The Colosseum

100 Places to See Before You Die! 

The Colosseum

Rome, Italy

The Colosseum (proper spelling for this structure, although some will identify it by the English spelling as "Coliseum" or the modern day Italian spelling of "Colosseo") in Rome hosted the most lavish, and the most gory, spectacles of the Roman Empire.  Massive crowds numbering more than 50,000 would be enthralled by the slaughtering of animals, dramas, battle reenactments, executions, and of course gladiatorial contests.  Certainly no structure offers greater proof of both the grandeur and the cruelty of the Roman world.

 

The Colosseum was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and completed by his son Titus in 80 AD and was named for the nearby "colossal" statue of Nero.  It was the largest building in the Roman Empire, measuring 144 feet high and covering an area over six acres.  It was in use for nearly 500 years.

I think most people have an idea of what took place in the Colosseum based on movies like Gladiator and shows like Spartacus, but I doubt many have a grasp of the SCALE of cruelty that existed.  Battles between gladiators were fine, although not what we would view as acceptable today, in that they were fights between two or more professional swordsmen for honor and possible freedom.  More common however were "battles" between gladiators and condemned prisoners or slaves, and the slaughtering of wild animals.  About 11,000 animals, mostly from Africa, were killed in the Colosseum during the first 100 days celebrating its opening alone. 

The Romans really had a "one-up" mentality with regard to staging battles and reenactments.  They even held naval battles by flooding the arena floor with water.  That would be tricky for an arena to do TODAY!  One fascinating bit of ingenuity involved a system of 32 elevator shafts and trapdoors utilizing ropes and pulleys from underground tunnels, called hypogeum, that kept the action constant by replenishing the arena with new combatants as fights ended.

Don't do this!  Leaving with a "souvenir" of the actual Colosseum is illegal, and back in the day would have earned you a spot in the action on the arena floor.  To be fair, I "removed" the piece and Nel is simply retrieving it for me.  I'm not proud of this so do as I say and not as I do.

The fights ceased in 523 AD for good, well after the rise of Christianity.  Once it fell into disuse, the Colosseum was used as a quarry of sorts, its marble and stone harvested to build palaces and churches.  Over the years, earthquakes, barbarians, the environment, and even popes have all contributed to the decay.  The little pockmarks that are all over the travertine are from metal-hungry Lombards gouging into the stone in the 9th century to extract the lead used to fasten the rocks together.  The huge, majestic façade we see today is just what's left after centuries of plunder.

Notice all the holes mentioned above?

A visit to the Colosseum means a visit to Rome, and quite frankly, there's lots to see and do in Rome.  The Colosseum is the most recognizable structure, but you could spend days walking around the city visiting some of the most fascinating historical sites anywhere.  Rome was one of the few European cities that managed to escape WWII relatively unscathed.  The Vatican (which will be featured in this blog series a couple of times) warrants at least an entire day. 

Crowds and lines outside can be long, especially during the summer.  This was taken in October when it is relatively a slow season.

While it's flanked by the Roman Forum and the Arch of Constantine, there are still major modern roads directly circling the Colosseum.  You can take a cab right to the entrance or take the Metro and get off at the "Colosseo" stop.  You can view and photograph the massive structure easily and freely from the outside.  However, my advice would be since you've probably traveled a long way just commit the time and money to go in.  Crowds can be an issue, especially in the summer.  You can get in the long lines and purchase a ticket or you can buy your way in with a tour group and then either ditch them once inside or follow the tour.  It's interesting to view, but to me it's even more interesting to imagine what it was like and to reflect on the fact that you're possibly standing on a piece of soil that has seen more death than anywhere on earth. 

Once inside the crowds aren't as much of an issue - it's a big place.  They do make it hard to take good pictures though.

I would recommend committing a full day to this "ancient Rome" area which includes the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Capitoline Hill, and much more.  When everything starts to close you can easily walk to the Trevi Fountain, take it in for a bit, and then hike up to the Spanish Steps and watch the sun set over the city.  The Steps are nicer at night anyway.

Watch out for these guys!

One bonus tip:  When you're visiting the Colosseum, you will see guys dressed up like Roman soldiers and gladiators offering to take pictures with you.  If you want to, great, go ahead, but be prepared to pay.  These guys will try to get in a picture with you and then demand 20 euros or something ridiculous like that.  Once you've taken the picture you're kind of stuck.  They can be very aggressive and they're usually big guys with swords!