History Behind The Colosseum

1527 Words4 Pages

History accounts for most of what our world is made up of today and to this day we have grown from what has occurred in the past. Back in 80 CE, a monumental amphitheater was created, in Rome. This amphitheater was to act as an entertainment hub where people would watch all kinds of games and sports. It was the Roman Empire’s central stage for gladiatorial combats and the wild beast hunts. It was ultimately meant to distract and socially control the public. In this paper, many aspects of this great amphitheater will be discussed. Some of items include historical/cultural aspects, aesthetic philosophy, period genres, stylistic traits and technical terms, biographical information and specific compositions. These aspects will be separated into 6 parts and thoroughly discussed.
Historical/Cultural Aspects
When discussing the historical and cultural aspects it is important to take into consideration the culture, religion, political, social, economic and artistic aspects of the time period.The construction of the Colosseum occurred during the Flavian Dynasty, between 69 CE to 96 CE. The construction of this massive amphitheater began in 70 CE under the reign of emperor Vespasian and ended sometime around 80 CE under the reign of his son Titus (Vespasian, 2013). During this time period Vespasian was greatly known for his reorganization of the army and the expansion of the membership of the senate, which ultimately dealt with the political, economic and military aspect of the Roman history and culture.
The reign of Vespasian and his two sons, Titus and Domitian, comprised the Flavian Dynasty. Unlike The Julio-Claudians that took reign before them, the Flavians were of Italian gentry, not Roman aristocracy. Following the assassination ...

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...ncient And Classical Periods, 3500 B.C.E.-500 C.E. - Rome - The Roman Empire, 14-284 C.E. - The High Empire - Civil War And A New Settlement." Encyclopedia Of World History (2001): 91-92. History Reference Center. Web. 4 April 2014.
Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition: The First Civilizations and the Classical Legacy. McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.
Lerner Publishing, Group. "Ancient Rome." Ancient Construction. 69. US: Lerner Publishing Group, 2000. History Reference Center. Web. 4 April 2014.
Natanson, Ann. "A Colossal Undertaking." History Today 61.10 (2011): 6-7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 April 2014.
"Vespasian." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 April 2014.
"Vespasian (9-79)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. General Reference Center GOLD. Web. 4 April 2014.

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