In truth, construction took between six and eight years. The Romans were superb builders, and Emperor Vespasian built the Colosseum as part of his quest to glorify Rome. The structure was completed in 80 AD and is a must-see for anybody visiting the city.
Rome was founded around 753 BC and became the capital of the Italian Peninsula in about 1508 BC. The city reached its zenith under Emperor Augustus (63 BC - AD 14). During this time, it constructed many public works, including roads, aqueducts, and public buildings.
After the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD, Rome remained largely intact until about 1550 when it began to be destroyed by invading armies. The last stand of the old Capitoline Temple was made by Pope Clement VII who sought refuge there during the Sack of Rome in 1527. When the invaders entered the temple area they found only dead bodies - all that remained of the holy building.
The fall of Rome also marked the end of Latin as an official language. Today, Italian is used as a common language throughout most of Italy while Romans speak English or some other European language.
Factoring in labor time, you could construct Rome in a matter of months. But it would be an inefficient use of resources. The ancients knew how to build well.
The Ancient Rome Colosseum, which is about 1,950 years old, was erected as a gift to the Roman people by Emperor Vespasian. It was constructed about the year 70 A.D. The Colosseum was essentially a massive stadium designed to host large crowd activities. Such events included animal fights, executions, and public displays/demonstrations.
The original design of the Colosseum called for it to be built from marble but because of the limited supply of this material in Italy at the time, it was made instead from concrete. The structure also has some stone casing around its exterior.
In addition to being used for entertainment, the Colosseum was also employed for educational purposes and government proceedings. For example, Emperor Augustus used it for his annual military reviews.
Today, visitors can go inside the Colosseum under the supervision of tour guides. However, you cannot enter any part of the building without an official guide since it is now used for various other activities including concerts and exhibitions.
The name "Colosseum" comes from the Latin word meaning "cage". This is because the interior of the structure is divided into three levels of galleries with openings between them that allowed spectators down below to see what was going on up above. There were also openings in the floor of the arena itself so that animals could be driven into the center of the action.
The Roman Colosseum is without a doubt one of the most stunning architectural structures of the ancient world, and especially of ancient Rome. The construction of the Roman Colosseum began in 72 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian and was finished in 80 AD during the reign of his successor and heir, Titus. The total cost of constructing the Colosseum was around $15 million in today's money.
The decision to build such a large-scale structure as the Colosseum was not taken lightly by either Caesar or their contemporaries. The fact that the Colosseum was not an ordinary building but rather a giant stadium for athletic contests with gladiator slaves meant that it had to be much stronger than an ordinary house. The designers of the Colosseum also took into account the type of warfare that they expected to see during its lifetime. They decided to make the structure wide and tall enough to accommodate 50,000 people in the arena space where the games were held.
The Colosseum stands out among other buildings in Rome because of its size; you can walk inside it in about 10 minutes. It was originally painted red, white and blue; today, all that remains are some pale colors caused by the weathering of the structure over time.
Did you know that the Colosseum used to be yellow? In 1734, Pope Clement XII ordered that the Colosseum be painted yellow to replace the original red color.
69-79 AD in 72 and was finished in 80 AD by Titus, his successor and heir (r. 79-81). Further changes were undertaken during Domitian's rule r.
| Colosseum | |
|---|---|
| Built in | 70–80 AD |
| Built by/for | Vespasian, Titus |
| Type of structure | Amphitheatre |
| Related | List of ancient monuments in Rome |
The Colosseum was a gift from the Emperor to the Romans. It was undeniably more than an amphitheatre. It became a symbol of the emperor's authority and grandeur, as well as of Rome and Roman civilization. The building began in 71 CE at the request of the new Roman king, Vespasian. It was completed in 80 years later by his son Titus. The arena is approximately the size of a football field. But it only has room for 50,000 people because it was designed for the public to be able to see all the games being held within it.
The Colosseum helped make Rome the most powerful city on earth. With its construction, the empire expanded to include much of Europe and Africa. As well, many parts of Asia which had never been ruled by a non-Asian people now fell under Roman control. This expansion required huge amounts of money and resources which were available only through plunder and conquest. The games held in the Colosseum provided the impetus for these wars of aggression. Without them, the people would have become tired of war and destroyed their emperors when they got too old or sick to fight.
In addition to being a spectacle for the people, the games also served to unify them behind their leaders. They knew that if one person were to defeat themselves in battle or die during the games, then they would be spared further suffering.
Or, since its founding on April 21, 753 BCE, Rome has been a city that is always being added upon. So far, Rome has been constructed in about 1,010,450 days... and this does not include the time spent building after the initial construction was completed.
The ancient historian Pliny the Elder wrote about the creation of Rome. He said that a god named Vulcan made Rome out of earth dug up from Lake Albano in Italy. Modern scientists do not believe this story to be true, but it does show that people believed that Rome was created completely at one time.
In actual fact, Rome was built over a long period of time. Its earliest buildings were created by settlers from around the Mediterranean basin who came to escape the chaos of their home countries. These newcomers included Romans themselves - soldiers who had been defeated in battle or senators who had been exiled- who wanted to start new lives away from their old countries. They built small villages composed of wooden houses with roofs made of palm leaves or thatch. These settlements would later form the nucleus around which Rome would grow.
As Rome grew in size and strength, it needed more public spaces where citizens could meet and discuss issues facing their country. The first such space was the Circus Maximus, which was used for athletic competitions.
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