The Colosseum

What is the Colosseum? The Colosseum was a famous arena for watching gladiator contests, sports, public executions and theatre. It was built between 2000 years ago in Rome, Italy and is a symbol of Rome. It was built during the time of Roman Empire. Now it is mainly used as a tourist attraction with around 4.2 million people visiting every year. It is an oval amphitheatre. Amazingly it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. Interestingly, it is one of the most visited historical sites all over the world!

Who built the Colosseum? Amazingly, the Colosseum took an only 9 years to build. It was constructed by Emperor Vespasian in around 70-72AD. An emperor is a ruler of an empire. Sadly, Emperor Vespasian died before the Colosseum was finished so it was completed by his son Emperor Titus in 80AD. The first games which were held in the Colosseum lasted 100 days and were free to enter. This helped keep the emperor popular with the people of Rome. Interestingly, it is thought that the name Colosseum came from the large statue (a Colossus) that stood nearby.

What does the Colosseum look like? The Colosseum has 80 exits and entrances. Only 76 of these doors were used by ordinary people. Fascinatingly, the Colosseum is 50 metres high which is 4 times taller than Atwood! It is 156 metres wide and 180 metres long. It is made from concrete, stones, bricks and sand, built by thousands of slaves.

The Arena floor was made of wood covered with sand. Interestingly, it had a controllable roof to shade spectators from the sun. Astonishingly, the Colosseum could seat up to 80 thousand spectators in the audience. The seats were given in level of importance. The best seats were reserved for the emperor. Wealthy and powerful people could sit in boxes, just like modern day stadiums. Food and entry to the Colosseum was free to all who were attending events there.

What happened in the Colosseum?

Sea battles In the Colosseum, fake sea battles were performed with real boats! The Colosseum was built on an artificial lake. The floor would flood so that real ships could sail on it. Ships would battle by throwing objects, firing ammo and pushing their army over into the water. It was an amazing and terrifying show! Once the sea battle was over, the water could be drained quickly to allow another event to take place on dry land. Sea battles were only held for a short time.

Gladiators contests, executions and animal hunting The most famous attraction to the Colosseum were the gladiators (professional fighters) who battled for the entertainment of people. The Colosseum was home to many scary sports as entertainment. This included men hunting dangerous animals and execution of criminals, but the main event would be the gladiator combat. Later, people’s tastes changed so people no longer came. Successful Gladiators would become celebrities. The gladiators made lots of money as thousands of people came to watch. They could stop working and live happily (if they weren’t injured in battle!).

Underneath the floor were many passageways that were used by the gladiators and animals to move around. The base of the arena had many trap doors that could be used during exciting plays. The underground maze of tunnels and cages was called a hypogeum. The tunnels housed animals imported from Africa and the Middle East, such as lions, rhinos and panthers. These animals could be released into the amphitheatre through trap doors and suddenly appear! Fighters could never be sure what they were about to face or where it would come from. The hypogeum was also used to change the settings of theatre such as hills, trees and small rivers. Thousands of animals fought and were killed as crowds cheered. Everything from elephants and tigers to bears and bulls. Fights and hunts took place in the Colosseum for hundreds of years. Shockingly, over 9000 wild animals were killed in these gladiator battles.

What damaged the Colosseum? Over time the Colosseum was damaged by fires and small earthquakes and after 600 years, it was no longer used. In 1349 a major earthquake toppled part of the outer wall and the fallen stone was taken away to use on other buildings. For centuries the Colosseum crumbled gradually into ruin. Restoration of the Colosseum started in the 1800s and continues to this day.

What happens in the Colosseum now? Today the Colosseum is a tourist attraction and an icon of Ancient Rome. It is now a major tourist attraction as well as a Wonder of the World. In 2007, Colosseum beat 200 other places and was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Millions of people visit the Colosseum each year to learn about its Ancient history and stand where emperors and gladiators once did. Although it is partially ruined it has remained standing for over 2000 years. Today concerts have been held outside Colosseum which were attended by thousands of people. The Colosseum can even be found on the Italian five cent Euro coin!