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The Colosseum: The Architectural Legacy Of The Roman Collosseum

1411 Words6 Pages

The Roman Empire has left an immense architectural legacy. Ancient structures such as the Roman Colosseum also known as the Amphitheatre flavium; tells us accurately more about the culture of Rome’s inhabitants. The structural attributes of local architectural designs aids our comprehension of a certain group of people in this case being the Romans, as well as their way of living and the history of the people more than any written word ever could. Due to Gladiatorial combats, the colosseum was known as a place for celebrations, entertainment and bloodshed in the Roman empire. The Colosseum, which is centrally situated in the city of Rome, east of the Roman forum, was built around the A.D. 70 by Vespasian. The Colosseum showcases the renowned but concerning monument of Romans aptitude and wickedness. Although appealing to the eye, its beauty contradicts the cruel activities that happened within it.
Standing at a height of around 190m and a width of about 155m the Colosseum had the capacity of over 50 000 making it the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world (Hopkins,K.(2011)). The action that took place within the Colosseum included gladiatorial combats, animal hunts, wild animal fights and recreated naval battles which required the arena to be filled with water. Spectators were seated based on their social ranking, which meant that those with the lowest social ranking were seated further away from the center of the Colosseum Arena, where the action occurred, and parked in a

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