The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater was begun by Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and inaugurated by his son Titus in 80 A.D. and completed by Domitian. Located on marshy land between the Esquiline and Caelian Hills, it was the first permanent amphitheater to be built in Rome and significantly is the emblem of Rome. Its monumental size and grandeur as well as its practical and efficient organization for producing spectacles like mock naval battles, gladiator fights and so on and controlling the large crowds make it one of the great architectural monuments achieved by the ancient Romans.
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The Roman Colosseum name is derived from colossus (a 130-foot or 40-metre statue) of Nero nearby.
The Colosseum measured 48 metres high, 188 metres long, and 156 metres wide. The sand filled wooden arena floor was 86 metres by 54 metres. Its elliptical shape kept the players from retreating to a corner, and allowed the spectators to be closer to the action over 160 ft high with eighty entrances, the Coliseum could hold upwards of 50,000 spectators.
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It stands as a glorious but troubling monument to Roman imperial power and cruelty because within it, behind those serried ranks of arches and columns, thousands of people
whom the Romans considered criminals or slaves, as well as professional fighters and animals were executed cold-bloodedly and ruthlessly for centuries. Thus the majestic amphitheatre and its associated shows were prototypical symbols of Roman culture.
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The Colosseum was in continuous use until 217, when it was damaged by fire after it was struck by lightning. It was restored in 238 and gladiatorial games continued until Christianity gradually put an end to those parts of them which included the death of humans. In the Middle Ages, there were further earthquakes and plunders, so as a result of these factors two thirds of the original have been devastated, so that the present Colosseum is only a shadow of its former self, a noble ruin.
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Even today, in a world of skyscrapers, the Roman Colosseum is hugely impressive and in Rome, the Coliseum is one of its most renowned landmarks and tourist attractions. Although it.
Allwondersoftheworld.com describes about the Colosseum of Rome which survives only as a ruin yet it still rates as one of the finest examples of Roman architecture and engineering.
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