” did not work out and the blocks were laid out haphazardly. Can you guess what could have led to such a global reconstruction? Or has anyone else not seen the drawings of Piranesi and other disaster artists? It turns out that this building existed before the Romans? Or was this reconstruction done later? I think it's the second one.
Place where different masonry joins
On this side the external façade of the Colosseum is also reconstructed
From this side everything is more or less in its original form. Probably, you can even calculate the direction of the impact of the elements
There are other ancient ruins in the surrounding area
As usual, they write that these are the remains of an ancient temple
Roman forum. The Romans here, for some reason, did not use limestone blocks, but built everything from brick. Degradation of technology? Or were they offered cheaper building material?
In some places, even the masonry itself is distinguished by the skill of the mason.
The lower floor of the building is blocks, the higher floor is brick
An absurd combination of bricks and blocks
As you can see, if you take a closer look at some historical objects, you can learn a lot of new things about them. I am of the opinion that water shows took place at the Colosseum before it had brickwork. Otherwise, it would not have been able to reach us in this form: the water would have turned the brick into dust.
Incredible facts
Forgotten and neglected, the 2,000-year-old Roman Colosseum holds many secrets and there are many interesting facts about it.
Ancient Colosseum in Rome
1. Its real name is Flavian Amphitheatre.
Construction of the Colosseum began in 72 AD. e. by order of Emperor Vespasian. In 80 AD e., under Emperor Titus (son of Vespasian), construction was completed. Together with Titus, Domitian (Tito's brother) ruled the country from 81 to 96. All three were Flavian dynasty, and in Latin the Colosseum was called Amphitheatrum Flavium.
2. There was a time when there was a giant statue of Nero next to the Colosseum - the Colossus of Nero.
The infamous Emperor Nero erected a giant bronze statue of himself, 35 meters high.
Initially, this statue was located in the vestibule of the Golden House of Nero, but under Emperor Hadrian it was decided to move the statue closer to the amphitheater. Some believe the Colosseum was renamed after the Colossus of Nero.
3. The Colosseum was built on the site of a former lake.
The Golden House of Nero was built after the Great Fire of 64, and there was an artificial lake on its territory. After the death of Nero in 68 and a series of civil wars, Vespasian became emperor in 69.
He nationalized Nero's palace, after which he completely destroyed it, and the land on which he stood transferred to public useto the people of Rome. All the expensive ornaments of the palace were removed and buried in the dirt, and later ( in 104-109 ) the Baths of Trajan were built on this site. The Romans usedcomplex underground irrigation system for draininglake near Nero's house, after which it was filled up and, by order of the emperor, the construction of an amphitheater began, intended for the entertainment of the people of Rome.
4. The Colosseum was built in 8 years.
After the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Emperor Vespasian completely destroyed The Temple of Jerusalem, from which only the “wailing wall” remains, which still stands today. After this, he began construction of the Colosseum using materials left over from the destruction of the Golden House.
5. This is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built.
The Colosseum can be called a “double amphitheater” (two half rings connected in the form of an oval). It is made of cement and stone. The length of the outer ellipse of the Colosseum is 524 meters, the major axis is 187.77 meters long, and the minor axis is 155.64 meters long. The Colosseum arena is 85.75 m long and 53.62 m wide, and the walls rise 48 - 50 meters.
The most important thing about this structure is that it is completely built of cast-in-place concrete, unlike other buildings made of bricks and stone blocks.
6. The Colosseum had 5 tiers and separate boxes.
The building was designed to accommodate both the poor and the rich. All spectators were divided into tiers depending on their social status and financial situation. Members of the Senate, for example, sat closer to the arena, and the rest of the residents on other tiers, which were distinguished by a lower price. On the very last - 5th tier - sat the poor. All tiers were numbered I-LXXVI (i.e. from 1 to 76). For People of different status there were different entrances and staircases, and there were also walls that separated them.
