NAME WITHHELD
Ms. LeCren
Writers Workshop
16 March 2009
Travel Research: The Coliseum
The Coliseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy
and it is the largest building in the Roman Empire
It is one of the greatest works of
Roman architecture and engineering. The Coliseum is able to hold up to 50,000
spectators and was designed to pack as many people in as possible. The Coliseum was
(http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Roman Colosseum.html).
used for gladiatorial battles and other public shows such as gladiator games, mock sea
battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and plays about
Classical Mythology. It has been estimated the about 500,000 people and over a million
wild animals have died in the Coliseum games (The Colosseum.net: The Resourceful site
on the Colosseum). The Coliseum is an entirely free-standing structure. It is about 189
meters long and 156 meters wide, with a base of 6 acres. The height of the outer wall is
48 meters. The perimeter originally measured 545 meters. The central arena is oval
shaped and is about 287 feet long and 180 feet wide, surrounded by a 15 foot wall. The
outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic meters of travertine stone
which was held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.(Nardo 76). The area beneath the
Coliseum was called the hypogeum (meaning underground) (Nardo 81). The hypogeum
has two-level tunnels and 32 animal pens. It had 80 vertical shafts which provided instant
access to the arena for animals and gladiators. By the middle ages, the structure had been
hit by many earthquakes, and was eventually converted into a fortress. A Christian
church was constructed in a small corner of the ancient Coliseum. The original marble
covering removed bit by bit and reused to help construct other buildings and palaces
throughout Rome. During the Middle Ages is when the Coliseum got its name. It is said
to have been taken from a colossus, or large statue, of Nero that was located near the
Coliseum (Reed 128). The former name of the Coliseum was the Flavin Amphitheater but
this name is hardly ever used anymore (Nardo 21). The Coliseum’s huge crowd capacity
made it very important that the Coliseum could be quickly evacuated if needed. The
architects used the same technique that the architects use today on large stadiums. The
Coliseum was ringed by 80 entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by the
general public. Each entrance and exit was numbered, as well as each staircase just like
today’s stadiums. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and
his aides, while the other three axial entrances were used by the elite. The Coliseum is the
most impressive and largest building in the Roman Empire. 100 day games were held
celebrating the inauguration of the building in 80 AD
(http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Roman Colosseum.html). The Coliseum was
used for about 450 years. By the tenth century AD, the Coliseum had been abandoned
and was no longer in use but instilled in the walls and floor of the Coliseum is years and
years of Roman Coliseum history.