12 Facts about Colosseum in Rome
Here are some fascinating facts about Colosseum to explain why these ancient ruins in Lazio attract more visitors than Disneyland Paris.
Even before Ridley Scott’s Gladiator film Colosseum was universally known as a symbol of man’s ingenuity and brutality. The pockmarked ruin is still the second most visited tourist site in Rome after Saint Peter’s Cathedral. Here are 12 facts about Colosseum to explain why.
For 2000 years Colosseum has been one of the primary landmarks of Rome.
No.1: A Roman Entertainment Venue
Colosseum was built on the grounds of Nero’s Golden House over a period of only 10 years. It was inaugurated in 80 AD as an entertainment venue for gladiator battles with wild animals and mock sea battles. The spectacles kept the masses occupied and served as propaganda for the emperor.
No. 2: A Guinness World Record
It still holds the Guinness World Record as the largest amphitheatre . While other antique amphitheaters were built into a valley, Colosseum was the first free standing structure of this kind.
No.3: Pottery Shard Tickets
According to Guinness, the amphitheatre could seat 87 000 spectators at a time, which is almost as much as Wembly Stadium in London. Spectators were given numbered pottery shards as tickets. These directed them to the appropriate section and row.
No. 4: Rapid Discharge from the Vomitorium
The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators. They accessed their seats via vomitoria, passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within a few minutes. The name vomitoria derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which the English word vomit was formed.
No. 5: Wild Animals
Battles between gladiators and wild animals included creatures such as wolves, bears, lions, tigers, rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, leopards and crocodiles. The spectacles had an elaborate scenery with moveable trees and buildings. The animals were kept in cages below the arena and could be brought forward by a system of rope-pulled elevators. That way up to 100 animals could appear at once.
No. 6: Gladitors & Social Mobility
Gladiators were mostly slaves or prisoners-of-war who had accepted to become gladiators. They were trained in military-style gladiator schools and had a higher standard of living than ordinary slaves. It was not impossible to survive the battles. At one spectacle 15 out of 18 gladiators survived.
No. 7: Thumbs Up Could Save Lives
If a gladiator managed to disarm or kill his opponent he would turn to the emperor or the audience for a verdict. Thumbs down equaled death while thumbs up meant that he was saved.
No. 8: Death Penalty by Animals
Sometimes criminals were sent in battle unprotected as a slow kind of death penalty.
The inside of Colosseum with galleries and subterranean stables.
No. 9: Three Month Spectacles
Some games went on for more than 100 days during which 5000 wild animals were slaughtered and 9000 gladiators fought to death.
No. 10: When Colosseum Falls
In the 8th century AD, the English monk Saint Bede wrote: “While the Colosseum stands, Rome shall stand, but when the Colosseum falls, Rome shall fall – and when Rome falls, the world will end,”
No. 11: Devastating Earthquakes
Colosseum was partly demolished by earthquakes the in 443 and 1349. It was then used as a stone quarry supplying bricks to several churches and hospitals in Rome.
No. 12: 5 Million Annual Visitors
5 million people visit Colosseum to wander the dungeons where wild beasts were caged each year leading to hour-long queues at the ticket office. Queuing can be avoided by booking tickets in advance. On the 1st Sunday of each month entrance is free of charge. Like the area around the Trevi Fountain, there’s a lot of fairground kitch surrounding the monument with living statues, dressed up gladiators and cheap souvenirs.
Italian Notes
Well, I’d much rather stroll about Colosseum than Disneyland. Though I’m curious why an English monk would say “…when Rome falls, the world will end,” centuries after the fall of Rome.
Eludes me too, but Wikipedia refers the story to The Catholic Encyclopedia. And it was another Englishman (Lord Byron) who made the quote famous.
#9 surprises me. Had no idea the “games” could last so long. A lot of misery for “contestants” – chilling factoid but I do appreciate their plight even more now that I know.
I guess most of them were relieved of their miseries before the end of the 100 day festival, but still … it’s quite a marathon.
Interesting facts. I haven’t yet been to the Colosseum and I really didn’t know most of these details. I’m really surprised about all the different kinds of animals that were used, too.
Yes, it was quite a show they could stage. Wonder how it would compare to Vegas?
Interesting…
Thank you.
We visited the Colosseum a few years ago but didn’t get to do the tour so these are so interesting to know. I didn’t know those games lasted so long
The facts are nice to know, if you are visiting with children. In my experience, the details catch their interest and lengthen their attention span.
What a whole lot of interesting facts Mette. It sounds a bit like the Hunger Games. I had no idea of the types of animals they brought in nor the shear number they could accommodate at once. What a life as a gladiator! Very cool post.
Love these cultural references, even though I’m ashamed to admit I had to google Hunger Games:)