COLOSSEUM IN ROME

THE COLOSEUM IN ROME IS AN ELLIPTICAL AMPHITHEATRE IN THE CENTER OF ROME.  IT WAS BUILT OF CONCRETE AND STONE.IT WAS THE LARGEST IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.  IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ARCHITECTURAL ARCHITECTURAL WORKS.  IT WAS BUILT ABOUT 80 A.D. AND TOOK 10 YEARS.  IT WAS NAMED IN LATIN AS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLAVIAN DYNASTY.

THE COLOSSEUM COULD HOLD 50,000 FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE.  THEY HAD GLADIATOR CONTESTS AND MOCK SEA BATTLES , ANIMAL HUNTS, EXECUTION, DRAMAS ANIMAL HUNTS, EXECUTIONS, DRAMAS BASED ON MYTHOLOGIES.  IT CEASED  TO BE USED ON THE EARLY MEDIEVAL ERA.  LATER IT WAS REUSED  AS HOUSING, WORKSHOPS, RELIGIOUS ORDER, FORTRESS AND A SHRINE.

TODAY IT IS PARTIALLY RUINED BECAUSE OF EARTHQUAKES AND STONE ROBBERS.  IT IS A SYMBOL OF IMPERIAL ROME AND IS A POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION.  IT HAS CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH ROMAN CATHOLIC  CHURCH.

THE COLOSEUM'S ORIGINAL NAME WASAMPHITHEATRUM FLAVIUM.  IT WAS CONSTRUCTED BY EMPERORS.  IN ROME THERE ARE MANY STATUES OF THEIR GODS OF ANCIENT MYTHOLOGIES.IN ROME THEREWAS AL;SO A BRONZE STATUE OF THE COLOSSEUM.  THIS STATUE DID NOT FALL AND IT WAS PULLED DOWN TO USE ITS BRONZE STATUES.  DURING THE 17TH CENTURY CHURCH OFFICIALS SOUGHT A PRODUCTIVEROLE FOR THE COLOSEUM - A WOOL FACTORY FOR EMPLOYING ROME PROSTITUTES.  IT FELL THROUGH.  IN 1671 THE COLOSSEUM WAS USED FOR BULLFIGHTS AND IT WAS HASTILY ABANDONED.

THE COLUSSEUM WAS BY SPOILS TAKEN FROM THE JEWISH TEMPLE AFTER A BATTLE IN JERUSALEM.  BY THE END OF THE CENTURY B.C. THE THE AREA HAD A DENSE POPULATION  BY 64 A.D. THERE WAS A FIRE.

SINCE THEN THEY HAVE BUILT OTHER AMPHITHEATRES.  A SERIES OF TUNNELS WERE BUILT BY THE SON OF VESPASIAN.  THE TUNNELS WERE USED TO HOUSE ANIMALS AND SLAVES.  THROUGH TIME THE COLLUSEUM HAD DAMAGE FROM FIRES. EARTHQUAKE ANF GLADIATOR FIGHTS.

BY THE LATE 6TH CENTURY A CHURCH WAS BUILT BY THE AMPHITHEATRE.  THE AREA WAS CONVERTED.  HOUSES AND WORSHOPS WERE RENTED OUT AS EARLY AS 12TH CENTURY.  BY 1200 A FAMILY TOOK IT OVER AND FORTIFIED IT USING IT AS A CASTLE.  A RELIGIOUS SECT MOVED INTO THE NORTHERN PART FROM 14TH - 19TH CENTURIES.  THE ORIGINAL BUILDING HAD BRONZE CLAMPS WHICH HELD THE STONE WORK AND WERE PRIED OFF AND LEFT SCARS ON THE BUILDING.

IN 1749 POPE BENEDICT ENDORSED THE VIEW THAT THE COLOSSEUM WAS A SACRED SITE WHERE EARLY CHRISTIANS HAD BEEN MARTYRED.  THE POPE LATER ENDORSED THE VIEW THAT THE EARLY CHRISTIANS HAD BEEN MARTERED.  HE FORBADE THE USE OF THE COLOSSEUM AS A QUARRY AND DEDICATED THE BUILDING TO THE PASSION OF CHRIST AND INSTALLED STATIONS OF THE CROSS DECLARING IT SANCTIFIED.HOWEVER THERE IS NO HISTORICAL EVIDENCE FOR SUPPORTING THIS.  THE COLOSSEUM HAS UNDERGONE VARIOUS STABILIZATION AND RESTORATION PROJECTS, REMOVING EXTENSIVE VEGETATION.

