Obverse and Reverse of Coin of the Roman Empire bearing profile of Emperor Vespasianus

The Roman Emperor, Vespasian, began construction of the Colloseum's construction in 72 A.D. A humble Sabine of no noble birth, Emperor Vespasian brought stability after turmoil. He rebuilt the Temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva which had burned down, raised a majestic shrine to Pax, the goddess of Peace and began the most renowned of Roman buildings, the Flavian Amphitheatre to give the Colosseum its real name. He was firm but not oppressive and kept control over Praetorian Guard, the maker and unmaker of emperors, by appointing his son Titus to its command. After a full life of sixty-nine years qand having servedc Rome well for 10 years, he died a natural death, most unusual for that time and place. Sensing his death was near, he kept his bluff humour by remarking, Vae! put deus fio, "Alas, I think I am becoming a god." He asked to be helped to his feet saying, "An emperor should die standing." And he did.

There is no indication anywhere as to the name of the Colosseum's architect. It was inaugurated in 80 A.D. by Vespasian's older son, named like himself, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Titus, known as "the darling of mankind" because of his gentle and generous nature, died in the second year of his reign. The structure was finally completed by his brother, Domitian (81-96), "a genuine tyrant," who succeeded him.

The Colosseum received its name, not from its great size, but from the colossal statue of Nero, portrayed as Apollo, located nearby. On its pedestal, this monster image, stood 153 feet high. (See above) Much of Rome was rebuilt after the great fire which flamed as he fiddled! In addition to the statue, A Golden House was constructed, .parts of which were entirely overlaid with gold and encrusted with jewels and pearl. Compartments in the ceiling revolved and scattered flowers as they did so and pipes sprayed fragrances upon the guests. The Golden House must have been a stupendous sight - the Roman Versailles. At its dedication, all Nero said in praise of this magnificent structure, was, "At last I have begun to live like a gentleman." At Nero's death, the Romans hastened to obliterate all traces of his work. The great amphitheatre was built over the ruins of Nero's Golden House..

Titus's inauguration was a solemn event marked by 100 days of activities. One ancient writer recorded that during these festivities, 9000 wild animals were killed and some 2000 gladiators were slain.

The 157-foot high amphitheatre consisted of four flours of which the first three were built with arches and adorned by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders respectively. The top floor had rectangular windows decorated with Corinthian capitals.

Original Appearance of the Flavian Amphitheatre

Time-Ravaged Flavian Amphitheatre

Colosseum

The Colosseum Pining for its Pins photo by G. Wilson

The external part of the Colosseum was made of travertine stone of which it is estimated 3.5 million cubic feet were used in its construction. The stones, some of which weighed five tons, were held together not with mortar but with pins of iron and other metals. We were told that many of the iron pins were removed by barbarian invaders, who besieged Rome during the fall of the empire. Seating 80,000, the Colosseum was elipse-shaped and measured a third of a mile [1790 feet] around. The facing of parts of it was a kind of stucco made of sand, lime, marble dust and water. It was laid on in several coats three inches thick, took a high polish and lasted on some areas of the Colosseum for twenty centuries.

The Colosseum had 80 entrances, two of which were reserved for the emperor and his suite. The structure could be emptied in a few minutes.

Entrance and Exit for Feral Cats photo by G. Wilson

Bill and Geri

Interior of the Colosseum

The arena, which was 287 feet by 180 feet, consisted of wooden base that was covered with sand, the Latin word for which is "arena". It was surrounded by a fifteen-foot wall topped with an iron grating to separate "the brutes from the beasts." At the long end of the arena were two entrances. Through one of them dead gladiators and wild beasts were carried. The other admitted the procession of gladiators who paraded before the emperor declaring:
Ave, Caesar, Morituri te salutant! br> <("Caesar, we who are about to die salute you.")

Spectators were protected from the burning sun by a velarium, a canopy hoisted only by selected seamen using a system of pulleys. The seating section contained a special area of cushioned seats, one of which was reserved for the Emperor and the other for important dignitaries who were his guests.

Subterranean Area photo by G. Wilson

Subterranean Corridors and Cages photo by G. Wilson

Reconstructed Underground Structure of the Colosseum

The subterranean area of the Colosseum served to contain everything needed for the spectacles. Openings in the wooden floor of the arena could be raised or lowered for a quick change of scene involving gladiators and wild beasts kept in cages or large chambers below ground. The floor could also become a lake for naval battles. At the Colosseum's dedication, the arena was flooded with water and a naval battle was re-inacted using as combatants condemned criminals. If they failed to fight fiercely, soldiers were sent among them to motivate more mayhem with whips and red hot irons. The battle continued until one side or the other was completely killed off.

The simplest event held in the amphitheatre was an exhibition of exotic animals that included elephants, lions, tigers, crocodiles, hippopotami, apes, panthers, bears, wolves, giraffes, ostriches, leopards and rare birds. They could simply be paraded around in humorous costumes, made to fight each other or hunted to death with arrow and javelins. Under Nero 400 tigers fought with bulls and elephants. Caligula oversaw the death of 400 bears. Animals slow to anger were driven to madness with lashes, darts and hot irons. Praetorian guards fought panthers, bears and lions. Condemned criminals were sometimes dressed in skins to resemble animals and thrown to ravenous beasts.

Gladiatorial combats were said to have been of Etruscan origin. They first appeared at Rome in the early part of the third centruy in connection with funeral displays. From every African expedition, wild beasts were brought home to be slaughtered in the Roman amphitheatres. These bloody shows indicated the real tastes of the Romans from the earliest times. On one occasion, when the music of some Greek flute-players failed to please a Roman audience, the presiding magistrate ordered the unlucky artists to fight one another and the hoots of the crowd instantly transformed to rapturous applause.

Supreme events pitted man against man in duels or en masse. Fed a rich banquet the night before, they entered the arena the next day and paraded from one end of it to the other. They were classified according to their weapons. The retiarii entangled opponents in nets and dispatched them with daggars. Secutores were skilled in shield and sword; laqueatores were slingshooters; dimachae fought with a short sword in each hand; essedarii fought in chariots; bestiarii contended only with beasts. Any reluctant to fight to the death were prodded with hot irons. A wounded gladiator lived or died by the turn of a thumb: up for life; down for death.

Emperors like Domitian, Trajan and Hadrian loved these spectacles and even took part in them. Hadrian is supposed to have stepped into the arena and succeeded in killing a lion. Emperor Commodus is thought to have been the son of a gladiator. He attended the gladiatorial school or Ludus and boasted that he had defeated 1000 gladiators. Fighting an emperor would have been a no win proposition!

Darkness in the Underground photo by G. Wilson

Relief of Gladiators Battling Beasts

Romans defended the gladiatorial games on the grounds that victims were condemned to death and that their sufferings deterred others from serious crimes. They believed the courage with which doomed men were trained to face wounds and death inspired others to greatness. Not all Romans rejoiced at the outrages in the arena. Cicero was revolted with the slaughter. "What entertainment," he asked, "can possibly arise to a refined and humanized spirit from seeing a noble beast struck to the heart by a merciless hunter or one of our own weak species cruelly mangled by an animal of far greater strength?" But he added, "When guilty men are compelled to fight, no better discipline against suffering and death can be presented to the eye." Seneca thought it no greater madness that, "Man, a sacred thing to man, is killed for sport and entertainment."

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Copyright © 2008W. R. Wilson