Colosseum

The idea and construction of the Colosseum are credited to the Flavian Dynasty, which includes the reign of three emperors:

• Titus Flavius Vespasianus (69-79 AD), his elder son with the same name, historically remembered as
• Titus (79-81 AD), and Vespasian’s younger son,
• Titus Flavius Domitianus (81-96 AD).

The construction of the Colosseum followed the rule of the infamous Emperor Nero, who utilized the fire of 69 AD to build himself a palace – Domus Aurea – surrounded by gardens and an artificial lake spanning 120 hectares. As a departure from his reign and an initiative to start the rule of the new Flavian dynasty differently, Vespasian came up with the idea to build a structure that would give back to the people what Nero had taken, thus constructing the Colosseum on the site of the lake.

Planning and building this massive amphitheater required detailed planning and innovative engineering techniques, including advanced drainage systems and precisely calculated architectural proportions. The construction was carried out with the help of prisoners from the Jewish War who were considered slaves.

The outer wall structure is 57 meters tall, constructed from travertine marble sourced from quarries across Italy.

The amphitheater, akin to modern stadiums, could accommodate 80,000 people and was used for public gatherings, gladiator fights (if you haven’t seen the movie Gladiator starring Russell Crowe, here’s a recommendation), historical battle reenactments, and executions.

The interior of the Colosseum offered a diverse experience to visitors, from luxurious seats on the podium to cramped upper levels. Although the seating reflected social hierarchies, the lower strata of society were subordinate and rarely had access to more privileged areas.

The Colosseum was damaged in 217 by a massive fire. The cause of the fire is unknown, although it is often found in literature that it was a lightning strike. Gladiator fights were used until 404.

Later, with the advent of Christianity, the Colosseum was seen as a place where many early Christians lost their lives and were even thrown to lions, thus it is considered a holy place, and a small church was erected in the arena itself. According to historians’ estimates, around half a million people and a million animals lost their lives in the Colosseum.

It was damaged by a major earthquake in 1349, and during the Middle Ages, the stone from the Colosseum was used for the construction of other buildings and churches. Some parts of the Colosseum were used for housing.

It was later restored several times in the 19th century, and fully explored during the reign of Benito Mussolini.