Coliseum still stands as an architectural wonder

Thousands lost their lives within these circular walls. The blood spilled here could probably keep the Canadian Red Cross going for hundreds of years - bloody killings, maimings, decapitations, dismemberment, burnings at the stake - thousands of Christians were reportedly killed here - some deny that fact. One story has it that to take suspicion away from himself, Nero blamed the Christians for the great fire.

One of the most ironic twists in the story of Rome and the coliseum is the fact that if Christians were killed here because of their views, several hundred years later one of the rulers of the Roman Empire was a Christian, Constantine. The society that once persecuted Christians on the level of the Holocaust eventually embraced the religion.

The coliseum still stands, albeit in very poor shape. One of the things that is eroding the centuries-old landmark the most is pollution - pollution from the thousands of mopeds that cruise by the site by the second. The Roman government, last I heard, is hoping to place on ban on the use of mopeds in order to stave off further erosion.

I don't know what it is about this part of history, but the story of Rome, and of the coliseum, enthralls me. Gladiator, Quo Vadis? Spartacus - I don't miss a word of dialogue or a second of cinematography.

Yet those images are far different from what stands there now. Whole sections of the coliseum are gone, from earthquakes and looting. The marble sheen that once adorned its walls long gone. Every opening of the building was once decorated with a statue - all gone. The walls are pitted and crumbling. The wooden floor that once echoed with the footfalls of bloodthirsty gladiators is gone. In reality, many of those gladiators were probably much like you and me and praying to their god that they survived their time inside.

Now you can see what was below that wooden floor - what is left of it anyway. The remnants of the lower area are in poor shape. The lower area was used for many things: to house the wild animals that would eventually find their way topside; to hold the Christians and slaves and foreigners who would eventually find their way into the bloody arena. There were also an assortment of mechanical devices used to raise and lower cells doors and ramps that would lead the animals to the top. From the picture below, the coliseum looks small, but the picture is deceiving. I believe there is a group of people standing in the far doorway, but they are dwarfed by the building.

Image Copyrighted by Historylink101.com and found at Italy and Rome Picture Gallery

The coliseum got its name from the huge statue of Emperor Nero some 30 meters high which once stood near the entrance to his Golden House. The coliseum was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater and stands in an area once occupied by the lake of Nero's Domus Aureus, the Golden House. The coliseum was begun during Emperor Vespasian's reign in 72 A.D. and completed by his son Titus in 80 A.D. It was inaugurated with 100 days of games and festivals in which it is said that 9,000 wild animals and some 2,000 gladiators lost their lives. Many gladiatorial contests were staged as re-enactments of major Roman conquests and victories over their enemies. The structure could seat up to 55,000 spectators.

The arena or floor of the amphitheater was 258 feet long and 150 feet wide. Around the arena's edge stood the "podium" wall about 15 feet high - which at times, was topped by a trellis or net to protect the spectators. The wood floor of the central exhibition area was covered with "harena", latin for sand, which gives us the term "arena" still used today for a large structure intended for the display of sports, circuses or other spectacles. It is also said the main purpose of the sand on the floor was to soak up all the blood.

Earlier in its history, the coliseum was also used for mock naval battles. The floor would be taken away and the lower area was flooded. Mock naval battles then took place, usually recreations of victorious Roman battles. The practice was eventually stopped and the floor made permanent.

One topic of contention still remains is what exactly was used as a cover for the coliseum - and how exactly it operated. There is no evidence left to answer those questions. There are remains of post holders on the exterior of the building. What is known is that very long posts were inserted into the holdings and ran up the side of the building to the top. But what experts can't agree on is exactly what kind of system was used to cover the spectators from the sun's glare. Either way, it is likely that canvas was used. While surfing the 'net for information on this, I even found a mention that the roof was made of wood! I don't think so.

What is known is that sailors were used to operate the awning, drawing it out when ordered, and bringing it back in. What is not known is how far the awning extended into the coliseum. One theory tells of many ropes extending far into the arena where they meet a circular section of rope. The canvas is then played out along these ropes. But that theory is contested because all that rope extending for so far would be very heavy and would probably collapse under its own weight.

There are depictions on coins, but such recreations cannot be considered proof. Another theory involves the use of masts and pulleys. The masts would hold horizontal masts on which to pull the awning over. Here it is believed that it did not cover the whole structure, but at least the most important seatings of the emperor for the whole day.

I saw a show on an educational station recently involving just this topic. There were two teams, and each was working on their theory of the roof. They performed their experiment in an existing amphitheatre, much smaller than the one in Rome. One team tried to recreate the rope theory, and the other, the mast and pulley theory. It wasn't easy work, and they were only recreating a small portion of a roof - one can imagine the work it took to do this in the coliseum.

Results proved inconclusive, as both teams had a lot of trouble making their recreations actually work.