Do you want to learn more about the Colosseum? Indeed, this is one of the fascinating parts of Ancient Rome that you can visit today. It remains a popular tourist attract since you can do everything from admire the old architecture, as well as step into the arena of the amphitheater.
While you might have heard about the Colosseum before, you may not be familiar with why it is so famous. So, here is a brief history so that you can understand more about this popular spot.
What is the Colosseum?
Simply, the Colosseum was built as a source of entertainment. It was a huge amphitheater where people would come to gain excitement and fun. The Colosseum took a long time to build. It is believed that the construction started in 72 AD. It was estimated to be completed in 80 AD, which meant that it was the sons of Emperor Vespasian that saw what it became. The building itself was by Jewish slaves after the Jewish-Roman war and it could have taken up to 100,000 slaves to complete the building.
The Colosseum is made from travertine stone, which is why it has stood for so many years. They were taken from the quarries of Tivoli. It is estimated that the building is around six acres in surface area, and it has an oval shape, which is why many people think it looks enormous. Around 50,000 spectators could come here for entertainment.
Not many people realize that there are tunnels and chambers underneath the Colosseum. These were used frequently to hold animals and prisoners, as well as gladiators to make their way to the arena. You are able to visit this underground area with a tour company. Check out https://www.whatalifetours.com/colosseum-tours/ to see what tours are available of the Colosseum. Indeed, you can get the full experience and head underground too.
What was the entertainment?
So, what type of entertainment was on at the Colosseum? Well, this part might shock you. Often, there were gladiator battles, which could be like boxing, or they could end in death. There were also animal hunts you could watch, with a variety of species entering the arena. This included crocodiles, hyenas, bears, lions and wild boars. There were even executions in the arena that everybody could witness.
Over the years, the interest in entertainment here started to decrease. In addition, there was damage to the Colosseum due to earthquakes and the building as neglected. It was not until the 1990s that some restoration was done on the site to make it what it is now. Indeed, it remains a popular tourist attraction to experience Ancient Rome and millions of people come here every year.
What were the Gladiator Fights?
There is always one aspect of the Colosseum that people are fascinated by. It is the gladiator fights. Indeed, there have been many movies about this. But, what is the truth? Well, real gladiator fights did happen here. We are talking about fighting to the death. This is how most of the fights went down. However, there were some occasions when gladiators would both leave the battle. This would happen if the fight was even and the crowd was starting to get tired of the spectacle.
Of course, there were also gladiator fights with animals. In addition, there were even fights among animals. But, most of the time, it would involve people. This could be those that were slaves or conquered and had owners. Indeed, they would be trained like a prize and prepared for fighting. Eventually, there were working-class people that signed up to be gladiators in order to survive. This included some female gladiators. If you were able to win, you could enjoy the applause that came with this, as well as prize money.
Note that some animals went extinct because of battles in the Colosseum. For example, there were species of bear, lion and tiger. In fact, there is a story that around 100 bears were killed in one day by Emperor Commodus. He was someone that liked to step into the arena, and he would always win the battles he was fighting in. He was also known for the number of animals he would kill.
So, despite what many people assume, gladiators were trained for the occasion. They would be trained physically, as well as given lessons to have the best fighting skills with the weapons they had. This was to give them the best chance in the arena.
