arena, Rome, Italy
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External Websites
- Official Site of Colosseum
- Livescience - The Roman Colosseum: Facts about the gladiatorial arena
- National Geographic Kids - Ten Facts About The Colosseum!ss
- Academia - Building the Colosseum
- The History Learning Site - Roman Entertainment
- Art in Context - Roman Colosseum – Looking at the Roman Colosseum’s History
- University of Washington - The Colosseum: Power, Brilliance, and Brutality
- World History Encyclopedia - Colosseum, Rome, Italy
- Ancient Origins - The Mind-Blowing Architecture and Engineering of Rome’s Colosseum
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- Colosseum - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
- Colosseum - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- Official Site of Colosseum
- Livescience - The Roman Colosseum: Facts about the gladiatorial arena
- National Geographic Kids - Ten Facts About The Colosseum!ss
- Academia - Building the Colosseum
- The History Learning Site - Roman Entertainment
- Art in Context - Roman Colosseum – Looking at the Roman Colosseum’s History
- University of Washington - The Colosseum: Power, Brilliance, and Brutality
- World History Encyclopedia - Colosseum, Rome, Italy
- Ancient Origins - The Mind-Blowing Architecture and Engineering of Rome’s Colosseum
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- Colosseum - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
- Colosseum - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Also known as: Flavian Amphitheatre
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- Also called:
- Flavian Amphitheatre
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Top Questions
What is the Colosseum?
What is the Colosseum?
The Colosseum is an amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors of the Roman Empire. It is also called the Flavian Amphitheatre. It is an elliptical structure made of stone, concrete, and tuff, and it stands four stories tall at its highest point. It measures 620 by 513 feet (189 by 156 metres) and could hold as many as 50,000 spectators. The Colosseum was famously used for gladiatorial combat.
Who built the Colosseum?
Who built the Colosseum?
Construction of the Colosseum began under the Roman emperor Vespasian between 70 and 72 CE. The completed structure was dedicated in 80 CE by Titus, Vespasian’s son and successor. The Colosseum’s fourth story was added by the emperor Domitian in 82 CE. Importantly, the arena was paid for with plunder from Titus’s sack of Jerusalem in 70 CE, and it was built by enslaved Jews from Judaea.
Why was the Colosseum built?
Why was the Colosseum built?
The Colosseum was built as part of an imperial effort to revitalize Rome after the tumultuous year of the four emperors, 69 CE. As with other amphitheatres, the emperor Vespasian intended the Colosseum to be an entertainment venue, hosting gladiator fights, animal hunts, and even mock naval battles.
What happened to the Colosseum?
What happened to the Colosseum?
The Colosseum fell into serious disrepair after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During the 12th century, the Frangipane and Annibaldi families repurposed the arena to function as their fortress. In the late 15th century, Pope Alexander VI permitted the Colosseum to be used as a quarry. After over a thousand years of neglect, state-funded restoration efforts began in the 1990s.
Why is the Colosseum important today?
Why is the Colosseum important today?
As one of the few mostly intact structures from the Roman Empire, the Colosseum stands today as a monument to ancient Rome’s architectural and engineering prowess. It is also a major source of tourism revenue for the Italian government. In 2018 the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill together brought in more than $63.3 million (€53.8 million), the highest revenue of any tourist attraction in Italy.
Recent News
May 31, 2024, 2:45 AM ET (ABC News (U.S.))
Work on new Rome subway line under the Colosseum and Forum enters crucial phase
May 24, 2024, 2:00 AM ET (AP)
Work on new Rome subway line under the Colosseum and Forum enters crucial phase
Colosseum, giant amphitheater 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 Golden House. The artificial lake that was the centerpiece 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 amphitheater that could host tens of thousands of Romans.
Did You Know?
The Colosseum is considered one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. What are the other six?
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 amphitheaters, which were nearly all dug into convenient hillsides for extra support, the Colosseum is a freestanding structure of stone and concrete, using a complex system of barrel vaults and groin vaults and measuring 620 by 513 feet (189 by 156 meters) 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.
Britannica QuizThe Dating Game: Which Came First?The amphitheater seated some 50,000 spectators, who were shielded from the sun by a 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 was the scene of thousands of hand-to-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 and pollution. All the marble seats and decorative 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 Amy Tikkanen.