Evaluation of Historical archival material of Colosseum - Essay Example

? Evaluation of Historical archival material of ancient Rome of the of the Evaluation of Historical archival material of Colosseum The Roman Civilization lived during the same time period as the Greeks and Etruscans. However the Civilization was able to accrue popularity and importance mainly due to the fact that the Romans were practical constructors. Roman architecture and its buildings are a significant part of ancient Rome. The impressive architecture that they erected along with the ingenious architectural techniques used revolutionalized the world of construction; without it, it would be difficult to contemplate a world as we know today. Without the use of the arch, vault, dome and invention of concrete, architecture would have achieved so much (Strickland & Handy, 2001, p. 20). The Colosseum can be listed as perhaps one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Roman Empire. It is known all over the world as the symbol of Rome and was called by the ancient Romans as the "Amphitheatrum Flavium". This name was derived from the ruling members of the Flavian imperial family, who are also attributed for its construction (Pollard 2008, p. 132). It took a period of eight years to construct the Colosseum by 80 AD, beginning in 72 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian and continuing in the reign of his son, Titus. Its inauguration was an event of grandiose celebrations for the Romans. Entertaining games were organized and a lot of money was spent on it. The games, and the celebration as a whole, lasted for a hundred days, with thousands of both wild and tame animals being killed in the fighting (Kleiner 2007, p. 260). Fig. 1 Colosseum The amphitheatre became the most popular and significant amphitheatre of its time and people used to flock from distant countries to watch the spectacles being displayed there. In order to comprehend why the building was able to attract so much attention and why similar buildings were not constructed before, one needs to highlight that the craze for such form of entertainment, such as gladiatorial fights, emerged only during the time span when the Roman Empire was at its peak. In the initial period after the construction, the spectacles were held primarily in circuses. Circuses were in essence U-shaped racecourse tracks, with the entrance being at one end of the track. Hordes of spectators used to fill the stands to view the spectacle, often putting their lives at risk since there was no protection. The stands used to be so crowded that those on the back could not even see the battle going on. According to Roth, (2007, p. 45), architects could manipulate the space whichever way they like. The circus, although designed as a racecourse, was in fact intended for chariot and horse races and athletic events (Golden 2004, p. 38). It was the growing importance and interest in these spectacles and events which gave rise to the need for a public building. It is to be noted that the oldest permanent amphitheater which was built from stone was the one in Pompeii, constructed in 80 BC. The Colosseum was located in a strategically important location given the lack of transportation in the city. A significant important event which made the need for a public building more acute was the disastrous fire of 64 AD, occurring during the reign of Nero (Italy Holidays 2011). In fact, after it, the growth in city architecture occurred at a fast yet unorganized pace. Wood continued to be the characteristic material of buildings in the reconstruction of the city; thus not depriving the city of its previous appearance. From July 18 to 25, it took more than seven days for the fire to die out. The fire ate away most of the part of the city which was characterized as its older part. After the fire had settled down, Rome was left with gaping spaces caused by burnt out buildings, particularly in its heart. This was the opportunity city planners were waiting for to make buildings with the principles of modern architecture. Opinions differ but Nero was held responsible for the burning of the city, since many historians are of the perspective that the fire was a planned gesture, intended to redesign the capital of the state. In fact, it is speculated that the construction of the magnificent and grandiose imperial residence, “Domus Aurea”, was planned even before the fire had occurred. Nero did not see major reconstruction activities. It was after his demise in 68 AD when Vespian ascended the throne that major reconstruction work began in the city, converting it into the “Caput Mundi”, the famous capital of the ancient Rome (Italy Holidays 2011). Nero started a project, the “Domus Aurea”, but was not able to lead it into its terminal stages. Built on the slopes of Colle Oppio it never saw its completion; rather was destroyed to remove any legacy of its maker. It was the time of intense reconstruction with brick houses being made on new principles, leading to much durable and hygienic living places. The time was contemporary to the construction of the largest amphitheater in the world. The ideal place for its construction was the bed of the great artificial lake of “Domus Aurea” (stagnum Neronis). This conferred two main advantages: it gave the building its centrality in the city and allowed the easy excavation for laying down its foundations (Italy Holidays 2011). The Colosseum began to be built in 72 AD. The architectural plan was made by an unknown architect, but was the ideal fit to the functional role of the place. It is believed that the building housed more than 50,000 people. Therefore it was designed to accommodate such a mass gathering. The seats were arranged such that every spectator was able to get best possible view. Toilets and refreshments, supplies of which were essential for all events during the warmer months especially when they extended for days, were also provided and maintained. Fig 2. Domus Aurea The Colosseum was no exception to the typical characteristic of amphitheatres: the velarium. The seats were towered above by the canvas cover of the velarium, which acted as a shield for the spectators from rain or the sweltering heat of the sun (Kleiner 2009, p. 181). The proof for the existence of the velarium or the awning at the Colosseum is found from the various pieces of literature documenting it and the inscriptions on the walls of Pompeii. At Pompeii, a unique fresco of the amphitheatre attests to the existence of the awning. With the passage of time as the Roman Empire was at its decline and Christianity was at its rise, the spectacles being displayed at the Colosseum decreases substantially especially in the Middle