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.…
they were starting to develop a “soft belly”. The primary reasons for the fall of Rome were…
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…
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…
The classical Greek civilizations of Athens and Sparta showed some similarities, yet also showed a large number of differences. For example, these city-states had completely different views about women and their rules on female freedoms show this. Athenian women, like most of the women in other Greek city-states, were considered to be useful only for child-bearing and domestic jobs. Sparta, however, was the oddball out, giving the women of their civilization many more rights and freedoms. “Teaching a woman to read and write? What a terrible thing to do! Like feeding a vile snake on more poison.” (“Contrasting Patriarchies in Athens and Sparta”).…
There is much controversy when determining whether Roman rule benefited the entire empire, or just the city of Rome and Italy. There are more facts that point toward Roman rule benefiting the whole empire, not just Rome and Italy. The roads built throughout the empire were an advantage to everyone, the education system was fair to Roman children, and trading was active all over the Roman Empire.…
Ancient Sparta and Athens, while both being located in Greece, shared very different views. Whether it was government, or the way they lived, nearly everything was conflicting between these two cities. In this essay, I, will explain my reasons for wanting to live in Sparta rather than Athens.…
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,…
Ancient Greece was divided in different city-states. Each city-state had a ruler, laws and a way of life. Athens and Sparta were the two most important city-states of Ancient Greece. They also led very different lifestyles. Athens, the richer of the two, was a democratic nation and Sparta, the fiercest, was an oligarchic nation.…
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 social, cultural and political developments of ancient Rome propelled Rome to wealth, prosperity and a level of scientific, mathematical and literacy development unattained for hundreds of years after its fall(Wilkes). These developments were of such crucial importance to the extent that they are widely regarded as the foundation of many democratic concepts, sciences and mathematical concepts and legal concepts of the modern day. The legacy of the Roman Empire pervades into multiple aspects of everyday life in Western society whilst simultaneously serving as an example of success and failure in a society through its contributions to the western legal systems, science and mathematics and language.…
As time goes by, the acropolis in Greece has withstood its fair share of troubles. The Acropolis Museum has forgone many changes throughout its life and continues to thrive today as it welcomes millions every year to see its many artworks and artifacts. The original setting of the museum started on top of the famed acropolis in Athens, where monuments stood carrying statues to honor the gods. In the 17th century, wars and their battles were fought near this location and created disasters that would cause these temples become damaged and fall under the stress of time. In 1687, a force of Venetians created a bomb that blew most of the acropolis apart, thus inviting in thieves of foreign decent to rummage through…
A visit to Athens would not be complete without visiting the ‘Cultural Icon’ from Ancient Greece, the Parthenon. This temple resembles the importance of balance and order in the Greeks’ idea of beauty. The Parthenon is also known as one of the most beautiful temples in Greece. Another must-see is the island of Santorini. This island is known for its beautiful sunsets and fascinating geological history. At the highest point of the Santorini, there is a breathtaking view of the 18 kilometer stretch of the land. During the sunset, there are spectacular cloud formations. Definitely a different show every…