The Colosseum which is originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre is a magnificent feature of the Roman Empire. It is also one of the most significant and famous wonders of the world because of its impressive ancient architecture. The Colosseum was the theatre of the Roman Empire and it was the largest building during the ancient era. The Colosseum was built by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and the construction was completed in 80 AD by Titus, Emperor Vespasian’s son. The length and width of the Colosseum are 615 feet and 510 feet respectively and the height is 159 feet.
The building consists of 80 arched entrances which allowed 55,000 spectators easy access to the inside. Several materials such as Travertine, Tuff, Tiles, Roman cement, Mortar and Limestone were used to build the Colosseum. The Colosseum was covered with the valerian (a large awning used in ancient Rome) to protect the spectators from the sun.
The Colosseum was used by the Roman Emperors as a public theatre where people from different classes attended. At the Colosseum, violent and deadliest gladiator games were held as an entertainment for a whole day or several days in a row. The shows were usually started with comical acts and exhibition of exotic animals and finally ended with gladiator games.
The gladiator games were designed to fight until death between animals and gladiators or between gladiators. Roman gladiators were usually slaves, prisoners of wars and criminals; however free Romans and Emperors also sometimes took part in the activity. The matches were held one after another on a single day and when the ground was flooded with blood, it was covered with the sand.
Inside the Colosseum, there is a large stage called the central arena where the gladiator shows were held. The arena is surrounded by the seats called the cavea which was divided into four levels. Each level of the seat is divided into sections by carved passages and low walls. The seating levels at the Colosseum reflected the social class of the Roman citizens; the upper level was for the lower classes and women and the lowest level was for the noble class. Below the arena is the cellers that stored the equipments and cages of the animals to use in the games. Finally, the underground floor was where the lifts and hoist for the cages of the animals were housed.
The Colosseum opens at 8:30 am every day; however the closing hours vary such as 7:15 pm from the last Sunday of March to August, 7:00pm in September, 6:30 pm in October, 4:30 pm from November to February 15th and 5:00 pm from February 16th to March. The fee of the standard ticket the to Colosseum including the two other attractions which are Roman Forum and Palatine Hill is 15 Euros per person.
The West Exit of the Colosseum is called “the Gate of Death” as it was where the dead gladiators were carried out. Also, the southern side of the Colosseum collapsed in 847 because of a massive earthquake.
In the Colosseum, the visitors can...
