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Below are a dozen insights on the Coliseum of Rome
Spectators
sometimes became
part of the
Coliseum show
 Although the typical Coliseum of Rome
combatants were trained gladiators, convicted
criminals and prisoners of war, occasionally glory-seeking individuals
volunteered to fight. Often they overrated their
skills and suffered the consequences..
At least one emperor ordered his guards to toss
unsuspecting spectators into the arena, for various reasons. The victim may have previously angered the
emperor. Or, the victim may have been a complete stranger but the emperor disliked the way he was behaving in
the Coliseum of Rome. Sometimes the emperor's
motive was simply to amuse himself by randomly selecting a spectator
to meet his death in the arena.
One emperor
actively participated
Commodus was the only emperor to fight in the Coliseum of
Rome, which he did many times. He killed but
was never killed. His matches were rigged by
selecting opponents who were under-armed, poorly
skilled or physically impaired from previous
fights). He is the person portrayed as the malicious
emperor in the Academy Award winning movie, Gladiator.
Audience segregation
Spectators were seated in the Coliseum of Rome by rank, social class and gender. The emperor had his own "court side" box.
Senators were allocated choice ringside seats. The rich & well-connected had the next best
seats. Male commoners (the largest audience segment) sat behind them. Woman were relegated to the upmost tier – except
for those trying to survive in the arena.
Not every gladiatorial
combat was a fight
until death affair
A gladiator was valuable assets to to his owner. Understandably, the owner tried to keep his gladiators alive
as long as possible because training a replacement was
an expensive endeavor. The owner was usually reluctant to
enter a gladiator in combat unless the chances of him surviving were high (even if he lost the fight). The
Coliseum of Rome event organizers recognized that they had to keep the death rate down if they were to have
enough gladiators show up (but not too low lest the spectators stayed home).
Fighting categories
Gladiators were specialized in the Coliseum of
Rome. One type was armed with a short, heavy sword
and wore a hefty wrap-around helmet plus
protective arm and leg guards. Brut strength was
his forte. This is the gladiator class that has
become the movie cliché image of the bad-guy.
Another
major category had limited armor and relied on
cunning and quickness (think of Hollywood's hero).
He was protected only by a light sword and a small
arm-band shield. Yet another gladiator type fought
with nothing but a trident and a net for ensnarling a
foe. A Coliseum of Rome gladiator could be matched
against an opponent within or outside his category.
Some gladiators
gained their freedom
If a gladiator earned a reputation for fighting
well and bravely in the Coliseum of Rome, the
roaring crowd would implore the emperor that he be
liberated. If the request was granted, the
gladiator was handed a wooden sword, signifying that he
was a free man and would never have to fight again.
Wide variety
of wild beasts
The managers of the Coliseum of Rome imported animals to fight from as far away as Africa and India. The wild
beasts included fierce lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, hippos and rhinos.
The animals were kept in a cages and cells
directly underneath the wooden floor where the combats occurred.
To add excitement to
the spectacles, trap doors were strategically hidden locations in the wooden floor.
Suddenly, one would spring open, releasing a
charging lion or other savage animal, ready to
attack anyone who happened to be in the Coliseum
of Rome arena. The crowds loved this gimmick.
Because the wooden floor no longer exists,
the network of underground rooms and corridors is now visible to Coliseum of Rome visitors.
Why the Coliseum of
Rome is not on the famous
Ancient Seven Wonders list
The original Ancient Wonders of the World list was composed in the 3rd century BC, roughly
200 years before the Coliseum of Rome was built. Had it then existed, the Coliseum of Rome would probably have made the list.
 
The above button takes you to my Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World web page. It includes pictures
and descriptions plus my analysis of the strengths and
weaknesses of the ancient list.
The Coliseum's
original name
During the days of the Roman Empire, the Coliseum of Rome was called the Flavian Amphitheatre (after the
emperor dynasty that built it). Eventually, people
nicknamed it the Coliseum, which derives from a Roman word
for gigantic. Language sleuths are not sure
whether the Romans were referring to the immense
scale of the Coliseum of Rome or to the fact that
it stood near the colossus ("tall statue") of Nero.
The Coliseum of Rome
was not unique.
The Romans built numerous other amphitheaters around their far-flung empire – and the one in Nimes, France
is in better physical shape than the Coliseum of Rome. What makes the latter superlative is its unrivaled
size and historical background.
Lord Byron's
famous lines
The renowned 19th century English poet Lord Byron penned
this prophecy regarding the Coliseum in his "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage"
composition:
While stands the Coliseum,
Rome shall stand;
When falls the Coliseum,
Rome shall fall;
And when Rome falls
- the World.
The Coliseum's
vast awning
The Coliseum of Rome could shelter spectators and participants with an immense awning on
drizzling and sizzling sunny summer days.
The huge awning covered
the top of the Coliseum. The task of
mounting and removing it was challenging.
No one knows for certain how it was done.
Some experts believe that the awning may have been a
single massive piece. When needed, it was first spread out on the Coliseum of Rome's floor
and lower seats. It was then slowly hoisted to the top and
secured to the vertical flag poles that once
circled the building's upper rim.
Other experts think that the
awning may have consisted of individual sail-like triangular sheets.
These canvas segments were supported by
mast-like poles that jutted out teepee-style from the Coliseum of Rome's upper rim. Ropes
extended and retracted the horizontal sails, boat-style.
Click the
below green "Main Coliseum" button to see my animated picture of how the
Coliseum of Rome originally appeared, with and without its canvas covering.
My other
Coliseum web pages
I have two other informative web pages on the Coliseum of Rome, the main page
and a history page. Click the blue buttons below to view them:
 
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