Construction of Roman Colosseum - Essay Example

? Roman Colosseum Introduction The Colosseum, also referred to as the Coliseum or the Flavian Amphitheatre, is at the centre of Rome. It was the largest elliptical amphitheatre that existed in the Roman Empire. It is a masterpiece of Roman engineering and architecture. Concrete and stone were the main construction materials. Its construction began in 70 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. It took ten years to construct and. Emporer Titus, Emporer Vespasian's successor inaugurated it after its completion. The coliseum underwent further modifications between 81 AD and 96 AD under the reign of Emperor Domitian (Connoly 31). Upon completion, the Colosseum had a capacity of between 50,000 and 80,000 people. The main uses of the Colosseum were public spectacles like animal hunts, re-enactments of famous battles, executions, mock sea battles and gladiatorial contests (Connoly 67). In the early medieval era, the Colosseum ceased to be an entertainment venue. It also provided housing, held workshops, acted as a fortress, acted as a Christian shrine and also as a quarry. Today, the Colosseum still remains partially ruined due to the damage caused to it by stone robbers and earthquakes. It is still an iconic symbol in Rome and an insight into the rich culture of Imperial Rome. The original Latin name of the Colosseum was Amphitheatrum Flavium. Emperors who belonged to the Flavian dynasty built it. Ancient belief has it that its name came about from the statue of Nero that stood nearby. The Romans later remodelled the statue to resemble Apollo, the sun god (Hopkins and Beard 11). 2. Construction Construction began around 70-72 AD during Emperor Vespasian’s rule. Proceeds from the Siege of Jerusalem a few years back funded the construction of the Colosseum. The site for its construction was a flat piece of land on a low valley between Palatine, Caelian and Esquiline Hills. By 200 BC, this area had a high population of people. However, in 64 AD it experienced the Great Fire of Rome and afterwards Emperor Nero seized it. He used this area for his personal purposes. He built many structures there including Domus Aurea, an artificial lake, pavilions, porticoes and gardens (Gardner). Construction of the Colosseum began in Emperor Vespasian’s era. The Colosseum was a sign of the great triumph Rome enjoyed in its victories, one of the major ones being the Great Jewish Revolt. Emperor Vespasian constructed the Colosseum on Nero’s lake. This was an intention to return to the people land that Emperor Nero had taken up years back for his personal use. Its central position at the city of Rome was a symbol of its position at the heart of Rome. Emperor Vespasian died in 79 AD as the Colosseum was still under construction. It had reached the third storey at the time of his death. His son, Titus, took up the responsibility of completing it. The Romans completed building and inaugurating it in 80 AD. They slaughtered many wild animals, approximately 9000 in number, slaughtered during the inaugural games held in the amphitheatre (Connoly 33). The younger son of Vespasian, Emperor Domitian made further modifications to the Colosseum. These modifications included the construction of the hypogeum; underground tunnels used to house slaves and animals. Additionally, Domitian constructed a gallery at the top to increase the capacity of the Colosseum. A major fire in 217 damaged the Colosseum, mainly the upper wooden levels. This was fully repaired the Colosseum in 240 AD. Gladiatorial hunts continued up until 435 whereas animal hunts lasted until 523 (Connoly 68). 3. Design The Colosseum, as opposed to Greek theatres constructed before it, was a free standing structure. The previous theatres stand on the sides of hills. Its interior and exterior architecture resemble two Roman theatres. It is elliptical in shape, 156 metres wide and 189 metres long. The base area is 24,000 square metres and the outer walls are 48 metres high. The outer perimeter of the Colosseum measures 545 metres. The central arena is oval in shape and has a width of 55 metres and length of 87 metres. A wall, 5 metres high, surrounds it. The outer wall consists of travertine stone. Iron clamps rather than mortar held the travertine stone together. This outer wall suffered damage and collapsed during the 1349 earthquake. To date, the Northern side of it is still standing. The original interior wall now forms the exterior of the Colosseum (Chrisp 12). The Colosseum had 80 entrances due to its huge capacity. 