7. The Colosseum could accommodate 50,000 spectators.
Each person was allocated a seat only 35 cm wide. Today, not all football stadiums can boast the attendance that the Coliseum had.
Colosseum Arena
8. The battles between gladiators were organized with incredible care.
For 400 years, volunteers fought in the arena, former soldiers, military prisoners, slaves and criminals, all of which served as entertainment for the Romans. But the fighters were chosen for a reason. To enter the Colosseum arena, competing gladiators were selected based on their weight, size, experience, fighting skill and fighting style.
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9. The Colosseum became a cemetery for a huge number of animals.
In addition to fights between gladiators, the Romans organized battles between animals and demonstration hunting. In the arena, lions, elephants, tigers, bears, hippos and other exotic animals could be seen being killed or severely injured.
Fights with animals can be seen to this day - this is bullfighting ("tauromachy" - i.e. "bullfight"). Animal fights were called "morning games", and gladiator fights were called "evening games" The winners were given awards in the form of medals (bone or metal), and statistics were kept - the number of fights, victories and defeats.
Of course there were also deaths or gladiators received injuries that did not allow them to perform further. After his career as a gladiator, the former warrior received a lifelong pension.
More than 9,000 animals died during the opening of the arena and another 11,000 were killed during the 123-day festival hosted by Emperor Trajan. According to conservative estimates, during its entire existence, about 400,000 people and more than 1 million animals died in the Colosseum arena.
10. Grand battles on ships.
Surprisingly, the Colosseum arena was specially flooded by about 1 meter so that ship battles could be held. Reconstructions of warships were installed in the arena so that great naval victories could be celebrated. Water flowed through special aqueducts directly into the arena. All this could be seen before the Emperor Domitian, during which a basement was made in the Colosseum, where there were rooms, passages, traps and animals.
11. The Colosseum was abandoned for many centuries.
As bloody gladiator fights lost their spectacle and the Roman Empire began to collapse in the 5th century, the Colosseum ceased to be a venue for large public events. Moreover, earthquakes, lightning strikes and other natural phenomena significantly affected the structure.
It was only in the 18th century that the Catholic Church and many priests decided that the site of the Colosseum should be preserved.
12. The Colosseum was dismantled for building materials.
The beautiful stone and marble from which the Colosseum was made attracted the attention of many people. After the earthquake of 847, Roman priests and aristocrats began to collect the beautiful marble that adorned the façade of the Colosseum and use it to build churches and houses. Also, rubble stone and crushed stone were used in urban buildings for the construction of various city buildings.
It is worth noting that the Colosseum was used as a source of building materials for such buildings as the Palazzo Venice and the Lateran Basilica. The Colosseum marble was also used to build St. Peter's Basilica, the largest building in the Vatican, and the largest historical Christian church in the world.
13. One priest wanted to turn the Colosseum into a cloth factory.
The underground part of the Colosseum eventually filled with dirt, and for several centuries the Romans grew vegetables and stored them inside the building, while blacksmiths and merchants occupied the upper tiers.
Pope Sixtus V, who helped rebuild Rome in the late 16th century, attempted to convert the Colosseum into a cloth factory, with living quarters on the upper tiers and work space in the arena. But in 1590 he died, and the project was not implemented.
The most popular attraction in Rome
14. The Colosseum is the most visited attraction in Rome.
Along with the Vatican and its holy places, the Colosseum is the second most popular attraction in Italy and the most visited monument in Rome. Every year it is visited by 6 million tourists.
15. The Colosseum will finally be updated.
To begin with, it is planned to spend 20 million euros on the development of the arena. Billionaire Diego Della Valle also plans to invest $33 million to restore the Colosseum, which began in 2013 and includes restoring the arches, cleaning the marble, restoring the brick walls, replacing metal railings, and building a new visitor center and cafe.
The Italian Ministry of Culture plans to restore the Colosseum to what it was like in the 19th century. Besides, they want to make a stage in the arenabased on images of the Colosseum from the 1800s, which will cover the underground tunnels that are currently open.
