Vacations To Cabo San Lucas

If somebody told you to visit the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome or even Il Colosseo, that might not ring a bell. But those were the original Roman names for the huge elliptical stadium that we now know as The Colosseum. This marvel of engineering - when it was in full use - could seat 50,000 Roman citizens and it covered six acres of land.

From the first century and for centuries after that, the Colosseum was the center of cultural life for Rome, where people came to see brutal games that pitted gladiators against each other or slaves against wild animals with predictable results. As you tour the stadium, very little remains to remind us of those spectacles except for the vaults and tunnels under the Colosseum that were used to store the animals, and for the gladiators and fighters to enter the facility for their part in the show.

The Colosseum has taken a lot of damage from fires and earthquakes since it was active in Roman times. But if you visit it, you can still get a feel for the majesty of that original structure.

If you get all the way to the top of the arena, you will look down 157 feet from the peak to the floor below and from that vantage point, it is easy to imagine the great spectacles that happened here. And even though the once perfect red brick arches are falling apart and the animals and warriors that moved through those gates are no longer here, the ghosts of glory days gone by are easy to sense.

The layout of the stadium is by layers - each of which has a great view of the different levels of arches all around the huge space of the Colosseum. As you sit on those ancient seats, it’s easy to hear from the past the crowd explode with excitement when the Emperor came in with his entourage through one of the four gates that were only for him. There are 76 other entrances around the stadium that average citizens of Rome were allowed to use.

It is interesting that it was a 130 foot tall statue named “the Colossus” that gave the stadium its common name way back in 80 AD when it finally opened for public use after 15,000 slaves labored for 8 years to build it. The reason that statue was so popular is many thought it looked like Nero. But over the years the Colossus showed the face of whatever emperor was in power. When you visit the Colosseum, you will still be able to find the base of the Colossus between the Venus and the Temple of Roma nearby.

The opening of the Colosseum launched a celebration that lasted 100 days as noblemen and barbarians alike visited the stadium. It was quite common when coming for a night of entertainment at the Colosseum to see gladiators fight until only one survived or to witness the brutal Roman approach to lion taming and other performances that were just as violent to our modern minds.

Where people sat in that huge stadium depended on your social rank. For obvious reasons, the emperor had the best seats along with his royal entourage. The upper levels, by contrast were reserved for women who had no part with the royal party. But at any level, it was easy to see the shows and battles happening in the Colosseum arena, which included exotic animals like hippos, elephants and rhinos, along with the big cats that were part of the games as well.

To this day it is a mystery how Roman engineers designed the massive masts and velarium which made up the huge canopy that was used to provide shade to many in the hall. That part of the design was claimed by the ravages of time long ago. But you will be able to admire the various styles of Roman columns throughout the stadium, including the Doric styles on the lower levels to the Ionic style on the second tier and finally the Corinthian on the third level.

While it’s understandable that tourists are amazed at even these remains of that once mighty building, it is also greatly admired and even copied by stadium designers of modern times. The Colosseum set the standard as the first and the largest and the most famous stadium of its type at the time. Before it was built, arenas were comparatively simple structures dug out of hillsides. You can still find remnants of those stadiums around Rome on your visit if you are interested.

But one thing is for sure and that is to be sure your visit to Rome is a complete experience, you will want to allow some time to walk around the amazing architecture and history of the Colosseum.