How Did The Templum Pacis And The Colosseum

The Templum Pacis was built for Vespasian and Titus in 70 AD after their victory in the Jewish War which lasted five months. The temple was built near the Imperial Fora to disassociate Vespasian from Nero. The Colosseum was started by Vespasian but finished by his son Titus in 80 AD due to Vespasian’s death months before completion. Titus then held the inaugural games. They last 100 days and included: crucifixions, beast shows, gladiator combat and Greek myth reenactments by criminals. Both the Templum of Pacis and the Colosseum were built as a way to restore order to Rome after the Great Fire and Nero.

The Templum Pacis was also known as Vespasian’s Temple or the Forum of Vespasian. Building of the temple began in 70 AD and was completed roughly a year later and 250 years after the Imperial Fora was completed (which includes: the Forum
It was probably announced as part of the triumph Vespasian celebrated with his son Titus for their victory in the Jewish War. Vespasian wanted the temple to serve as a peaceful, pleasant public park protected from the busy city that included public Greek and Latin libraries but outside noise of the city including the: sewers, shops and brothels would have continued to make its way into the temple. It was a place for Vespasian to show collections of art and sculptures in the courtyard from Jerusalem and the empire as well as a statue of the Nile with his sixteen children made of basinite and most likely commissioned by Vespasian. The temple garden contained plants from around the known world. The temple was also an important cult center. The temple was a precinct to celebrate external peace achieved from the beginning of the Vespasian principate with settlement of the Jewish rebellion and internal peace signalled by his emergence as princeps after internecine power struggles of the Year of the Four Emperors and in 64