Description of flash game
Sands of the Colosseum
Sands Of The Coliseum
Boys, help Dash and his knights upgrade and defeat enemies in fights to strengthen the team, buy weapons and equipment. Lots of levels, a huge number of enemies... You won't get bored!
Welcome to the arena of the ancient Roman Colosseum! In this flash game you have the opportunity to test yourself as a gladiator. Choose the gender and appearance of your hero and go out to fight to the death amid the noise of the stands!
You and your opponent will take turns hitting each other with deadly attacks.
Before starting your move, you must choose where to strike: the head, torso, right or left arm, or one of the legs. Also decide on the strength of the blow: weak, medium or strong. The more powerful the uppercut, the more likely it is to miss. When your opponent's head or body is completely hit, you win! Before the final blow, you can spare the poor fellow or let the blood flow to the delight of the cheering crowd.
It’s quite interesting to play, because the game has a wide character leveling system. You can learn special skills and improve characteristics such as strength, agility, endurance and others. The store has a large selection of weapons and armor. Improve your gladiator step by step.
After defeating all the gladiators in one city, go to others and conquer them. Play for free and become the strongest warrior in Rome!
August 4, 2018
Perhaps nothing excites the imagination of tourists coming to the Eternal City more than the walls of the ancient Roman Colosseum - silent witnesses to gladiatorial games. The question of their origin will still remain open. However, regardless of the opinion of historians, gladiator fights in the Colosseum arena were an example of military ethics and were a vital part of political and social life in the Roman world.
The bloody games continued for almost a thousand years, reaching their peak even before the appearance of the Flavian Amphitheater - in the period from the 2nd century BC. to the 1st century AD Where and why did such non-trivial entertainment for the public appear in Ancient Rome?
Gladiator fights - history of origin
The early chronicle sources that have reached our time differ in their estimates of the dates and reasons for the emergence of gladiatorial fights. So, at the end of the 1st century BC. Greek historian and philosopher Nicholas of Damascus (born around 64 BC), believed that their origins originate from Etruria - an ancient region of Central Italy, which included: part of Lazio north of Rome, Tuscany, part of Umbria and the Ligurian coast. This version, which became dominant, was subsequently confirmed by ancient artifacts found during archaeological excavations in the Italian city of Tarquinia, located approximately 45 km from Rome in the province of Viterbo. This city is one of the oldest Etruscan settlements. It was he who gave birth to a whole dynasty of ancient Roman kings -.
The hypothesis that gladiator fights were borrowed by the Romans from the Etruscans is based on graphic images of ritual funerals accompanied by games found in their funerary burials.
Fresco "Wrestlers" in an Etruscan funerary burial, c. 460g. BC.
The funeral games of the Etruscans also included sacrifices of prisoners, in which their blood was poured as a sacrificial offering onto the grave of a fallen warrior for the repose of his soul. This expiatory bloody rite obviously anticipated the early Roman gladiatorial battles.
Fresco “Sacrifice of Captive Trojans”, c.IV BC.
Gladiator games in the early Roman era and changes in scenery
Like many customs of ancient times, gladiator fights in the arena of the Colosseum, which began as a religious rite, became a public spectacle. According to the Roman historian Titus Livy (59 BC - 17 AD), they were first held in Rome in 264. BC. In his work "Ab Urbe Condita Libri" he noted that they were organized by the brothers Marco Junio Pera (Roman consul in 230 BC) and Decimus Junio Pera (Roman consul in 266 BC) on the occasion of the funeral his father, the no less famous politician and aristocrat of Etruscan origin, Decimus Junius Brutus Pera, one of the direct descendants of the founder of Rome. Then, to honor his memory, three pairs of gladiators fought to the death at the Forum Boarium (Bull Forum) and this bloody action, according to Titus Livy, was fully consistent with the Etruscan funeral rite.
Gladiators. OK. 2nd century AD Part of a mosaic found in Zliten, Misrata province in Libya.
