The Colosseum
Rome’s greatest amphitheatre was commissioned by the Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 on the marshy site of a lake in the grouns of Nero’s palace, the Domus Aurea. Deadly gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights were staged free of charge by the emperor and wealthy citizens for public viewing.
The Colosseum aws built to a practical design, with its 80 arched entrances allowing easy access to 55,000 spectators, but it is also a building of great beauty. The drawing here shows how it looked at the time of its opening in AD 80. It was one of several similar amphitheatres built in the Roman Empire, and some survive at El Djem in North Africa, Nimes and Arles in France, and Verona in northern Italy. Despite being damaged over the years by neglect and theft, it remains a majestic sight.
HOW FIGHTS WERE STAGED IN THE ARENA
The emperors held shows here which often began with animals performing circus tricks. Then on came the gladiators, who fought each other to the death. When one was killed, attendants dressed as Charon, the mythical ferryman of the dead, carried his body off on a stretcher, and sand was raked over the blood ready for the next bout. A badly wounded gladiator would surrender his fate to the crowd. The “thumbs up” sign from the emperor meant he could live, “thumbs down” that he die, and the victor became an instant hero. Animals were brought here from as far away as North Africa and the Middle East. The games held in AD 248 to mark the thousandth anniversary of Rome’s founding saw the death of a host of lions, elephants, hippos, zebras and elks.
