Entertainment in the Colosseum

The Romans had many different types of entertainment they could watch in an amphitheater. They had gladiatorial battles; some including humans forced to fight animals, naval battles in the Colosseum, where the arena would be flooded, and occasionally “freak battles.” (Domitian put on one of these in 90 BCE between a dwarf gladiator and a woman) Basically, if the battle drew blood, the Romans were happy. Luckily for the gladiator, if they had shown great bravery and had fought well but had become injured, the audience would be able to decide his fate. If they wanted him to die, they would show a thumbs up, if they wanted to spare him, they would give a thumbs down and wave handkerchiefs, but this was very difficult to get… The Romans didn’t have much mercy. Though, since training and buying all the animals and gladiators to put on the show was so costly, the lives were spared, only to be put into another gladiator battle. Many times though, the fate was ultimately chosen by either the Emperor or whoever was putting the spectacle on.Wealthy men were able to put on a show for the entire city, paying for all to attend. Occasions such as that, though, were very special since gladiators were very expensive to train. Gladiators who survived were hailed as "superstars" and admired by many. Because of their "superstar" status, some people were actually willing to give up their lives and become a gladiator. Though gladiators were mainly slaves and captured war victims, they could gain status, some wealth, and possibly limited freedom. There were four main types of gladiators; Samnite (later called hoplomachus or secutor), carried a sword or a lance, a scutum (the rectangular shield used by Roman legionary soldiers), a metal helmet, and protective armor on his right arm and left leg. Thracian (named so because he resembled fighters from Thrace, a region of northern Greece), fought using far less - a curved short sword (the sica), and a small round shield, the parma. Thirdly came the Murmillo, or "fishman" (after the fish-shaped crest on his helmet) - similar to a Samnite, but less heavily armed. He usually fought the fourth main type of warrior, the Retiarius, or "net-man," who wore no armor at all. A Retiarius attempted to ensnare his opponent in his net (or used the net to trip the other man) and then to stab him with a long, razor-sharp trident, or three-pronged spear. In addition to these, there were a number of special and off-beat types and pairings, which included Equites, who fought on horseback using lances, swords, and/or lassoes; the Essedarii, who confronted each other on chariots; and, most bizarre of all, the Andabatae, who grappled while blindfolded by massive helmets with no eyeholes.

Some History

The entrance to some of what has been excavated of the Domus Aurea

When Vespasian eventually emerged victor after the year of anarchy following Nero's suicide in 68 AD, the new emperor decided to eradicate the memory of his predecessor's excesses by having an amphitheater built in stone. In 72 AD, as a conspicuous public gesture, Vespasian ordered the upper part of Nero's Golden House to be demolished, the lake drained and a permanent amphitheater, the Colosseum, was to be erected in its place. The identity of the architect who planned and had constructed the Colosseum is still unknown. The opening was celebrated with 100 days of public feasts and games, in the course of which the Colosseum was flooded for a mock sea battle. Titus' brother, Domitian, added some of the finishing touches to the amphitheater, adding wooden terraces for the women on the upper level and a barracks for training gladiators. Later the central area used for fighting was enriched with spectacular moveable scenery which could be hauled into position by a system of winches and pulleys. The Colosseum, even in its ruined state now, began its preservation, initiated by Pope Benedict XIV, in 1749 to save the last remains, which today correspond to a third of the original building. Restoration of the building's fabric had begun as far back as 223 AD. On August 23, 217, the Colosseum was struck by lightning during a terrible storm and the wooden terraces of the upper level caught fire. The burning timbers fell into the arena beginning a terrible conflagration which seven divisions of firemen helped by the sailors from the fleet at Misena were unable to extinguish. The destruction was so thorough, that the amphitheater was not able to be used for the next six years. The Stadium of Domitian (Piazza Navona), constructed in 86 AD for athletic competitions, was temporarily adapted to accommodate the gladiators.

The Importance of the Flavian Amphitheatre

Secret trap door to let animals into the Colosseum

The Flavian Amphitheatre, more commonly known as the Colosseum, was one of many amphitheaters throughout the Roman Empire, in fact, it's the largest. Construction was started by Vespasian and finished by Titus in 70-80 AD as a means of entertainment; it is one of the most iconic buildings in all of Rome. The nickname Colosseum, or Coliseum, derives either from a colossal statue of the emperor Nero that once stood nearby which, according to the ancient historian Suetonius, was over 35 meters high (120 ft.); or from the colossal dimensions of the building itself. The Colosseum stands below the slopes of the Oppian hill in a marshy valley encircled by the Caelian, Esquiline, and Palatine hills. The Colosseum was a much needed amphitheater since the most important amphitheater was the wooden structure built in 30 BC by Satilius Taurus on the Campus Martius, which was destroyed in the terrible fire of 64 AD. During the opening ceremony of the Colosseum put on by Emperor Titus, over 5,000 animals were killed in a span of 100 days. Not surprisingly, due to the Romans, there are certain species of animals extinct in Northern Africa. Situated only a short distance away from the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine put in place in 315 AD, is located. The Colosseum is among the most famous buildings still standing from Ancient Roman time and is one of the largest tourist attractions. The Colosseum was used to distract many ancient pauper citizens during crisis and used to help during times of celebration. The Colosseum, able to accommodate around 50,000 people, was an ideal setting for large entertainment and was also used to help gain leverage in political campaigns. By gaining the favor of the general public by putting on free gladiatorial events, politicians could win over many votes.