In 216 BC. The Roman consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was also awarded the honor of conducting such a solemn ancient rite - “munera funerari”, that is, funeral games. His sons Lucius, Quintus and Marcus, using twenty-two pairs of opponents, organized gladiator fights at the Forum Romanum, which lasted three days.
The next large-scale gladiator fights held as part of the munera funerari took place at the funeral of the Roman consul Publius Licinius Crassus in 183. BC. But they were already more extravagant. The funeral games lasted three days and involved about 120 gladiators.
The passion for gladiatorial games and their acceptance as a necessary burial ritual was enthusiastically received by many allies of Rome, and the cult of gladiators penetrated far beyond its borders. By the beginning of 174 BC. “small” Roman munera funerari - private or public, already had a rather low significance and were so ordinary and unremarkable that they did not even bother to be mentioned in the works of chroniclers. In 105 BC. the ruling consuls proposed that Rome sponsor a "barbarian battle" from the state treasury as part of a training program for the military. Gladiator fights, first held by specially trained fighters from Capua, turned out to be so popular that after that they became public. They were often included in state games that accompanied major religious holidays.
The Colosseum is the main gladiator arena
Initially, public gladiator fights were held in open, crowded areas of city markets, such as the Forum Boarium, around which temporary seats were erected on high ground for high-status spectators. However, as gladiatorial games became more and more popular, the construction of fundamental structures was required.
Fresco depicting the Roman arena in Pompeii, built ca. '79 BC.
The earliest known Roman amphitheater was built for this purpose around 70 AD. BC. in Pompeii. In Rome, according to chroniclers, there was a wooden amphitheater for the public speaker Gaius Scribonius Curio, built in 53. BC, and the discovery of the first stone one took place only in 29. BC. and was timed to celebrate the triple triumph of Octavian Augustus. According to Pliny, the three floors of this amphitheater were decorated with marble, contained more than 3,000 bronze statues, and could accommodate 80,000 spectators. However, in 64 AD it burned to the ground, since the structure, in all likelihood, had a wooden frame. To replace it, Emperor Titus Flavius Vespasian built in Rome the largest and most famous gladiator arena in the world - the Flavian Amphitheater, known today as the Colosseum. It was discovered in 80 AD. as a personal gift from the Emperor to the Roman people.
The Colosseum, built by the Flavian dynasty, given to the Roman people by Emperor Vespasian
Gladiator games
During the Empire, the number of gladiator fights held reached its peak, becoming a favorite entertainment of the enthusiastic public. The performances turned into real gladiator shows - the games were announced in advance on billboards, where their reason, place and date, number and names of performing couples, and the order of their appearance were indicated. Additionally, spectators were informed about the availability of seats under a tent that protected from the sun, provided drinks, sweets and food, and the prizes for the winners were indicated.
On the night before the games, the gladiators were given the opportunity to give instructions to complete their personal affairs; a banquet was arranged for them, which had obvious similarities to the ritual and sacramental “last meal.”
Gladiators after the battle. 1882 Painting by José Morino Carbonero, Prado Museum
The next day, solemnly marching through the entire city, luxuriously dressed gladiators headed to the Flavian amphitheater. In front walked the lictors—Roman civil servants—behind was a small group of trumpeters playing fanfares, and a retinue carrying images of the gods to witness the proceedings in the arena. The procession was closed by a clerk and a special person carrying a palm branch to honor the winners.
This is interesting!
According to the established opinion, before the fight in the Colosseum arena, the gladiators fell under the emperor’s rostrum, if he was present at the performances, and shouted - "Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant", i.e. "Hail Caesar, those who will soon die salute you". However, recent historiography denies such speculation.
Gladiator games in the arena of the Colosseum usually began with an entertaining spectacle - either wild animals fighting each other, or with an animal hunt (venationes), when a weakly armed gladiator (venator) fought with hungry predators - lions, tigers or bears. The venator, that is, the hunter, was protected only by the fasces - strips of dry-cured leather wrapped around the torso and legs. For his defense he used only a spear.
