When
people think of Rome, or when people think
of Italy… indeed, when people thing
of EUROPE one of the icons that shines
out is the Colosseum. Over 160 ft high
with eighty entrances, the Colosseum could
hold upwards of 50,000 spectators. Public
events such as gladiator fights, mock
naval battles, and wild animal hunts were
held at the Colosseum. During the staged
fights as many as 10,000 people were killed.
Fighters were slaves, prisoners, or even
volunteers!
Like its sister building, the Circus Maximus,
the Colosseum was built to keep the common
Romans occupied. Bread was often given
out for free during fights, along with
free admission to future fights. Romans
who were having fun watching men and wild
animals crash about didn’t riot
and didn’t try to kill their rulers.
The famous phrase “bread and circuses”
has become proverbial to describe those
who give away significant rights in exchange
for material pleasures or those who allow
themselves to be lead by the nose.
Begun
by Vespasian in AD 75 and completed by
his son Titus in AD 80, today the Colosseum
is one of its most famous landmarks and
tourist attractions. Although it survives
only as a ruin, it still rates as one
of the finest examples of Roman architecture
and engineering. It is also a site of
many Christian pilgrims; According to
tradition, persecuted Christians were
thrown there to beasts after pained with
the blood of the slain to make them more
palatable.
From the fourth story of the Coliseum
wooden masts supported a linen awning
that protected spectators from the sun.
Its seating was as hierarchical as Roman
society itself, having seats of marble
for the upper class, and benches of wood
for the lower. Ramps within the arena
made movement easy by the large crowds,
and on a catwalk suspended above, trained
archers would shoot enraged animals should
they get out of hand. The wall that separated
the spectators from the events in the
arena was about 15 feet high, but considering
that many of the events featured great
cats such as lions and tigers (who most
likely only wanted to escape) it proved
too short a distance for some unlucky
spectators.
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