Start of the Roman Colosseum

It is estimated that 500,000 people and over 1 million animals died during the gladiatorial battles and hunting events that took place in the Roman Colosseum.

The Colosseum is one of Rome’s most famous buildings. The Roman Colosseum, thought up by Emperor Titus in 80 AD, was the first Roman Amphitheater made entirely of stone. Built by the Roman Emperors as a place of entertainment, it was the setting of gladiatorial combats. The Colosseum could hold about 50,000 spectators, and there were 80 entrances on the ground floor of the oval building, which were marked with numbers to help spectators find their seats. The floors were measured 32-42 feet in height; the total height of the Colosseum was about 144 feet in height. Nets along the sides protected the audience. The main pedestals were built of marble blocks weighing 11,000 pounds. The total amount of marble needed to build the building was about 100,000 cubic meters. It took eight years to complete the Colosseum. The Colosseum was the main arena to watch gladiatorial games where gladiators fought among one another or against animals that were caught. The fighting area wa!

s surrounded with seats and the floor of the arena was sand. Underneath the sand there was a maze of halls and machinery to help move animals used foe the gladiatorial games. Other events that took place in the Colosseum were mock sea battles. The Colosseum’s floor was filled with water, and gladiators fought the sea battles. These games were paid for by the emperor and the other Roman political figures to gain popularity. The Colosseum Still Stand today but there is a lot missing from it. It was struck by lightning in 320 AD and earthquakes ruined twice, in 422 and 508 AD. Now the Colosseum is missing a large portion near the top. All the decorative material and the marble seats have been The modern day name “Colosseum” is said to come from the 35 foot statue of Nero that use to sit where Colosseum sits today. This at the time was by far the...