Here are some interesting facts about the Colosseum in Rome, which is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. The Colosseum is a symbol of the Italian Capital and one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions. These facts about Colosseum will let you explore the Colosseum history.
Colosseum History and Interesting Facts
1.) The interesting fact about the Colosseum is that it did not design by a single prominent designer/architect. During medieval times it was said to have designed by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. But nowadays it noted that Virgil died well before the Colosseum was conceived.
2.) The Colosseum was built by Emperor Vespasian who was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, for Titus, his successor.
3.) Colosseum is an elliptical building 189 meters long and 156 meters wide with a base area of 24,000 m² with a height of more than 48 meters.
4.) The Colosseum has 80 entrances and could accommodate about 50,000 spectators.
5.) Here is the fact about the Colosseum that it is measured, over 500,000 people lost their lives and over a million wild animals were killed during the duration when Colosseum hosted people vs. beast games.
6.) There were 36 trap doors in Arena allowing for special effects
7.) Ancient Romans get free entry to the Colosseum for events and were also fed throughout the spectacles.
8.) Festivals, as well as games, could take place for 100 days in the Colosseum.
9.) The Ancient Romans would sometimes flood the Colosseum and have small ship naval battles inside as a way of entertainment.
10.) The Colosseum took 10 years to build which started in 70 AD and was completed in 80 AD using over 60,000 Jewish slaves.
11.) The marble guard and some parts of the Colosseum were used for the construction of St Peter’s Basilica and other monuments.
12.) Many natural disasters destroyed the structure of the Colosseum, but the earthquakes of 847 AD and 1231 AD caused most of the damage you see today.
13.) After the Flavian Dynasty of Emperors, the original name of the Colosseum was Flavian Amphitheater.
14.) The Colosseum fact is that Rome´s most popular monument was built due to three reasons. As a gift to the Roman Citizens from the Flavian Dynasty which could increase their popularity, stage various forms of entertainment, and showcase the Roman engineering techniques to the world.
15.) The Colosseum was mainly used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as animal hunts, mock sea battles, re-enactments of famous battles, executions, and dramas.
16.) During the inaugural games of the Colosseum in 80 CE held by Titus, some 9,000 wild animals were murdered.
17.) In 107 CE, Emperor Trajan has celebrated his victories in Dacia with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators within 123 days.
18.) It is estimated that the games played in the Colosseum for hundreds of years have taken the lives of around 500,000 people and a million wild animals.
19.) In 435 CE the last gladiatorial fights occurred and the last animal hunts stopped in 523 CE. It was mainly due to the cost of procuring animals and gladiators and maintaining the expensive facility.
20.) More than 100,000 cubic meters of travertine stone was used for the outer wall of the Colosseum which was set without cement held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.
21.) Colosseum was built near the statue of Colossus which was part of Nero’s Park. The current name “Colosseum” was derived from the Colossus.
22.) Based on historical evidence, it is assumed that 200 bullock carts were used to transport marbles to the construction site.
23.) The total amount of marbles used while the construction of the Colosseum was estimated to 100,000 cubic meters.
24.) Receiving millions of visitors per year, the Colosseum is a famous tourist attraction of Rome.
25.) Despite its brutal pagan origins, the Colosseum had been used for worship space by Christians over the centuries. A large cross was removed in the 1870s during a frenzy of secular archaeology which was funded by the new Italian state. In 1926 that cross was replaced by Mussolini in a cynical effort to placate Catholics.
27.) In 432 AD, the Romans’ gladiatorial spectacles petered out, it was not because of any Christian edict. Which was due to the cost of procuring animals and gladiators and maintaining the expensive facility.
28.) The fighting killed off whole species, The sheer quantity of murder in the Colosseum saw the number of lions, jaguars, and tigers plummet across the globe.
29.) After one particularly brutal set of games in which 9,000 animals were murdered, the hippo disappeared from the river Nile. Creatures like the North African elephant, which was also commonly used as a war elephant during the time, were wiped off completely from there.
30.) The area below the Colosseum was called the Hypogeum. The hypogeum consists of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and 32 animal pens.
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