Almost
every sports stadium today is created based
on the design of the Colosseum, built between
70-82 A.D. Located in the center of Rome,
the amphitheater could seat up to 50,000
spectators who watched public spectacles
like the infamous gladiator fights.
The only finalist from
Europe to make it into the top seven—the
Colosseum in Rome, Italy—once held
up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch
gory games involving gladiators, wild animals,
and prisoners.
History of the name Colosseum
The Colosseum's name has been derived from
a colossus of Nero nearby. This statue was
later remodeled by Nero's successors intthe
likeness of Sol or Apollo, the sun god,
by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's
head was also replaced several times by
the head of succeeding emperors. At someo
time during the Middle Ages, the statue
disappeared, since the statue was bronze,
it was melted down for reuse.
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Architecture
The Colosseum is eliptical, sitting
on a NW to SE axis.The building's core
is constructed of brickand a relatively
soft, cporous rock called tufa.The exterior
is clothed in travertine marble, a brilliant
white stone that was later favored by
Michelangelo for his sculptures. |
The Colosseum is roughly elliptical in
shape, with its long axis, oriented WSW-ESE,
which measures 188 m and the short one 156.
The building stands on a base of two steps;
above it there are three floors of arcades
built in travertine stone but a fourth was
added by Alexander Severus.There were eighty
arches on every floor, divided by pillars
with a half column.
The Colosseum was used
to host gladiatorial shows as well as a
variety of other events. The shows, called
munera, were always given by individuals
rather than the state. Another popular type
of show was the animal hunt, or venatio.
During the early days of the Colosseum,
ancient writers recorded that the building
was used for naumachiae (more properly known
as navalia proelia) or simulated sea battles.
Accounts of the inaugural games held by
Colosseum Today
The Colosseum today is now a major tourist
attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists
each year paying to view the interior arena.
There is now a museum dedicated to Eros
located in the upper floor of the outer
wall of the building. Part of the arena
floor has been re-floored.
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