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Ancient Rome
The Colosseum
History >> Ancient Rome
The Colosseum is a giant amphitheatre in the center of Rome, Italy. It was built during the Roman Empire.
Roman Colosseum by Kevin Brintnall
When was it built?
Construction on the Colosseum was started in 72 AD by the emperor Vespasian. It was finished eight years later in
80 AD.
How big was it?
The Colosseum was huge. It could seat 50,000 people. It covers around 6 acres of land and is 620 feet long, 512
feet wide, and 158 feet tall. It took more than 1.1 million tons of concrete, stone, and bricks to complete the
Colosseum.
Seating
Where people sat in the Colosseum was determined by Roman law. The best seats were reserved for the Senators.
Behind them were the equestrians or ranking government officials. A bit higher up sat the ordinary Roman citizens
(men) and the soldiers. Finally, at the top of the stadium sat the slaves and the women.
Seating inside the Colosseum was according to social status
by Ningyou at Wikimedia Commons
Emperor's Box
The best seat in the house belonged to the emperor who sat in the Emperor's Box. Of course, a lot of times it was
the emperor who was paying for the games. This was one way for the emperor to make the people happy and to
keep them liking him.
Underground Passages
Below the Colosseum was a labyrinth of underground passages called the hypogeum. These passages allowed for
animals, actors, and gladiators to suddenly appear in the middle of the arena. They would use trap doors to add in
special effects such as scenery.
Construction
The walls of the Colosseum were built with stone. They made use of a number of arches in order to keep the
weight down, but yet still keep them strong. There were four different levels that could be accessed by stairs. Who
could enter each level was carefully controlled. The floor of the Colosseum was wooden and covered with sand.
Interior of the Colosseum. Photo by Jebulon.
Colossus
Outside of the Colosseum was an enormous 30 foot bronze statue of the emperor Nero called the Colossus of
Nero. It was later turned into a statue of the Sun god Sol Invictus. Some historians believe that the name for the
Colosseum comes from the Colossus.
The Velarium
To keep the hot sun and the rain off of spectators, there was a retractable awning called the velarium. There were
240 wooden masts around the top of the stadium to support the awning. Roman sailors were used to put up the
velarium when it was needed.
Entrances
The Colosseum had 76 entrances and exits. This was to help the thousands of people to exit the arena in case of a
fire or other emergency. The passages to the seating areas were called vomitoria. The public entrances were each
numbered and spectators had a ticket that said where they were supposed to enter.
Why is it spelled that way?
The original name for the Colosseum was the Amphitheatrum Flavium, but it eventually became known as the
Colosseum. The normal spelling for a generic large amphitheater used for sports and other entertainment is
"coliseum". However, when referring to the one in Rome, it is capitalized and spelled "Colosseum".
Interesting Facts about the Colosseum
Certain classes of people were banned from attending the Colosseum. They included former gladiators,
actors, and gravediggers.
There were 32 different trap doors underneath the floor of the stadium.
The first ever games at the Colosseum lasted for 100 days and included more than 3,000 gladiator fights.
The west exit was called the Gate of Death. This was where dead gladiators were carried out of the arena.
The southern side of the Colosseum collapsed during a large earthquake in 847.
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