Ages. The Roman capital lost its former glory and decayed away. The Colosseum became subject to plunder by the barbarians as well as the Romans themselves (Italy Holidays 2011). The disastrous earthquake of September 1349 in Rome contributed greatly to the destruction of the Colosseum. The earthquake impacted the walls greatly. Moreover the travertine blocks which formed the external support were also removed from the building frame and used to build the parts of the destroyed building. Over the time, the building became deserted. It was used as a fortress against the barbaric invaders. In the later years, it provided supply for building materials. The extreme state of decay that it was in made the Pope Sixtus V think about the complete destruction of the Colosseum. However he decided against it and used it in the pilgrim route of the Basilicas. The 18th century saw an end to systematic sacking when Pope Benedict used the Flavian Amphitheatre to depict the Passion of Christ by enacting a cross in the middle of the building (Italy Holidays 2011). The Origin of the name of the Colosseum The Colosseum was named by the rulers of the Flavian dynasty. However the origin of the word is not very obvious. The earliest documents that were retrieved citing the Colosseum come from the 8th century. There are a number of literature pieces that prove the use of the name in the early periods. One such attestation is Venerable Bede’s prophecy. Some experts are of the opinion that the name was meant to convey the meaning of its gigantic structure. Therefore the modern name, Coliseum, is a distortion of the original meaning of the name. On the other hand, some historians are of the perspective that the building derives its name from a huge statue of Nero, the Colossus Neronis. The statue was 120 feet high and was in close proximity to the Colosseum. According to O'Donovan (1859, p. 27), the former explanation is of greater credibility. This is because another amphitheatre at Capua was also named the Colosseum, though there was no large statue near it. Also it is believed that the statue of Nero was first at the Via Sacra and was relocated near the Colosseum much later. Fig 3. Flavian Amphitheater The facts about the dimensions of the building give an insight into its structure and hence the justification for the use of the word colossal. It is believed that the Romans may have driven their inspiration for the construction of the Colosseum by the Greek theatre, which employed the technique of making the whole structure vertical to allow spectators better view of the arena. When the Romans built the Colosseum, they were favored by the advanced architectural tools that had developed by then. This, along with the basis of verticalization provided by the Greeks, led to the development of a completely new and unique amphitheatre. Structure The Colosseum is not the only amphitheatre Rome. The number of amphitheatres present in the various provinces depicts the popularity of such forms of entertainment particularly from the 1st to the 3rd century. The Colosseum is shaped like an oval with the ratio between the long and the short axis being 1.22. These dimensions were used to provide optimal viewing for the spectators, emphasizing upon the verticality of the structure. The external dimensions of the building are 190.25m and 157.50m, while the height from the road surface is 50m. Around the Colosseum is a belt of travertine measuring 17.6 m in height. The outer limits are being formed by 160 cippi. The cippi are blocks fashioned out of travertine, having dimensions of 1.75 x 0.76 x 0.60m. Five of these blocks towards the East still survive till today. The blocks are spaced out equally and it is possible that they were used as supports for the velarium of the Colosseum (Italy Holidays 2011). Fig 5. Shape of Colosseum The higher tiers of the building were made out of wooden supports. The rest of the seats were carved out of stone and shows the skills and expertise of the masons of the time. They seats were also buttressed by concrete; below them an intricate meshwork of supports, horizontal passages, ramps and stairs unfolded, intended to provide easy means of movement for the throngs of spectators. The building was characteristic of a number of half-columns. These half columns had alternating sequence of Roman Doric, Ionic and Cornithian styles. The columns were juxtaposed with arches barrel vaults and this served to support the three stories of facade. There was another storey of the facade but it was not supported by arches like the previous. On the other hand, this storey was made out of Cornithian pilasters and was responsible for the raised part of the building between the two galleries. This part was for women and slaves. The walls had spaces which are believed to be for the poles intended to provide support to the awning (Moffett, Fazio & Wodehouse 2003, p. 130). The height of each storey about 40 feet but can be as less as 32 too. The entire building has a height of 144 feet. The arena was wide with dimensions of 79 x 45 and compromised basically of wood and sand. The main protection that was offered to the spectators was the nets around the arena. It is rumored that 200 bullock carts were used to transport the marble stones to the site. Also, the building had a total of 80 entrances. One of the characteristic features of the design is that there could be the rapid exit of the spectators in a matter of a few minutes (Pillai 2010). The unique architectural skills used in the construction of the building testify to the workmanship of the Romans. The Roman Colosseum is a major site of attraction for tourists and is a surviving proof of the once glorious Roman Empire. References Golden, M 2004, Sport in the ancient world from A to Z, Routledge, London. Italy Holidays 2011, Roman Colosseum, Italy Holidays, viewed 6 May, 2011, Kleiner, F 2008, Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Global History, Cengage Learning EMEA, Massachusetts. Kleiner, FS 2009, Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Cengage Learning, Massachusetts. Moffett, M, Fazio, MW & Wodehouse, L 2003, A world history of architecture, Laurence King Publishing, London. O'Donovan, D 1859, Memories of Rome, Catholic Publishing & Bookselling Company Limited, London. Pillai, M 2010, Roman Coliseum Facts, Buzzle.com, viewed 5 May, 2011, Pollard, J 2008, Wonders of the ancient world: antiquity's greatest feats of design and engineering, Quercus. Roth, L M 2007, Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning, Westview Press, Boulder. Strickland, C & Handy, A 2001, The annotated arch: a crash course in the history of architecture, Andrews McMeel Publishing, Missouri. Read More