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Colosseum
Colosseum, giant amphitheatre built in Rome under
the Flavian emperors. Construction of the Colosseum
was begun sometime between 70 and 72 CE during the
reign of Vespasian. It is located just east of the
Palatine Hill, on the grounds of what was Nero’s
Colosseum Golden House. The artificial lake that was the
Colosseum, Rome. centrepiece of that palace complex was drained, and
the Colosseum was sited there, a decision that was as
much symbolic as it was practical. Vespasian, whose
path to the throne had relatively humble beginnings,
chose to replace the tyrannical emperor’s private lake
with a public amphitheatre that could host tens of

Colosseum
thousands of Romans.

Interior of the Colosseum in Rome.

The structure was officially dedicated in 80 CE by
Titus in a ceremony that included 100 days of games.
Later, in 82 CE, Domitian completed the work by
adding the uppermost story. Unlike earlier
amphitheatres, which were nearly all dug into
convenient hillsides for extra support, the Colosseum
Colosseum is a freestanding structure of stone and concrete, using
Aerial view of the Colosseum, Rome, a complex system of barrel vaults and groin vaults and
completed 82 measuring 620 by 513 feet (189 by 156 metres)
CE
overall. Three of the arena’s stories are encircled by
.
arcades framed on the exterior by engaged columns in
the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders; the structure’s rising arrangement of columns
became the basis of the Renaissance codification known as the assemblage of orders. The
main structural framework and facade are travertine, the secondary walls are volcanic tufa,
and the inner bowl and the arcade vaults are concrete.

The amphitheatre seated some 50,000 spectators, who were shielded from the sun by a

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massive retractable velarium (awning). Supporting

masts extended from corbels built into the
Colosseum’s top, or attic, story, and hundreds of
Roman sailors were required to manipulate the rigging
that extended and retracted the velarium. The
Colosseum Colosseum was the scene of thousands of hand-to-
Interior of the Colosseum, Rome. hand combats between gladiators, of contests between
men and animals, and of many larger combats,
including mock naval engagements. However, it is uncertain whether the arena was the site
of the martyrdom of early Christians.

In medieval times, the Colosseum was used as a

church, then as a fortress by two prominent Roman
families, the Frangipane and the Annibaldi. The
Colosseum was damaged by lightning and
earthquakes and, even more severely, by vandalism
Colosseum and pollution. All the marble seats and decorative
Colosseum, Rome. materials disappeared, as the site was treated as little
more than a quarry for more than 1,000 years.
Preservation of the Colosseum began in earnest in the 19th century, with notable efforts led
by Pius VIII, and a restoration project was undertaken in the 1990s. It has long been one of
Rome’s major tourist attractions, receiving close to seven million visitors annually.
Changing exhibitions relating to the culture of ancient Rome are regularly mounted.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam
Augustyn.

Citation Information
Article Title: Colosseum
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 12 February 2024
URL: https://www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Colosseum
Access Date: February 29, 2024

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