What is it
Ancient Roman Amphitheatre
Where is it
Rome, Italy
Did you know?
The arena was filled with water to stage mock sea battles? (more facts)
A little more on the Colosseum
Commissioned by Emperor Vespasian Flavian in 72 AD, the Colosseum (or Coliseum) is the largest amphitheater ever built by the Roman Empire. Completed in 80 AD, the arena was opened to the public by his son and successor, Titas.
The stadium was used as an entertainment arena for the public, it had 80 entry points and could hold 50 000 people. The shows were free to the public, however seating was allocated based on social status. The opening ceremony for the theatre took place over 100 days, where shows such as trained animal acts, sea battles, gladiator combats and mass capital punishments took place. With an estimated 3000-9000 animals slaughtered during the opening games alone, it is no surprise the Colosseum was known as the ‘Arena of Death’
The shows continued until the late 5th Century when the gladiatorial combats and animal battles were outlawed. After this time, the arena was no longer used and eventually became a quarry. Luckily, Pope Benedict XIV ruled it as a Sacred Site, and stopped it from being completely demolished.