Animal hunting in the arena. Byzantine fresco ca. 5th century AD Mosaic Museum in Istanbul, Türkiye
The next action was the public condemnation of criminals or Christians who broke the law - Ludi Meridiani, which gained significant popularity during the Roman Empire. The most barbaric type of death penalty was applied to those sentenced to death - Domnatio ad Bestia (Condemnation to the beasts). The unfortunate ones were simply thrown to be torn to pieces by wild beasts.
Often the unfortunates were completely or partially naked, and were prevented from resisting in order to protect their lives by shackles. Those who controlled this form of execution were called bestiarii (from the Latin bestia - “beast”). Public death by wild animals in the arena was considered the most humiliating in Rome. The final act of humiliation was the removal of the corpses - they were pulled out of the Colosseum arena with hooks, and the torn bodies were subsequently deprived of proper pagan funeral rites.
Fragment of the mosaic “Domnatio ad Bestia”, 1st century AD, Zliten, Libya
Before the start of the fights, a simulation with wooden weapons was held in the Colosseum arena as a warm-up, in which pairs of fighters nominated to participate in the gladiatorial show participated. Then the lanists (gladiator entrepreneurs, in the modern sense) introduced the participants in the upcoming battles to the public and marked the space of the battle, limiting it with marks.
The gladiator fight in the Colosseum arena, which usually lasted 10-15 minutes, began at the signal of a lingering sound from a horn. During the day, 10-13 fights were held, and trained fighters had to follow the professional rules of its conduct. For this purpose, summa rudis was prescribed, i.e. the chief referee and his assistant, to warn or separate the opponents from each other at some most critical moment. Most often, the judges were themselves retired gladiators - their decisions and judgments were unconditionally respected. They could stop the fight completely or pause it to give their opponents a rest.
Fragment of the mosaic "Gladiator Fight", ca. 320g. AD, Borghese Gallery, Rome, Italy
A gladiator knocked to the ground could admit defeat himself by giving the referee a thumbs-up to stop the fight and appeal to the editor, whose decision usually depended on the response of the crowd. The earliest gladiatorial battles provided for unconditional death for the loser, which was considered a righteous punishment for defeat. Somewhat later, during the time of the Roman Empire, those who showed their skill and fought well could receive, at the whim of the crowd or, most often, from the editor - missione, i.e. forgiveness and save your life from a death sentence. Obviously, this was due to the fact that public fights in the amphitheater arena became a good business for school owners - gladiators were expensive, they were rented for battle, bought and sold as goods, and the concluded contract between the lanist and the editor could include the payment of quite a large monetary compensation for unexpected deaths. Sometimes the amount could be fifty times higher than the rental price of the gladiator.
Painting Pollice Verso (lat. Thumbs down), art. Jean-Leon Gerome, 1872
The vanquished, who was denied mercy, had to die with dignity, without offering resistance and without appealing for mercy. Some mosaics that have survived to this day show exactly how defeated gladiators accepted death. The winner dealt the final fatal blow to the kneeling enemy, lowering his sword from top to bottom - between the collarbone and shoulder blade to reach the heart and thus giving him a quick death.
This is interesting!
The blood of a gladiator killed in the arena was considered an effective aphrodisiac, having a tonic and invigorating effect. The ancient Roman writer and author of Natural History Gaius Pliny Secundus (23-79 AD) noted in his writings that “the Romans drank the blood from dying gladiators, as from living cups, as a remedy for anemia.” The blood of wounded soldiers was considered an effective remedy for curing epilepsy; it was collected with sponges right in the arena and even sold.
The director of fights in the Colosseum arena publicly confirmed the gladiator’s death by touching him with a hot iron, and invited the libitinarians, special servants of the amphitheater, to remove the body. Dressed in the clothes of the gods Charon or Mercury, they carried lifeless remains out of the arena through a special door designed for this - libitina, so called after the ancient Roman goddess of funerals and burials. This door led to the spoliarium - a room intended for corpses, where the dead gladiator was stripped of his armor and weapons.
