The Roman Coliseum is an amazing piece of architectural history and has played a significant role in history as well. Construction began in 72 AD under the rule of the Emperor Vespasian. It was completed in 80 AD in the very center of Rome. It is located east of the Roman forum, was built to hold 50,000 people, and has eighty entrances. It could easily hold a football field. There are many rooms and tunnels below the Coliseum. Some of them housed animals and gladiators, and some rooms also contained many pulleys and hand pulled elevators. The Coliseum had four floors and eighty arch ways for the people to enter. The Coliseum was covered with a massive awning, which was attached by poles at the top of the Coliseum that was known as “Velarium”.…
The Colosseum has an outer circumference of 1,788 feet. It is 187 feet high, 615 feet long, and 510 feet wide.…
79. His son Titus added the third and fourth stories and had it dedicated in A.D. 80 with magnificent games which lasted one hundred days. This structure was truly colossal with dimensions of 189m (640RF) long, 156m (528RF) wide and 48m (163RF) high, with an outer perimeter of 545m (1,835RF), required 100,000 tonnes of Travertine and 300 tonnes of iron clamps to hold the blocks together (Claridge p276) and was to become an icon of the power of the Flavian dynasty and the empire. It will forever be associated with the legacy of Vespasian even though he never lived to see this colossal structure completed. The extent exceptional nature of this gift bestowed by Vespasian was commomorated in the coins minted by Titus to celebrate the opening of the games in A.D. 80 (p.21, Wiedemann ). However this structure provided an ironic sting in the tail for Vespasian after his own death. It was built by Vespasian partly with the intention of erradicating Nero Rome's sites of memory' he notably failed. By the Middle Ages the structure had adopted the name Colosseum' This according…
The Colosseum is one of the most famous surviving Roman buildings. As many as fifty-thousand Romans packed its stands to watch the fights that took place in the arena. The many entrances allowed a large crowd to come and go quickly.…
The Colosseum is a stone amphitheater, and it was the first building of its type (Sporre). It was constructed during the Flavian dynasty under emperor Vespasian in 70 A.D., and it was completed 10 years later during the reign of Vespasian’s son, Titus. The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater because it was built by the Flavian dynasty. However, the name was changed because the Colosseum was built next to the Colossus of Nero. The Colossus of Nero was an enormous statue, and it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The statue was torn down, but the name stuck around. Lastly, Venerable Bede famous epigram that states, “ as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall;…
Before amphitheaters were built, gladiator combats were held at cemeteries. “Indeed, it was the custom to kill captives at the graves of powerful men; because this, in later days, seemed cruel, it was decided to have gladiators fight before the grave, gladiators who were called “Bustiari” for the tombs (busti).” (Servius, On the Aenied 10.519) However, over time, shows were not held exclusively in a funerary context, which moved these combats to the Forum Roman, a rectangular area bounded by basilicas for seating. However, “as a performance space, the forum has certain limitations, including a diminished seating capacity, even if sponsors erected temporary bleachers, the presence of monumental public buildings restricted the height and capacity of these structures… the difficulty of guaranteeing spectator safety also restricted the use of wild animals to small numbers of relatively docile and diminutive types for Forum shows.” (Futrell, 55-56) Therefore, new permanent amphitheaters were in need. These new structures needed to have thousands of seats, support for the seating, and isolated areas to keep gladiators and animals before…
The use of Heralds dates back to the Medieval Era. They were originally messengers hired by kings and nobles to convey messages or proclamations. During battles, for example, the heralds would be sent to relay messages of truce or to decide victory. The battles were sometimes started by people of power sending their heralds to challenge other armies. In the late Middle Ages, they began to be used as overseers of tournaments and the masters of ceremony.…
In the top image Quest field is in the foreground and Safeco stadium in the background. The image below this shows the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater Fig. 7-36). The Roman Colosseum was made out of concrete, marble, stone, and brick, and is shaped like an oval when looked at from above. It stands 16 stories tall and was created in 70-80 CE and in many ways was a monument for the people to partake in past time activities and enjoy their lives out side of the day to day struggle. Engineering wise the Colosseum used many of the techniques that the Romans are famous for. It require concrete, arches, a complex system of barrel-vaulted corridors, and a vast infrastructural skeleton to with hold the weight and space required for 50,000 spectators. In many ways the Colosseum was an escape from the harsh realities of life. It gave people time to relax and enjoy themselves. Considering the time period and the recent fall of Nero this idea is especially true. In a way the construction and utilization of the Colosseum represents the desires of control by the Romans. The hunts and gladiatorial battles reflect the Roman desire for conquest and victory. The hunts represent control of the environment, the ability to be the best over all other animals. The size of the Colosseum is also directly linked to the prosperity and growth of Rome. Fifty thousand spectators strong is no small feat, and thus reflects the awesome ability of the Roman culture to overcome anything that they put their minds and…
