The Colosseum (Colosseo) is a large ancient amphitheatre in Rome, Italy. It is a piece of architecture that demonstrates the Romans' great engineering. The construction began in 72 AD by the Emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under the Emperor Titus. Following his father, Vespasian, and his brother, Titus, Emperor Domitian made some modifications to the Colosseum.
The Colosseum did not follow earlier Greek theatres that were situated on a flattened terrace at the foot of a hill. It is an entirely free-standing structure. The site can accommodate an audience up to 50,000 people. It is hard to imagine about 1920 years ago humans could build such a massive stadium that required lots of engineering and construction knowledge. It was used for games including the chariot races, the naumachiae, naval battles, gladiatorial shows, animal hunts as well as a variety of other events that was sponsored by the emperors and the nobilities. Some of the events were large scale and involved 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators. Even in the 21stcentury, it can be used for large events such as the concert of Paul McCartney held inside the Colosseum in March 2003.
Today, the Colosseum is a major tourist attraction in Rome. We entered through a gate that was used for general public in the past. You can see the design of the entrance to each section which is similar to the modern stadium for facilitating fast passes in and out of the arena. It is worth the money to go inside to feel the atmosphere of the gladiators fighting for their life. The seating area is divided into tires that represent the hierarchy of ancient Roman Empire. Here you can understand how the arena works. The hypogeum of the arena shows the connected underground tunnels used for gladiators and animals performance.
The Colosseum did not follow earlier Greek theatres that were situated on a flattened terrace at the foot of a hill. It is an entirely free-standing structure. The site can accommodate an audience up to 50,000 people. It is hard to imagine about 1920 years ago humans could build such a massive stadium that required lots of engineering and construction knowledge. It was used for games including the chariot races, the naumachiae, naval battles, gladiatorial shows, animal hunts as well as a variety of other events that was sponsored by the emperors and the nobilities. Some of the events were large scale and involved 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators. Even in the 21stcentury, it can be used for large events such as the concert of Paul McCartney held inside the Colosseum in March 2003.
Today, the Colosseum is a major tourist attraction in Rome. We entered through a gate that was used for general public in the past. You can see the design of the entrance to each section which is similar to the modern stadium for facilitating fast passes in and out of the arena. It is worth the money to go inside to feel the atmosphere of the gladiators fighting for their life. The seating area is divided into tires that represent the hierarchy of ancient Roman Empire. Here you can understand how the arena works. The hypogeum of the arena shows the connected underground tunnels used for gladiators and animals performance.
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