The winner of the gladiator fights received a laurel crown from the editor, and money from the grateful crowd of spectators. For an initially condemned gladiator or slave, the greatest reward was the awarding of a rudis, a training wooden sword. From that moment on, the slave received freedom, being considered a freedman.
Ban on gladiatorial games
Foreign invasions, plague, civil war and economic depression precipitated the so-called Crisis of the Third Century. Also known as the Imperial Crisis of 235-284. AD, which began with the assassination of Emperor Alexander Severus in 235, it led to profound changes in all institutions of power and in economic life throughout the Empire and predetermined the widespread spread of the Christian religion. And although emperors continued to subsidize gladiator fights in the Colosseum arena as an integral public interest, the bloody spectacle became increasingly despised by Christians.
Death of Ignatius of Antioch in the arena in Rome
In 315 Constantine I banned the barbarian death sentences, Domnatio ad Bestia, carried out in the arenas, and ten years later he even tried to completely ban gladiator games. However, imperial legislation was unable to completely curb the games, despite the fact that:
- in 365 AD Valentinian I (reigned 364-375) threatened to fine judges who sentenced Christians to death in the arena;
- in 393 AD Theodosius I (reigned 379-395) banned pagan festivals;
- in 399 and 404, Emperor Honorius (reigned 393-423) twice imposed a legal ban and closed gladiator schools in Rome;
- in 438 Valentinian III (ruled 425-455) repeated the previous ban on gladiatorial games;
- in 439 the last gladiator fight took place in Rome.
The policy consistently pursued by a number of emperors aimed at eradicating the pagan heritage yielded results. In addition, the spread of Christianity caused increasing rejection and disgust among the followers of the new religion, which significantly reduced interest in gladiatorial fights.
This is interesting!
However, gladiator games in arenas continued until the beginning of the 6th century. The last spectacular battles, according to historians, took place in Venice in 536.
Gladiator fights in modern reconstruction
Today, some Roman renactors are trying to recreate gladiator schools, forming entire groups of like-minded people. Their goal is to reproduce as accurately as possible a gladiator fight in the arena and demonstrate the Roman historical heritage.
Reconstruction of a gladiator fight
Various festivals regularly held, not only in Rome, provide an opportunity for contemporaries to see with their own eyes the armor and weapons of fighters, and, by attending such events, to feel the spirit of the times and feel the former greatness of the Roman Empire. This is also facilitated by numerous feature films shot in the “peplum” genre by Italian and foreign filmmakers. And although some of them are costume dramas, interest in them has not waned for many generations of viewers. But you can read about this in our next article.
Gladiator fights in the Colosseum arena: sword, blood and public delight
The world's most famous ruin, the hallmark of ancient Rome, the Colosseum may never have been built if Vespasian had not decided to eradicate traces of the reign of his predecessor Nero. As part of this program, on the site of the pond with swans that decorated the Golden Palace, a grand amphitheater for 70,000 spectators was erected - the largest circus in the Empire. The games in honor of its opening (in 80 AD) continued non-stop for 100 days; During this time, 2,000 gladiators and 5,000 wild animals tore each other to pieces and slaughtered them. Our review contains the most interesting and little-known facts about one of the main attractions of Rome.
1. Colosseum - "Flavian amphitheater"
The Colosseum was built around 70 AD. Emperor Vespasian, and it was discovered by his son Titus in 80 AD. Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian (who reigned 81-96) belonged to the Flavian dynasty. Therefore, the Colosseum was often called the “Flavian amphitheater”.
2. Giant statue of Nero at the Colosseum
Nero, who went down in history for his despotism and the murder of his family, ordered the construction of a giant bronze statue in his honor near the site where the Colosseum was later built. The statue was made on the model of the Colossus of Rhodes, its height exceeded 30 meters, and it was named the Colossus of Nero. It is because of this statue that the Colosseum got its name.
