colosseum
Functional architecture
Paul Artus p.37
Workbooks p.38

Workbooks p.38
Location: Rome
 Architectural type: functional. Amphitheatre, largest of all.
 Purposes: Colosseum was built as a mass entertainment
venue. It often held gladiator fights & wild animal hunts. There
is a performance area and a seating area for spectators. It
provided excellent propogranda for the Emperor Vespasian.
(Vespasian wanted to restore popular support by returning
public land that had been taken by Nero).
 Dates of construction: (Built between 70-80 AD )Built by
Emperor’s of the Flavian Dynasty. The building had reached the
top of the 2nd level when Vespasian died in 79AD. His son Titus
added the 3rd and 4th levels and celebrated the dedication of the
enlardged stucture in AD80. Further minor additions were made
by Titus’ brother, Domitian.
 History of the site: Vespasian built the colosseum in the
grounds of Nero’s Golden House. This was a clever move
because Nero had taken land after the fire in Rome. He had
built an artificial lake. Now Vespasian was returning to the
Roman people land that Nero had taken for his own pleasure.
Vespasian was a humble man who sympathised with his

Origin of name and variations: The colossuem was
originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre
(Amphitheatreatrum Flavian), after the Emperor’s who
built it. It was not called the colosseum until the Medieval
period, and was perhaps named this because of the
large statue of Nero next to it. This statue was later
changed to represent the sun god, Apollo
 Dimensions and attendance figures: Arena 86x54m –
oval shape.
Ground floor arches were 7.05m high
the 2nd level 6.45m and 3rd 6.40m high
Could take 50, 000 people

Excavated site
Drainage of the site had
to be arranged before
any construction could
begin
 The natural flow of
water through the
excavated hollow was
useful for staging mock
sea battles in the arena
 The structure goes
down 6.08 m to a brick
pavement. It has been
excavated to reveal the
remains of dens for wild
beasts & other features

construction (workbooks p. 39)
The workers had to drain the Stagnum
which Emperor Nero had flooded prior.
After the Stagnum was emptied, they
had to lay down the foundation. From
there they added many levels and built
an amazing system beneath the floor
where the warriors battle on. Beneath
it Was a massive system of pulley’s,
levers, ropes, bridge etc. Their
Purpose was not only do the warriors
fight each other they were forced To
fight animals such as tigers and
elephants.
 The floor of the arena itself was made
of wood, covered with sand for
gladitorial combats & wild beast fights
 It is elliptical (86m x 54m)
For the spectator’s protection against the wild beast attacks, a fence
surrounded the fighting area
 Behind this and on a platform about 4m above the arena was the
podium for distinguised spectators (usually city officials)
 Above this was the cavea, where most of the seating was placed,
consisting of 2 main sections
– one of 20 rows of marble seats
- One of 16 rows (the tall vaults behind supported the upper level

These sections were divided into wedges by steps and aisles that
led down from the internal passages (vomitoria). A wall rose up 5m
behind the upper section
and was pierced by windows and doors
that linked to a corridor behind – on this
wall was a colonnade with seats for
women behind
 On the roof of this area was standing
room for 5,000 of the poorest classes.

What groups in Roman society could view games
held in the colosseum and where did they sit?
 The emperor had an arena – which he entered
through a triple archway on the north side. The
consuls sat in a box directly opposite to which
they also gained access through a triple
entrance way, on the south side. Women were
only allowed in the top storey of the
amphitheatre. Exceptions to this rule were
female members of the ruling family and the
vestal virgins who sat by the ringside.
p.40 workbooks
Terms:
Flavian – emperor’s
Vespasian, Titus and
Domitian, (from the Flavian
Dynasty)
 Cavea – Auditorium – the tierd
seating area
 Vomitoria – the passage ways
into the theatre
 Travertine –the type of marble
used for construction


One problem associated with the architecture was how
to build a structure capable of supporting its own weight
& 50,00 spectators.
 The architect made extensive use of arch and vault:
 To lighten the load
 To spread the strain
 And chose his building materials based on their strength
 The stepped
seating was 37
degree angle
essential to lessen
the weight
 Deep concrete
Foundations: 52m wide
12m deep




Length of external axis: 188m
Capacity: 50,000
Shape: elliptical
Function of columns: decorative
3 ways in which the structure was imperial propaganda:
1) Its huge size – largest amphitheatre ever built
2) Returning land taken by Nero – made Vespasian
more popular
3) Made the people feel better and more important with
grand-scale entertainment
Workbooks p.41
In the picture you can see how
the Velarium looks when it is
Closed with just a hole in the
middle for sunlight.
What was the role of the Velarium (workbooks p.44)?
It was a huge canvas awning that could be rolled into place above
the seating area. It was put in to shield the harmful rays of the hot
Mediterranean sun. It was fastened to a series of poles that ran
around the exterior rim of the top storey. 100 sailors from
Misenum were employed to erect the awning and to maintain the
yards of rigging that was involved, to ensure it worked correctly.

What was done to ensure that there was ease of access
for spectators to their seats?
76 out of a total of 80 arches served as the chief
entrances and exits. Wooden barriers were set up to
funnel the spectators in an orderly manner. There was a
number engraved above each external arch. People had
wooden tickets with the number of the entrance they
were meant to go in.
There were 4 arches at each axis that were not
numbered. The two on the north and south were for the
imperial family
Materials used:
 travertine pavement 17.05m wide. Travertine was also
used for the piers on the 1st 2 levels.
 Above the 2nd floor concrete was used, with brick facing,
where there was more intense pressure
 The fact that the structure exists today, underlines the
stability of the original design & materials.
 The exterior is decorated with a façade of engaged
columns & pilasters that serve no structural purpose but
that display the use of the old Greek architectural orders
– the half columns of the 1st 3 levels from the ground
floor up are:
 Doric
 Ionic
 Corinthian
 The top storey has
 corinthian pilasters
 Statues
stood originally in the arches of
the 2nd and 3rd levels- but have not
survived.
Colosseum at night