76 of these entrances were for ordinary spectators. The Roman Empire together with his aides used the northern main entrance to enter and exit the Colosseum. The elite of Rome used the other three axial entrances. These four axial entrances had rich decorations, mainly painted stucco reliefs. Some of these decorations are still visible today. Each of these entrances and exits had a unique number. The staircases also had unique numbers to identify them. Many of the original entrances vanished when the outer perimeter wall collapsed. To date, entrances 23 and 54 are still standing. As spectators entered the Colosseum, they would buy numbered pottery shards, which they would use to direct them to where their seats were. They passed through passageways which opened into the seats either from behind or from below. The spectators would seat in a tiered arrangement which reflected the different social classes in Rome at that time. At the north and south ends there were special boxes for the Emperor and Vestal Virgins respectively. These boxes provided the best views. On the flanks, there was a wide platform for the senatorial class. The senatorial class could carry their own chairs into the Colosseum (Chrisp 13). The arena had a wooden floor with sand on top. This covered the hypogeum that was beneath it. The hypogeum consisted of a network of cages and tunnels where animals and gladiators rested before their contests began. The animals accessed the arena through 8 vertical shafts. The arena floor does not exist today. However, the hypogeum can be visibly seen. The Colosseum supported thriving industries in Rome (Hopkins and Beard 43). 4. Early Use During the medieval period, several radical changes made to the Colosseum took place. A small church came up in the amphitheatre in the late 6th century. This, however, did not have any bearing on the religious significance of the Colosseum in general. The arena became a cemetery. The vaulted spaces under the seats became workshops and houses. The Frangipani family assumed ownership of the Colosseum around 1200 and fortified it. Most likely, the Frangipani family used it as a castle. The great earthquake of 1349 severely damaged the Colosseum. The earthquake made the outer south side collapse. The outer south side collapsed because it was lying on less stable terrain. Construction of palaces, hospitals and churches in other parts of Rome used the tumbled stone from the Colosseum. Some people also removed the stone in the interior of the amphitheatre foe use in construction of other parts of Rome. The marble was burnt to prepare quicklime. They also removed the bronze clamps that held the stonework togetherremoved. This left the walls with many pockmarks, which are still evident today (Hopkins and Beard 22). Many buildings around Rome had close connections with the Colosseum. To the east of the Colosseum was Ludus Magnus; a school for training gladiators. It led to the Colosseum via an underground passage. This allowed for easy access to the Colosseum by gladiators. There were also other training schools in around that area. An example was the Ludus Matutinus which trained people who fought animals, the Gallic School and the Dacian School. A nearby building acted as a store for weapons and machinery used to fight by the gladiators. The Soliarium was the mortuary where gladiators who died in the arena had their armour removed and kept before burial (Gardner). 5. Modern-day Importance Today, the Colosseum is one of Rome’s major tourist attractions. Thousands of tourists throng the site to have a glimpse of the remains of the interior and exterior parts of the Colosseum. There is a museum on the upper floor dedicated to Eros. The authorities have rebuilt some parts of the arena floor rebuilt. The other part is left open to make it possible for the tourists to see the hypogeum with its maze of passages and chambers. The Roman Catholic Church, in recent times, also uses it as a site for some of its ceremonies. 6. Conclusion The Colosseum is a vital part of the history of the Roman Empire and has great significance to the City of Rome. It is a well preserved Roman architectural masterpiece, and it is a sign of how powerful the Roman Empire was. Works Cited Chrisp, Peter. The Colosseum. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1997. Print. Connoly, Peter. Colosseum: Rome's arena of death. London: BBC Worldwide, 2003. Print. Gardner, James. “A Wonder from any Angle.” Wall Street Journal (2010). Hopkins, Keith, and Mary Beard. The Colosseum- Wonders of The World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print. Read More