30 Interesting Facts about the Colosseum that Will Make You Appreciate its Beauty and Significance

Interesting Facts about the Colosseum Architecture and Design

1. The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built. It measures 189 by 156 meters and reaches a height of 50 meters (about the height of a 12-storey building). This ancient sporting arena could easily fit a modern-day football pitch inside!

2. The Colosseum was built with a complex system of barrel vaults and groin vaults, using stone, concrete, and bricks. Its main structural framework and facade are travertine. The secondary walls are volcanic tufa. The inner bowl and the arcade vaults are concrete.

3. The Colosseum had 80 entrances and could seat up to 80,000 spectators, who were divided into different sections according to their social status. The emperor had his own box, while the senators and knights had the best seats in the lower tiers. The women, slaves, and foreigners had to sit in the upper tiers or stand in the gallery.

4. The Colosseum had a retractable awning called the velarium, which was operated by hundreds of sailors. The velarium provided shade and protection from the sun and rain for the spectators. It also created a colorful effect and enhanced the acoustics of the arena.

5. The Colosseum had an underground section called the hypogeum, which was added by Emperor Domitian. The hypogeum consisted of tunnels, chambers, cages, and lifts that housed the animals and gladiators who were waiting to perform in the arena above. There were also 36 trap doors that allowed for sudden appearances and disappearances of the performers.

Interesting Facts about the Colosseum Construction and Cost

6. The Colosseum was built between 72 and 80 CE by the Flavian emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. It was originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre, after the family name of the emperors. The name Colosseum came from a colossal statue of Nero that stood near the amphitheater.

7. The Colosseum was built with the manpower of tens of thousands of slaves, mostly captured from the Jewish War (66-70 CE). The slaves worked day and night to complete the colossal project in less than 10 years.

8. The Colosseum was a very expensive building to construct and maintain. Indeed, the estimation shows that it cost about 100,000 pounds of gold (equivalent to about $5 billion today) to build. Additionally, it took about 500,000 pounds of silver (equivalent to about $25 million today) per year to operate.

Interesting Facts about the Colosseum Spectacles and Games

9. The Colosseum was used for various spectacles and games. To illustrate, gladiator fights, animal hunts, executions, and even mock naval battles. To stage the naval battles, the arena was flooded with water from a nearby aqueduct. The water was then drained through a complex system of pipes and channels.

10. The first games ever to be held were in 80 CE, under Emperor Titus (the son of Vespasian). They ran it for 100 days straight. Games continued to be held for centuries to come – gladiatorial games until the fifth century and animal hunts until the 6th century.

11. The events at the Colosseum were seriously brutal, though. During certain games held by the emperors, around 10,000 animals were killed in a single day. Particularly, some of the animals were exotic and rare, such as lions, tigers, elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, bears, crocodiles, and ostriches. They were brought from all over the Roman Empire and beyond.

12. The gladiators who fought in the Colosseum were mostly slaves, prisoners of war, or criminals who had been sentenced to death. They were trained in special schools called Ludus gladiatorius. Some gladiators were volunteers who sought fame and fortune in the arena. They were usually divided into different types based on their weapons and armor.

13. The spectators who watched the games at the Colosseum were often very passionate and vocal about their favorite gladiators or teams. They would cheer, boo, or chant slogans to show their support or displeasure. They would also vote with their thumbs to decide whether a defeated gladiator should live or die.

Interesting Facts about the Colosseum Damage and Restoration

14. Several natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, and lightning strikes, damaged the Colosseum. It was also plundered by barbarians and later by locals who used its stones and metal for other buildings. In the Middle Ages, two powerful Roman families converted the Colosseum into a fortress. Later, it was used as a quarry, a garden, a workshop, a housing complex, a religious shrine, and a bullring.

15. The Colosseum was neglected for a long time. Until the 18th century, Pope Benedict XIV declared it a sacred site in memory of the Christian martyrs who had died there. He also ordered its preservation and restoration. Since then, several popes have sponsored various projects to repair and conserve the Colosseum.