Ancient Rome once stood at highest peak of authority and size, that is until Rome faced the inevitable fall of its civilization. Lasting several centuries, at its height, Rome stretched from western Europe to North America and throughout the Mediterranean and into Western Asia. In addition, many modern day influences did originate from Rome like art and architecture. Although, from political instability, to the various social and economic problems, and weakened frontiers, for the majority, Rome destroyed itself, rather than outside causes.…
Augustus, the first emperor of Rome once stated, “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” Rome may have continued to be like any other city throughout the Roman Empire without the influence of Augustus, but now it is prominently known as a goldmine for historical research. One of the most distinguished architectures of this great empire is the Colosseum, which today is recognized as being one of the world’s largest amphitheaters ever constructed. The region of origin of this massive stone edifice rested in Ancient Rome and currently resides in the Province of Rome in Italy. Due to its commission in A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty and its formal opening in A.D. 80 by Vespian’s son, Titus, it is also…
Ancient Rome is recognized as being the forefront of technological innovations and efficiency improvement. The Pont du Gard aqueduct is no less than an impressive engineering feat, stretching for miles to deliver water to town centers. Roman architectural features, such as arches and domes, still remain a prominent presence in modern architecture, proving just how timeless, and more importantly, functional these inventions are. However, one notable difference between the two societies is that unlike Ancient Rome's approach to technological adoption through the appropriation of foreign territories, the United States gained its technological edge through development and research. From the invention of electricity and automobiles to computers,…
Entertainment was as important in Ancient Roman times as it is in our familiar sense of today. Although Ancient Romans wouldn’t turn on their televisions or radios and listen to the results of last night’s game, they would go and see the fun, enjoyment or even the horror of the ghastly butcheries of the amphitheatre where a large variety of events would be put on display for any and all citizens of Rome. These events consisted of a diverse exhibit of battle re-enactments, gladiatorial tournaments, animal hunts, executions and other public spectacles such as dramas based on Classical Roman mythology and speeches. After its completion in 80AD, the Flavian Amphitheatre which was later renamed to the Colosseum…
Unlike earlier amphitheatres that were semi-circular and built into hillsides, the Flavian amphitheatre is an ellipsoid and still stands free. The name Colosseum, as known conventionally, came from the massive bronze statue of Nero (Colossus Neronis) that stood next to it in the Region IV Templum Pacis, East of the Roman Forum.The Amphitheatre at Pompeii and the Circus Maximus served as Rome’s entertainment venues prior to the construction of the Colosseum.…
The Medieval Church played a far greater role in Medieval England than the Church does today. In Medieval England, the Church dominated everybody's life. All Medieval people - be they village peasants or towns people - believed that God, Heaven and Hell all existed. From the very earliest of ages, the people were taught that the only way they could get to Heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church let them. Everybody would have been terrified of Hell and the people would have been told of the sheer horrors awaiting for them in Hell in the weekly services they attended.…
Pottery became a large-scale industry in Rome, as did the use of colored glass and recycling of old glass. New molding and blowing techniques were developed, allowing for more intricate and elaborate designs to be created. Sculptures were used throughout Rome, whether they were depicting powerful gods and goddesses in religious temples, bringing to life legends and heroes, or even just a reminding the sculptor of their individual family. Busts of the emperor were also widespread across the empire, to allow the populace to recognize them since television/newspapers/etc. hadn’t been created yet. The Romans focused on constructing realistic statues, not attempting to correct the faults or imperfections of the models of their sculptures. They also created ornate, hand-made jewelry, colorful mosaics made of small tiles, and decorated masks sometimes used in theatre and plays. These masks were displayed in the Amphitheatre, as structure where ordinary people could enjoy spectacles; i.e. theatre, drama, gladiator battles, etc. Bloody spectacles were provided within arenas to entertain the populace and prevent the poor from rioting. The most famous of these arenas was the Colosseum. This enormous stadium, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater could hold greater than 50000 people at once. Beneath the giant arena was a large network of underground passages,…