The Roman Colosseum

Purpose

• As a gift to Roman Citizens• forms of entertainment• Demonstrate power of Rome.

Facts• Ifive-cent euro coin. • built in 10 years.• built by 60,000 Jewish slaves.• 400,000 people died in 390 years• “free bread and circus to the people of Rome”• red stretched out canvas.• area of 6 acres.• wild and exotic animals

20 different types of Gladiators.• 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died.• stones of the Colosseum.

Popular misconceptions

• Hollywood movies• Lions

• Thumbs down

• Which spelling is correct confusion?Colosseum? Coliseum? Colloseum?

Design of the Coliseum

• Four floors• Greatest architecture of Rome.• Flavian Amphitheatre

What it is Today?

• The Colosseum is a major tourist attraction in Rome

• It also remains a holy site, with Stations of the Cross and a cemetery

• Museum • Roman catholic ceremonies

Walls

Seating:

• 50,000 and 80,000 Romans.• Four storey's, the upper storey.• The lowest storey.• Mechanical devices and cages.

Colosseum Entrances and Exits

• There were 76 entrances which were numbered but there were an additional four grand entrances which were not numbered.

Schedule of the Roman Executions at the Colosseum

• Morning – Wild Animal Hunts also known as

Venationes

• Midday – Public Executions

• Afternoon –Gladiatorial Contests

Roman Executions at the Colosseum

• Being burnt alive• Being bound by the feet to the tails of wild

horses and dragged to death• Being torn to pieces by wild beasts• Beaten to death• Burned with plates of red-hot iron

The outside and archersRoman archers.

Outside the Coliseum.

A painting of the Coliseum on a day when Christians are about to be fed to the animals

Statues stood originally in the arches of the 2nd and 3rd levels- but have not survived.

Tunnels under the Colosseum

1) Gladiator schoolknown by the name of Gate of Life2) Spoliarium & Armamentarium• Between the gate no 57 and 58 of arena.• the Gate of Death• Spoliarium

3) Hypogeum (animal carried away through this exit).4) The Imperial Palace - a special entrance tunnel for the Emperor called the "Passaggio di Commodo"

What groups in Roman society could view games held in the colosseum and where did they sit?

• The emperor had an arena – which he entered through a triple archway on the north side. The consuls sat in a box directly opposite to which they also gained access through a triple entrance way, on the south side. Women were only allowed in the top storey of the amphitheatre. Exceptions to this rule were female members of the ruling family and the vestal virgins who sat by the ringside.

Some famous battles in colosseum

• Mock Naval Battles

• Water Battles

• Fights in the ArenaGladiators ?

The First Gladiatorial Fight

• . The first gladiatorial fight took place in the Forum Boarium, a cattle market, situated near the Tiber. As this was the funeral of a prominent aristocrat and held in a public space, the event was likely to have drawn a large crowd.

The Roman Funeral

• The Romans believed that "souls of the dead were propitiated by human blood..."

• Roman Colosseum when dead gladiators were escorted by a figure depicting Charon from the arena.

The Sacrifice and Ceremony

• By priests dressed in white robes and red scarves who would sprinkle incense on to the fire.

• A solemn procession of priests began with a procession (Latin pompa) into the arena with carriages holding statues to the gods.

• The sacrificial animal would also be led into the arena.

• The words of the religious ceremonies

Colosseum had vast Water systems

A water and Sewer system was required for:• Water for drinking fountains• Toilets (Latrines)• Disposing of waste products from animals and

humans including blood• Providing and draining water for sham naval

battles• Providing water for various stage effects

including temporary fountains and streams

Decline of the Coliseum• Christianity and the end of the Gladiators Last known gladiatorial fight took place during the reign of the 423AD. The catalyst for this change was was an Egyptian monk named

Telemachus who had newly come to Rome and visited the Colosseum in 404AD.

He objected to the savage bloodshed and slaughter in the arena and the midst of the bloodshed shouted for it to cease in the name of Christ. He was stoned by the outraged 'mob' and killed. Three days later the Emperor issued a decree that the gladiatorial games were to stop. Less violent events such as hunting events continued to be shown until 523AD. The advent of Christianity led to a massive change of attitudes in the Roman Empire. The Roman culture changed from being antagonistic to becoming pacifistic. With the new Christian religion the morals, principles and values of the Romans changed

Failing Roman Economy

• The emperors who followed Honorius at first

commissioned repairs to the Colosseum but as its political importance declined, together with the wealth of the Roman Empire, so did the enthusiasm for spending money on repairs.

• The Roman government was constantly threatened by bankruptcy.

Natural Disasters

• Storms• lightening • fires• and earthquakes • Although seriously damaged by two earthquakes

in the fifth century, it is generally held that the Coliseum was practically intact in the sixth century. The later, catastrophic, earthquakes of 847 and 1231 caused the most stones to fall.