TODAY THE COLOSSEUM IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS RECEING MILLIONS OF VISITORS MILLIONS OF VISITORS ANNUALLY.  POLUTION AND GENERAL DETERIORATION OVER TIME PROMPTED A MAJOR DETERIORATION IN 1993 AND 2000.  THE INTERIOR OF THE COLOSEUM IS HOST TO LARGE EVENTS, ONLY A FEW HUNDRED SPECTATORS CAN BE ACCOMODATED IN TEMPORARY SEATING.  THEY HAVE HELD LARGE LEVELS OUTSIDE USING THE COLOSSEUM AS A BACKDROP.

UNLIKE EARLIER GREEK THEATRES IT IS THAT THEY WERE BUILT INTO HILLSIDES, IT IS A FREE STANDING STRUCTURE.  UNLIKE GREEK THEATRES THAT WERE BUILT INTO HILLSIDES, THE COLL=OSSEUM IS AN ENTIRELY FREE STANDING STRUCTURE.  THE EXTERIOR WALLS ARE ABOUT 158' HIGH.  THE CENTRAL ARENA IS AN OVAL 280' LONG AND 180 ' WIDE.  THEY HAD TIERS OF SEATING ABOUT 5 M WIDE.  SOME OF THE SEATING WAS 15' HIGH.  THE OUTER WALL IS TRAVERTINE STONE SET WITH MORTAR AND HELD TOGETHER WITH IRON CLAMPS.  SOME EARTHQUAKES HAVE AFFECTED IT AND SECTIONS COLLAPSED.  ORIGINALLY IT HAD THREE STORIES OF ARCADES. WITH A TALL ATTIC AND THEY HAD SOME WINDOWS.  IN THE ARCHES THEY HAD DIVINITIES OR FIGUURES FROM CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY.  THEY HAD A RETRACTABLE AWNING THAT KEPT THER RAIN OFF SPECTATORS.  THIS COVERED 2/3 OF THE ARENA.  SAILORA CAME FROM ROMAN NAVEL HEADQUARTERS.

THEY BUILT IT SO IT COULD BE FILLED OR EVACUATED QUICKLY.  THE SPECTATORS WERE GIVEN POTTERY SHERDS AS TICKETS SO THEY KNEW THE SEATS TO TAKE.  THE ROMANS HAD QUITE A RIGID SYSTEM AND THE SEATS REFLECTED A TIERED ARRANGEMENT OF CEMENT SECTIONS.  SOME FOLKS BROUGHT SOME CHAIRS.

SENATORS HAD SPECIAL SEATS.  THEIR SOCIETY WAS HIGHLY STRATIFIED.  SPECIAL SOCIAL SECTIONS WERE PROVIDED FOR CITIZENS AND NOBLES.  SOME GROUPS WERE BANNED FROM COMING HERE.  THE ARENA HAD A WOODEN FLOOR WITH SAND AND IT HAD AN UNDERGROUND STRUCTURE.  THESE TUNNELS WERE WHERE ANIMALS HAD CAGES.  IT EVEN HAD ROOM FOR ELEPHANTS!  THE COLOSSEUM SUPPORTED A BIG INDUSTRY.  NEARBY WAS A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR GLADIATORS.  NEARBY WAS AN ARMORY OF STORE WEAPONS AND PLACESTO TREAT WOUNDED GLADIATORS.  CERTAIN FAMILIES GAVE EVENTS HERE TO PROVIDE SHOWS CALLED MINERA.  SOME WERE HIGHLY RELIGIOUS, BUT MOSTLY OF POWER.  A POPULAR SHOW WAS THE ANIMAL HUNT.  THE ANIMAL HUNT.  THE ANIMALS CAME FROM AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST.  SOME CONTESTS HAD SEA BATTLES.  IN A.D. 89 IT WAS FILLED WITH WATER FOR SWIMMING HORSES AND BULLS.  THERE IS DEBATE THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR WARSHIPS TO HAVE MOVED AROUND.

SOME ARTISTS PLANTED FORESTS SCENERY IN THE AREA WITH BUSHES AND TREES.  NO ANIMALS COULD BE PLACED HERE FOR HUNTS AND DRAMAS.  TODAY THEY HAVE CEREMONIES ON GOOD FRIDAYS.  SINCE 1600'S THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED THE HISTORY OF OF FLORA HERE.  THEY TRIED TO REDUCE PLANTS THAT GREW HERE ON THE ROCKS.  THESE INCLUDED DIFFERENT MOSSES AND LICHEN.

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