The Colosseum is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of Rome, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It conveyed both public power and triumph and gives insight into Roman tradition and serves as a permanent reminder of who was in control.2
This impressive feat of Classical engineering and architecture was so because of its sheer size: holding 45,000 spectators and a further 5000 standing impressing the Romans and later generations alike. The aerial view (Colour Plate 19 and 20), illustrates the scale of the structure in stark comparison to the human figures walking alongside the building.3
The Roman engineer Vitruvius considered “…architecture needed to satisfy three requirements…commodity, firmness and delight”4 That is it must be securely built, fulfill its purpose and be aesthetically pleasing. The Collosseum satisfied all three.
The materials used were Travertine, Tufa and Concrete (Plate 72), concealed with bricks and stone. The structure of the building based on honeycomb walls and pillars gave it a solid and proportioned foundation along with vaults that were in place within the passages supporting the whole building.
The Colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. To ensure safety the amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators, each was numbered. The main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides. All axial entrances were richly decorated. 5
However, it was the articulation that gave the Collosseum its “meaning as a great public monument of Imperial Rome”6. One feature that illustrates how this was achieved is the sophisticated pattern of the façade: each arcade is semicircular, one over the other and is framed with an entablature and cornice achieving regularity and proportion: an important element in classical Western architecture.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
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”.…
- 409 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
On the exterior of the building, Trost decided on a buff terracotta façade that helps to blend the building in with the surrounding scenery.2 The Tuscan-styled Roman hexastyle portico sits on a podium, located in center of the building with rectangular block wings on each side of it.3 The portico is surrounded with six Corinthian styled polylithic columns.4 The columns and most of the façade is pieced together, and is not made of solid concrete.5 The capitals are adorned with helix, acanthus leaves, and a fleuron.6 Past the astragal, we see the shaft is fluted down to the filet, with a torus, scotia, torus, and plinth making up the base.…
- 1517 Words
- 4 Pages
Powerful Essays -
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…
- 4705 Words
- 19 Pages
Better Essays -
Ancient World Civilizations – Ancient and Modern Architecture Assignment: The Pantheon Porch in Rome and the Wentworth Hall Entrance…
- 1081 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Second, the Roman architecture was more definite in the materialistic ways than the Greeks, where they built things on a larger scale, they used a variety of building materials, and they did not pay much attention to the little details. The better form of the Roman architecture is the Coliseums or the Amphitheater which was developed by the Romans. The Coliseum was important as a starting of entertainment for the whole city. The Roman helped support the structure of this Coliseum because it is a combination of the Roman brought in concrete, the exterior which was covered by a stone facing of a form of limestone that was used along with tufa. I found out that the Coliseum was designed with a combination of all three of the architectural orders Doric, second Iconic, and Corinthian. Even though the columns had no structural function but they were seen as a form of decoration.…
- 558 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
2. An emperor, such as Justinian, may have wanted to build a structure like this for numerous reasons. 1. As devotion and dedication to God. 2. To establish his own beliefs among the rest of the state/ region, and 3. to convert many foreigners and merchants who passed by and would be awe struck by the massive and elaborate structure…
- 363 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Many architectural and urban forms and elements that we witness today are largely influenced by how buildings were design and laid in Rome. Not only in terms of its external design that brought upon important messages but the design of interiors and the significance of spatial arrangement of spaces exist within them has created the sense of physical experience in the buildings as well. Rome’s urban development and the rise of architectural movement began during the time of Augustus from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. 1,2 Born Gaius Octavious, known as Octavian in his early years rose to become the first emperor of Rome after ending the second triumvirate through defeating Antony and Lepidus.3 When Octavian returned to Rome, he was honoured by the Senate and the Roman citizens for bringing peace and prosperity to a war-weary Roman world.4 He was then granted the name “Augustus” which is an important symbolic act to legitimize his political control as an emperor over Rome.5 Augustus’ main intention is to establish a stable Rome under his authority and this is largely shown through his restoration of incomplete buildings by Caesar. During his reign, as stated in his bibliography, Res Gestae, he claimed that he “repaired eighty and two temples of the gods in the city, … omitting none which at that time needed repair”.6 However, he also erected four new temples during his reign and these temples largely convey the message of him wanting to show that he was a dependable and better ruler.7 Stamper argues that the building of temples in Rome by various rulers form a large connection of showing power and authority over the city.8 Thus, based on this intention of Augustus, this essay will analyse three different temples completed…
- 4128 Words
- 17 Pages
Best Essays -
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;…
- 515 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Roman was known for their architectural accomplishments. Works like the Colosseum, the Aqueducts, the Pantheon were a few among many of their notable magnificent. The two innovations enabled Rome to attain those achievements were the invention of concrete and arches. In this paper, I attempt to look into their origins, their effect on Roman's life and what was the most notable works result from these inventions.…
- 549 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Contrasting the outside with the inside we can say that the inside takes a more Roman swing and portrays itself as less idealised than the classical greek architecture of the exterior. The exterior is a lost more basic and unadorned with that much detail contrasted with the inside, inside we see an embellishment of decorations including a dome using the so called honeycombing effect also called coffers which allows the building to appear larger than it actually is. The eight niches to the side indicate where the statues would have gone but have since been lost to history. The marble floors contributing to this idea of simple geometry as they are inlaid with coloured granite making circles and rectangles however sadly much of the original marble and bronze which would have been on the originally has been removed particularly due to Pope Urban VII's who ordered the bronze to be melted to help with…
- 412 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
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…
- 1687 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
It was a building of the ordinary classical type. It is rectangular with a gabled roof which is supported by a colonnade on all sides. There were eight columns in the first rank and two pairs of four behind. The building was rebuilt completely with a few alterations made in the early 3rd century. The building is circular and constructed of concrete which is faced with bricks and has a great concrete dome (or roof), rising from the walls. At the front there is a porch of Corinthian columns supporting a gabled roof with a triangular pediment.…
- 3554 Words
- 15 Pages
Better Essays -
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…
- 1129 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The building is made mostly of concrete, and their skill allowed them to create the dome of concrete as well. To lessen the weight of the dome baring down on the building there were a number of different techniques used. First and most obvious is the oculus, the empty space in the dome measures almost twenty feet in diameter. The dome itself is made of different composites of concrete, with the lightest being used toward the top. The wall of the dome also decreases in thickness as it rises and the interior of the dome has a series of coffers. The coffers provide beauty and function. They draw the eyes up towards the oculus and take away some of the weight of the dome. The romans also incorporated series of arches within the rotunda and along the outside walls that helped redistribute the weight of the massive…
- 989 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
Emperor Vespasian initialized the construction of the building in 72 CE after draining the man made lake that was once owned by Emperor Nero. His purpose of building the gigantic structure was an element of a wider program to restore Rome’s glory and position in the world that had dissolved over the civil war. Moreover, it was a way to compensate the people for…
- 687 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays