Amidst the busy surroundings of present day Rome, the capital of Italy, lie the scattered ruins of the once powerful Roman empire. Among the rubble of tiles, broken arches and fallen pillars stands a gigantic oval shaped edifice.
This is the Colosseum, the colossal amphitheatre built in ancient days as an iconic symbol of Imperial Roman empire. The purpose of its construction was to serve as a centre of entertainment and cultural performances.
The performances included the enactment of battles, mythological stories, etc. But the most notorious of events performed were the combats between condemned men, known as gladiators, and wild beasts, where the outcome was death. The barbaric contests were a source of entertainment for the kings, as well as commoners, and symbolised the bravery of the individual, earned even at the price of death.
The origin of Colosseum dates back to the year 72 AD, when Flavian king Vespasian initiated its construction. It was completed after eight years, when Titus succeeded. Attributed to these two kings of Flavian dynasty, the structure was called Flavian Amphitheatre. Before Vespasian's rule, the area where the monument stands now was a flourishing place between little hills with a canal running through. The erstwhile king Nero had made many an improvement of the place. But when the great fire of Rome destroyed the settlement in 64 AD, Nero was building his personal estate with elaborate gardens and pools, apart from erecting his own statue on a colossal scale, which is probably why the proverb — Nero was fiddling when Rome was burning — was coined.
The Colosseum, which was built meticulously, reflecting the ingenuity of Roman architecture, had a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators. Extending to a length of 600 ft and a width of 500 ft, the huge structure had ample space at the arena in the centre, where the events and combats were held. There was an underground chamber called hypogeum below the arena, where the gladiators and the beasts were kept, before being summoned for the fight. The tiers of seating rows went up above the arena. The central place had a labyrinth of walled passages, through which the animals were driven to the centrestage.
Being a centre for a large gathering, the theatre had as many as 80 exits, so that in the event of an emergency, people could be evacuated in minutes. The seats and rows were numbered and the tickets for spectators were pieces of pot sherds with numbers. As the gory fights went on, the crowds cheered the performers. The bloodshed used to be covered in layers of sand as the fights went on unabated. It is said that, at the very inaugural games after the Colosseum was built, some 9,000 wild animals had been killed.
Fortunately, good sense prevailed in the centuries that followed, culminating the inhuman practice of gladiatorial fights, restricting the sport to animal hunts alone. Much later, during the late medieval period, the sport itself went on the decline. Meanwhile, the monument suffered the onslaught of elements through an earthquake when parts of the edifice crumbled. Also, the pilferage of tiles and stones from the debris accentuated further ruin of the structure. The Colosseum was no more a place of entertainment as arcades were converted to housing units and workshops. The monument, stained by the blood of martyrs, was considered sacred, and became a place of religious importance.
Today, the Colosseum stands as a legacy of the Roman empire, and is undeniably the most impressive monument thronged by millions.
This is the Colosseum, the colossal amphitheatre built in ancient days as an iconic symbol of Imperial Roman empire. The purpose of its construction was to serve as a centre of entertainment and cultural performances.
The performances included the enactment of battles, mythological stories, etc. But the most notorious of events performed were the combats between condemned men, known as gladiators, and wild beasts, where the outcome was death. The barbaric contests were a source of entertainment for the kings, as well as commoners, and symbolised the bravery of the individual, earned even at the price of death.
The origin of Colosseum dates back to the year 72 AD, when Flavian king Vespasian initiated its construction. It was completed after eight years, when Titus succeeded. Attributed to these two kings of Flavian dynasty, the structure was called Flavian Amphitheatre. Before Vespasian's rule, the area where the monument stands now was a flourishing place between little hills with a canal running through. The erstwhile king Nero had made many an improvement of the place. But when the great fire of Rome destroyed the settlement in 64 AD, Nero was building his personal estate with elaborate gardens and pools, apart from erecting his own statue on a colossal scale, which is probably why the proverb — Nero was fiddling when Rome was burning — was coined.
The Colosseum, which was built meticulously, reflecting the ingenuity of Roman architecture, had a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators. Extending to a length of 600 ft and a width of 500 ft, the huge structure had ample space at the arena in the centre, where the events and combats were held. There was an underground chamber called hypogeum below the arena, where the gladiators and the beasts were kept, before being summoned for the fight. The tiers of seating rows went up above the arena. The central place had a labyrinth of walled passages, through which the animals were driven to the centrestage.
Being a centre for a large gathering, the theatre had as many as 80 exits, so that in the event of an emergency, people could be evacuated in minutes. The seats and rows were numbered and the tickets for spectators were pieces of pot sherds with numbers. As the gory fights went on, the crowds cheered the performers. The bloodshed used to be covered in layers of sand as the fights went on unabated. It is said that, at the very inaugural games after the Colosseum was built, some 9,000 wild animals had been killed.
Fortunately, good sense prevailed in the centuries that followed, culminating the inhuman practice of gladiatorial fights, restricting the sport to animal hunts alone. Much later, during the late medieval period, the sport itself went on the decline. Meanwhile, the monument suffered the onslaught of elements through an earthquake when parts of the edifice crumbled. Also, the pilferage of tiles and stones from the debris accentuated further ruin of the structure. The Colosseum was no more a place of entertainment as arcades were converted to housing units and workshops. The monument, stained by the blood of martyrs, was considered sacred, and became a place of religious importance.
Today, the Colosseum stands as a legacy of the Roman empire, and is undeniably the most impressive monument thronged by millions.