tour 2 of 12
Gladiators
The Colosseum, as shown on a brass sestertius of Titus
In Rome, by the late first century AD,
gladiatorial combat took place in the huge stone amphitheatre, the
Colosseum. Its ancient name was the Flavian Amphitheatre, after the
Flavian dynasty founded by the emperor Vespasian (reigned 69-79).
It was planned during Vespasian's reign, but dedicated and
opened by his son, Titus, in AD
80.
The Colosseum is a
marvel of ancient engineering. With an estimated capacity of about
50,000 seats arranged in three tiers, the oval-shaped structure
measures 188 by 156 metres (205 by 170 yards) and is 52 metres (170
feet) high. The interior was executed entirely in marble, and the
entrances were adorned with reliefs, painting and stucco work. In
its fully developed form the arena itself had a wooden floor,
beneath which were located a complex of rooms, cages for wild
animals, and even lifts to bring the combatants up into the
arena.
The Colosseum took
around eight to ten years to complete. The inaugural games lasted a
hundred days, and it is said that no fewer than 5,000 animals were
killed in an animal fight on a single day. Gladiatorial casualties
were higher than ever known before. The people could take part in a
free lottery: the emperors' servants threw hollow wooden
balls into the audience, containing vouchers for clothes, food,
cattle and even slaves.