The Empire Enquirer
The Colosseum
Production of the Colosseum: 70 A.D
The 157 feet high, 620 feet long, oval shaped, stone and concrete amphitheater is was being assembled in Italy by emperor Vespasian and his sons, emperor Titus and emperor Domitian in 70-72 A.D. It was expected to be completed and open to the public in 80 A.D. It contains a 287 feet long, and 180 feet wide arena where spectacles would take place, a series of elevators and ramps led from the cells and animal cages into the Colosseum basement to trap doors concealed in the arena floor, 3 stories of arch shaped entrances supported by concrete columns, giant staircases that allowed people to exit within minutes in case of emergency, passageways that lead to seats, and a retractable canvas awning that shielded spectators from sun and rain. The Colosseum was expected to be one of the greatest feats of Roman engineering and a model for all ages, and one of the biggest forms of architecture for this time. The Colosseum showed a variety of free, bloody spectacles, from gladiator fights to animal hunts.
The Gladiator Games:
The gladiator games were war-like, violent combats between Roman soldiers executed inside the Colosseum, and there were nearly 30 different types of fights. They used animals (mainly lions), chariots, lassos, swords, and lances as weapons. The games could continually last for hundreds of days. The games were created to entertain the Roman people by reenacting scenes from wars, and Roman warriors wanted to be admired and seen as strong, powerful people. There were also animal fights and beast hunts and often times criminals were to be executed in the games.