(ORDO NEWS) — Today we will go back in time to visit one of the most famous historical monuments of all time – the Colosseum with you. Let the games begin!
- The Colosseum was built between AD 72 and 80 under the direction of the emperor Vespasian . It took only 8 years to create an architectural masterpiece that has survived to this day.
- This magnificent monument of stone and concrete came into being thanks to the continuous work of tens of thousands of slaves from different countries.
- The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world. It has a length of 189 meters, a width of 156 meters and a height of 50 meters (about the same as a 12-story building).
- The Colosseum has 80 entrances and could accommodate over 50,000 spectators who came to watch sporting events and war games. In the arena, one could see gladiatorial fights, hunting for wild animals , and even naval ship battles (naumachia).
- By the way, ship battles were extremely expensive entertainment, and in the entire history of the Colosseum, such games were held no more than 5 times. Incredibly, the “base” of the amphitheater actually filled with water and warships descended on it.
- Usually, any competitions organized in the arena of the Colosseum were paid personally by the emperor and spectators could enter absolutely free of charge. When social tensions were observed in the country, free food was often distributed to visitors, which gave rise to the popular expression “Bread and circuses.”
- Sometimes extremely fierce battles took place in the Colosseum. There is a known case when in one day the arena took the lives of more than 10,000 people and animals.
- In the 80s of our era, Emperor Titus (son of Vespasian) organized games in the Colosseum that lasted 100 days!
- To protect the audience from the scorching sun and heat, a velarium was installed over the audience seats – a special awning that could be deployed and collapsed if necessary.
- Under the Colosseum there were a huge number of rooms for gladiators and attendants, as well as cages with wild animals. The arena itself had 36 hatches for organizing special effects.
- Nearly two-thirds of the Colosseum has been destroyed over time. However, fires, earthquakes and endless vandalism played a significant role. The building has been standing for almost 2000 years and is a prime example of how to build.
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