I Want a European King Bed: The Flavian Amphitheater aka the Colosseum

Boom! Colosseum.

Stepping off the metro and immediately seeing a 160 foot tall structure causes you to pause; knowing said structure is nearly 2000 years old can stop you dead in your tracks. The Colosseum is an iconic monument known the world over, and I’m struggling to write something original about it, so instead, I’ll dazzle you with facts.

Interior of the Colosseum with the exposed hypogeum.

The Colosseum is a skeleton of its former self, a fitting description as the hypogeum (basement) reminded me of the sinus cavities in the human skull. So what happened to this jewel of ancient Rome? In a word, Catholics happened. The Colosseum is a ruin because after the fall of the Roman empire, the building was used as a quarry for constructing new projects—such as cathedrals and basilicas and *cough cough* St. Peter’s. While some of the damage can be blamed on time, most of its present appearance is from being stripped down by early Catholics. The Colosseum was not the only casualty; nearly every ancient site in Rome was pillaged and the marble reappears in the newer religious buildings.

The Colosseum was so named not due to its size, but to the colossal statue of Nero out front; a 120ft shiny, bronze, man-god. After Nero’s death, the face of the statue was changed to Helios, the sun god. It was later moved and then disappeared into the annals of history. The actual name of the structure was the Flavian amphitheater, named for the family of emperors that built it. Construction only took 10 years and resulted in the largest amphitheater in the empire.

Reconstructed iron staple near holes from
previously removed staples.

On the grounds where the Colosseum now stands, Nero had built a series of palaces and gardens. His home was called the Domus Aurea or golden house because of the richness of the decorations, including gold filigree. Nearby Nero created a large lake which had to be drained before starting construction on the Colosseum. Nero’s land was for his own private use, such as throwing intense parties. When the Flavian’s built the amphitheater it was a way of returning the area to the people.

The exterior retains much of its marble but it is pockmarked. The holes dotting the stone are not due to the ravages of time but due to the removal of iron supports. These were used to keep the larger stones together, but like much of the Colosseum, they were recycled into other building projects. It makes you wonder; if the Romans thought the staples were necessary, why have they not been replaced to maintain the structural integrity of the monument?

To enter the Colosseum today you must find that 1 magic arch that is open—the rest are blocked with bars, like jail. In its heyday, all 80 arches would have been used as entrances. Admission was free to the events organized by emperors or senators for the benefit of the people.

Labeled seats at the lowest level of the Colosseum.

There were 5 levels of seating, capable of holding 50,000 people, and the seats were arranged by social hierarchy. The lowest level was reserved for the emperor, senators, and foreign dignitaries. Seats at this level were labeled, and the emperor had his own private box in the middle. With each successive level, the social status of the spectators decreased. Women were accorded space on the top level unless they were the family member of someone important on the first level. On top of all the levels there was a canvas roof that could be unfurled to protect the spectators from rain or sun.

Remains of the galleries in the ruins of the hypogeum

Each entertainment building in Rome was designed for a specific purpose. The amphitheater was the scene of gladiator fights. They were fights of animal vs. animal, animal vs. man, and of course, man vs. man. While some fights were to the death, the crowd had favorite gladiators, and this favoritism often spared the life of the loser. The fights took place on the arena floor; a sand-covered, wood surface. In Latin, the word for sand is arena. The floor covered the stone work in the middle area so none of this lower level hypogeum was visible during Roman times.

The hypogeum was a labyrinth of galleries, cages, and cells holding scenery, animals, and slaves for the fights above. All of these were lifted to the arena level via elevators moved by winches and slave power. At the top of the elevator a trap door opened onto the arena floor. There were 60 of these elevators lending an element of surprise to fights, as a new opponent could surface anywhere.

There are conflicting theories about early uses of the Colosseum. Some reports indicate that the hypogeum was built after the rest of the Colosseum. Before the hypogeum was built, it is possible that the arena was flooded for mock sea battles but historians have not reached a consensus.