Colosseum in Rome

In 72 AD, Emperor Vespasian erected the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater globally, in Rome, Italy. It served as a modern-day stadium and hosted many events, including the Circus games, which were popular in Roman times. These games celebrated special occasions and victories. Gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals fought to the death for their freedom in these events. These competitions likely originated in the late Republican era to foster the warlike spirit that had made Romans the world’s conquerors.

Events and Spectacles at the Colosseum

This is where skilled gladiators were born and trained to fight to the death. Wild beasts of all kinds were also used to increase the spectacle’s terror. According to Dion Cassius, 9000 wild animals were slaughtered during the amphitheater’s 100-day celebrations. Once the animals were removed, the arena was often filled with water to host naval battles.

Naval Battles at the Colosseum

Competing fleets of oared vessels participated in the Colosseum’s naval battle games, which were among the city’s most significant attractions. The naval battles occurred in a basin on the amphitheater’s lowest level, which was flooded to a depth of around 1 meter at high tide and 2 meters at low tide. The water was replenished using rain or a bucket brigade.

End of the Cruel Gladiatorial Combats in Rome

Emperor Constantine and his successors attempted to abolish gladiatorial fights, but the Romans resisted their efforts. In the early fifth century, a monk named Telemachus entered the arena and urged the crowd to end their heinous games. The crowd insulted and threw rocks at him, stoning him to martyrdom. However, the games were canceled that day. The Christian Emperor Honorius was moved by the monk’s martyrdom and issued a historic ban on gladiatorial combat. Telemachus died in 391 AD, and the last recorded gladiatorial fight in Rome was on January 1, 404 AD.

Colosseum was a Magnificent Symbol of Roman Power

The Colosseum was a magnificent symbol of Roman power in its prime and remains a source of pride and wonder for visitors to Rome today. Despite this, the amphitheater has suffered periods of abandonment and neglect throughout history. Two earthquakes in 442 and 508 caused significant damage, signaling the end of the Roman Empire. Theodoric, ruler of the Romano-Barbaric kingdom of the Goths, authorized the traditional hunt of wild beasts in 523, keeping the Colosseum in use. Later, it was used as a cemetery, a fortress, and a quarry for building materials after the earthquake of 1349. During the Renaissance, the marble covering was almost entirely reused. Pope Benedict XIV consecrated the old amphitheater and erected a Way of the Cross and Cross to prevent further deterioration. While there is no historical evidence that Christians were massacred in the Colosseum, they were undoubtedly among those killed there.

The Colosseum in Numbers

• The Colosseum was built in just five years, from 75 AD to 80 AD.
• The external ellipse of the arena measures 188 × 156 meters
• The area of the complex is 3357 meters
• The facade of the Colosseum is 49 meters tall
• The facade has three floors and eighty arches
• On the ground level, there are eighty entrance arches. The emperor, the imperial family, and the vestals used the four reserved main entrances with propylaeums.
• The linear seating space could have held 73,000 spectators.