3. The Colosseum was built on the site of a former lake
Nero's pleasure palace, the so-called "Golden House" (Domus Aurea), was built after a fire in 64 (a number of buildings in Rome burned down and a lot of free space became available). There was an artificial lake near the palace. After Nero's suicide in 68 and a short period of civil war, Vespasian became emperor in 69, after which the Golden House was destroyed. In its place the Baths of Trajan were built. The lake was filled up, and in its place they began to build the Colosseum.
4. The Colosseum was built in just 10 years
After the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Vespasian used some of the spoils from the Temple of Jerusalem to begin work on an amphitheater for Roman citizens. Although Vespasian died before construction was completed, his son Titus completed the Colosseum.
5. The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built
The Colosseum was built from concrete and stone, unlike most amphitheaters of the time, which were simply dug into the hillsides. The elliptical structure is 188 meters long, 155 meters wide and 48 meters high, making it the largest amphitheater in the world.
6. The amphitheater had sectors for different classes
Although the Colosseum was intended for all Roman citizens, both rich and poor, spectators were seated in different sectors based on their social status and wealth.
7. The Colosseum could seat 50,000 people
The width of each seat was about 35 centimeters, but there was always excitement during gladiator fights.
8. Fights between gladiators were carefully planned
For more than four centuries, thousands of slaves, prisoners of war, criminals, ex-servicemen and even volunteers fought in the Colosseum for the entertainment of the Romans. The fights were not chaotic at all, but somewhat similar to modern boxing - gladiators were carefully classified according to their height, strength, experience, skill level and fighting style.
9. The Colosseum became a cemetery for thousands of animals
Along with fighting between humans, the Romans also fought with animals such as elephants, tigers, lions, bears, hippopotamuses, etc. During the opening ceremony of the Colosseum, 9,000 animals were killed, and during the 123-day festival held by Emperor Trajan , 11,000 animals died.
10. Naval battles were held in the Colosseum
Before the underground floor was built during Domitian's time to house equipment, animals, fighters and workers of the Colosseum, the arena was periodically flooded to a depth of about a meter to stage naval battles (naumachia). A special aqueduct was used to supply water.
11. The building has been abandoned for centuries
After gladiatorial combat lost its appeal and the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century, the Colosseum ceased to be the site of major public events and was subsequently partially destroyed by an earthquake and lightning strike. It was abandoned until the 18th century, when the Catholic Church decided that such a place should be preserved.
12. The Colosseum was partially stolen for construction materials
The beautiful marble used in the Colosseum attracted looters and builders who began removing stone from the former amphitheater to build St. John's Basilica, the Lateran Basilica, the Palazzo Venezia, and numerous other projects.
13. They wanted to set up a wool factory in the Colosseum
The hypogeum (underground floor) was eventually filled with dirt and earth, and over the centuries the Romans planted their vegetable gardens there and used the space for cellars, while blacksmiths and merchants used the vaulted passages above. Pope Sixtus V, who helped rebuild Rome in the late 16th century, planned to rebuild the Colosseum into a wool factory. But after the death of Sixtus in 1590, this project was abandoned.
14. The most attractive place in Rome for tourists
Along with the Vatican and its shrines, the Colosseum is the second most visited site in Italy and the most visited monument in Rome. About six million tourists visit the amphitheater every year. A two-day ticket to the Colosseum and Palatine Hill costs 12 euros (about $13).
15. The Colosseum was partially restored
Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini announced a $20 million renovation of the Colosseum that will include rebuilding the arena floor. And in 2013, billionaire Diego Della Valle committed $33 million to renovate the Colosseum, which included repairing the arches, cleaning the marble, restoring the brick walls, replacing metal railings, and building a new visitor center and cafe.
Once in Italy, it is worth visiting, free entry to which was opened not so long ago.
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