The Roman Colosseum
“While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; When falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall; And when Rome falls—the world.” The Roman Colosseum was one of the most, if not the most important architectural structures in Rome, as well as one the largest outdoor theatres of ancient Rome. It was often considered the heart of Roman life and culture because of its importance, purpose, and beauty. Throughout its turbulent history, the Colosseum has always been an important part of Roman life symbolically and culturally, and today even attracts over five million visitors a year.
In 64 CE, During Emperor Nero’s rule, there was a huge fire and only four of the fourteen districts of Rome were not destroyed. Nero rebuilt the city and made it beautiful, constructing a Golden House which was later destroyed by another fire in 104 CE. The only thing that remained of the Golden House after this disaster was the 120 ft statue of Emperor Nero himself in the entrance hall. This colossal statue ended up giving its name to the Colosseum, which was later built near the remains of the Golden House.
The Colosseum, often called the Flavian amphitheatre, is made of concrete, tavertine, tufa, marble, and brick, with stone covering the exterior. It has an oval shape has four stories. The Colosseum is 157 ft high, 620 ft long, and 510 ft wide, making it about the size of a football field. It could hold about 50,000 spectators who sat on marble or wooden benches, depending on their status in society. The emperor and the senators had special seats. The first three stories of the Colosseum are made up of arches that are decorated with half columns. The fourth and final story was added later and its decoration is not as extravagant as that of the other stories. It is simply made up of big brackets that supported the poles that held up the awnings to protect the spectators from the sun and rain back then. The Colosseum has 76 entrances, two of which were reserved for the emperor and one for the
In 64 CE, During Emperor Nero’s rule, there was a huge fire and only four of the fourteen districts of Rome were not destroyed. Nero rebuilt the city and made it beautiful, constructing a Golden House which was later destroyed by another fire in 104 CE. The only thing that remained of the Golden House after this disaster was the 120 ft statue of Emperor Nero himself in the entrance hall. This colossal statue ended up giving its name to the Colosseum, which was later built near the remains of the Golden House.
The Colosseum, often called the Flavian amphitheatre, is made of concrete, tavertine, tufa, marble, and brick, with stone covering the exterior. It has an oval shape has four stories. The Colosseum is 157 ft high, 620 ft long, and 510 ft wide, making it about the size of a football field. It could hold about 50,000 spectators who sat on marble or wooden benches, depending on their status in society. The emperor and the senators had special seats. The first three stories of the Colosseum are made up of arches that are decorated with half columns. The fourth and final story was added later and its decoration is not as extravagant as that of the other stories. It is simply made up of big brackets that supported the poles that held up the awnings to protect the spectators from the sun and rain back then. The Colosseum has 76 entrances, two of which were reserved for the emperor and one for the