16. The Colosseum is today a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of Rome and its history. The amphitheater is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It hosts various cultural events and concerts. It is illuminated at night in different colors depending on global events. Furthermore, millions of people pilgrimage there every year on Good Friday when the Pope leads a torchlit procession around its stations of the cross.

17. The Colosseum is still facing many threats and challenges, such as pollution, traffic, vandalism, and earthquakes. It also suffers from structural problems, such as cracks, holes, and erosion. Therefore, the Colosseum needs constant maintenance and monitoring to ensure its stability and safety.

18. The Colosseum is undergoing a major renovation project that started in 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The project aims to restore the original appearance and functionality of the Colosseum, including its facade, entrances, hypogeum, arena floor, and velarium. The project is funded by a private sponsor, the Italian shoe company Tod’s. Actually, this is the largest and most ambitious restoration project ever undertaken on the Colosseum. It will allow visitors to experience the amphitheater as it was in its heyday.

Interesting Facts about the Colosseum Symbolism and Legacy

19. The Colosseum is a symbol of Rome and its history, as well as a testament to the achievements and challenges of the ancient Romans. It represents the power and glory of the Roman Empire, as well as the cruelty and violence of its society.

20. The Colosseum is also a symbol of the Christian faith. It is believed to be the site of many martyrdoms of early Christians who were persecuted by the Roman authorities for their religion. They were thrown to the lions or burned alive in the arena as a spectacle for the pagan crowd. However, some historians doubt whether this actually happened in the Colosseum, or whether it was a later legend.

21. The Colosseum has inspired many artists, writers, and filmmakers over the centuries. They used it as a setting or a motif for their works. Some of the most famous examples are Dante’s Inferno, Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and Robert Harris’s Pompeii.

22. The Colosseum has also influenced many modern architects and engineers. They have studied its design and structure to create similar or comparable buildings. Some of the most notable examples are the Paris Opera House, the Madison Square Garden, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the Wembley Stadium.

Other Aspects of the Colosseum

23. Surrounding the amphitheater were shops, taverns, brothels, and gambling dens that catered to the needs and desires of the spectators. The Colosseum also had its own currency, called the Tessera. It was a small bronze token that could be exchanged for food, drinks, or souvenirs.

24. The Colosseum was designed to create a dramatic and theatrical effect for the audience. The arena floor had sand covered to absorb the blood and gore of the events. Also, it was decorated with props and scenery to create different settings and atmospheres. Moreover, the Colosseum had special effects, such as artificial rain, snow, or fire, that enhanced the realism and excitement of the shows.

25. The amphitheater was sometimes used as a venue for charitable events, such as distributing food, clothing, or money to the poor and needy. The Colosseum also witnessed some acts of kindness and generosity. For example, when some gladiators spared their opponents’ lives or when some spectators intervened to save a condemned criminal or a persecuted Christian.

5 Fun and Mind-blowing Facts About the Roman Colosseum

26. The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre, after the family name of the emperors who built it. The name Colosseum came from a colossal statue of Nero that stood near the amphitheater. The statue was later moved and destroyed, but the name stuck.

27. The Colosseum was not only used for entertainment but also for education and propaganda. Indeed, the games often had a political or moral message. For example, celebrating a military victory, honoring a deceased emperor, or demonstrating Roman values and virtues. The games also taught the spectators about geography, history, mythology, and zoology.

28. A sophisticated system of water supply and drainage enabled the Colosseum to flood for naval battles or drain for other events. The water originated from an aqueduct called Aqua Claudia, which connected to a reservoir under the nearby Temple of Claudius. Afterward, the aqueduct distributed the water through pipes and channels under the arena floor.

29. The Colosseum had a special device called a spoliarium, which was used to remove the corpses of gladiators and animals from the arena floor. The spoliarium was a large elevator that lifted the bodies up to a platform where they were stripped of their weapons and armor. The bodies were then disposed of in various ways, such as burial, cremation, or feeding to wild animals.

30. The Colosseum had a secret passage that connected it to the nearby Ludus Magnus, which was the largest gladiator school in Rome. The passage allowed the gladiators to enter and exit the arena without being seen by the public. It also served as an emergency exit in case of riots or fires. The passage was discovered in 1938 during an excavation project.