The Colosseum is without question Rome’s most iconic monument. Its fame is so great that you could show a photo of the Colosseum to virtually anyone in any country across the globe and it’s a sure bet they will recognize it.
The Colosseum, whose true name is the Flavian Amphitheatre, was inaugurated in 80 CE after about ten years of construction. The gigantic sports arena is best known for the games that took place there, featuring gladiators and exotic beasts from far-flung corners of the ancient world.
When it comes to appreciating the magnitude and engineering marvel that is the Colosseum, nothing compares to standing there in person, but if you are an armchair tourist, you can still be awed by reading our list of fun facts! Well, some of the facts aren’t exactly fun, so for purposes of this newsletter, we’ll call them “fascinating.”
Fascinating Facts About Rome’s Colosseum
The Structure and Construction of the Colosseum
- The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built in the ancient world and the largest still standing today.
- The foundation of the Colosseum is more than 12 meters thick. That’s almost 40 feet, about the height of a telephone pole (but underground)! This brilliant base is one of the principal reasons the arena is still standing.
- The back-breaking work of construction was carried out by tens of thousands of slaves, most of them Hebrew prisoners of war brought to Rome after the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
- The super-heavy lifting was accomplished with treadmill cranes, capable of lifting blocks of stone weighing more than 6 tons, roughly the weight of an RV or a male African bush elephant.
- Even though the cranes could lift incredible masses, only two men (who were the equivalent of human hamsters in a giant hamster wheel) were required to operate them.
- The subterranean area of the arena was a complex backstage area for the spectacles that entertained the citizens of Ancient Rome. The underground labyrinth included 32 animal pens, 36 trap doors, 80 vertical shafts, and numerous elevators operated by ropes and pulleys. (Yes, those scenes in Gladiator where animals come bounding out of nowhere are historically accurate!)
To fully geek-out on how the Colosseum was constructed, check out this very detailed article by Engineering Rome (that also deciphers construction of the Pantheon).
The Colosseum’s Use and Features
- Entry to the games was free but you had to have a ticket. The ticket indicated your seat number as well as which of the 80 ingress arches to enter through.
- Free refreshments were provided to the Colosseum crowd. Instead of popcorn laced with butter, the Roman spectators were fed meat, fish, and seafood topped with a fish sauce called garum. Diluted wine would have been the ancient equivalent of a soft drink.
- There were over 100 drinking fountains inside the Colosseum, as well as public bathrooms. Knowing how brilliant the Romans were when it came to water and engineering, is it any surprise?
- Spectators were shielded from the sun by a velarium — a retractable awning operated by 100 sailors from the Imperial fleet.
The Games at the Colosseum
- The word arena in Latin does not refer to the amphitheatre itself — it actually means sand! The floor of the Colosseum was covered with sand to soak up the blood spilled in the games.
- Female combatants participated in the games. They were called ludia instead of femina (the Latin word for female), which may have reflected their less-than-human social status.
- The term “gladiator” means “swordsman” and came from the Latin name for the small sword that Roman soldiers used to conquer the world: the gladius.
- Gladiators came in many shapes and sizes. Several classifications of warriors fought in the games, and each type had its own distinctive armour, weapons, and fighting style. For a quick overview, have a look at this article in History Answers. For an in-depth visual adventure, check out this 30-minute video by New Historia.
Ecco! A few fascinating facts, even though the Colosseum is fascinating without knowing anything.
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