Out of all the major sports stadiums in the world, one stands out above the rest. The Colosseum is known world wide as a visually stunning icon of ancient Rome. Having stood for almost 2000 years, this stadium has been a trailblazing symbol of innovation in architecture and engineering. This four-storey behemoth practically laid down the blueprints for thousands of subsequent stadiums by being the biggest, most functional and more importantly most technologically advanced building of its time. Nothing had even come close to matching the Colosseum’s grandeur until the 19th and 20th centuries.
Before we start to discuss the Colosseum’s achievements, we first have to understand the historical context and background of the building. Construction of the building started in 72 AD, and was commissioned by the Emperor Vespasian who was the founder of the Flavian Dynasty. Unfortunately, Vespasian would not be able to see his complete vision of a glorious stadium. He died of natural causes only one year prior to the completion of construction in 80 AD (Pepe A, 2012). Vespasians son and successor Titus, would be the first emperor to rule after the Colosseum’s completion. He inaugurated the stadium by holding a massive celebration that lasted 100 days. The inaugural games were a time to celebrate the Colosseum’s completion by holding gladiatorial games everyday. By the end of the inaugural games Rome had bared witness to the slaughtering of 9000 exotic animals as well as the deaths of up to 2000 gladiators (Pepe A, 2012).
The Colosseum was erected on the site of former Emperor Nero’s private palace called Domus Aurea,(Pepe A, 2012) which when translated means Golden House. Nero had the Domus Aurea built between the Esquiline and P...
... middle of paper ...
...njoy. Judging by the innovative timeless and solid technology used in this building, the Colosseum may even outlast the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Works Cited
Pepe A, Pepe D, McElwee C. The Colosseum c2012. [Online]. Available from: http://www.the-colosseum.net/idx-en.htm Accessed 2012 February 28.
Hopkins K. 2011. The Colosseum: Emblem of Rome. [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/colosseum_01.shtml Accessed 2012 March 2.
Alchin L. Roman Colosseum. C2008. [Online]. Available from: http://www.roman-colosseum.info/roman-colosseum-copyright.htm Accessed 2012 March 2.
Elia GM. 2002. The Colosseum: Quality and Efficientcy of Construction. [Online]. Available from: http://metodoetecniche.blogspot.com/p/articoli-dellautore.html Accesses 2012 March 4.
Mueller T. Unearthing The Colosseum’s Secrets. Smithsonian. 2011 January. p.26
In Rome the buildings were constructed under Roman Empire. The Roman Colosseum was constructed between 69 to 79 CE by the Vespasian emperor, The Circus Maximum was built in the 2nd century B.C by the high emperor, in 31 B.C the fire destroyed it that led Emperor Augustus to rebuild the Circus in 82 AD, Ludus Magnus was a gladiatorial training school in Rome and it was originally built between 81-96AD by Emperor Domitian. The emperor’s theme was large public stone buildings that would bring the people of Rome together and also the emperor was rich and they had manpower. The emperors also patron towards the workers and also to prove that they are the great leaders. The emperors had money, a lot of workers to build the buildings to the Emperor’s satisfaction. The buildings were used by the public as entertainment where they would go and watch all sorts of races & fights.
Throughout the ages, many scholars and future-scholars have offered an explanation for the meaning of structures from the ancient years, either by their placement or construction. None has fascinated or pushed scholars for reasons than structures and art of the ancient Romans, more specifically those constructed in the years of the Pax Romana and Crisis and Decline of the Roman Empire (27 BC to 284 AD).
...m. This huge circular arena was the pinnacle of the Roman Gladiatorial games, and though it isn't fully intact, it is a great reminder of ancient culture. Though today these games seem inhumane and unnecessary, to their ancient culture it was a vacation from everyday stress. Even the Emperor was said to understand that though money and grain would satisfy and individual, large spectacles were necessary for the contentment of the masses' (wes civ).
Inside the marble-plated building, paintings and an array of ancient works of art adorn the otherwise monotonous walls of this ancient Roman museum. Perfectly handcrafted stone sculptures decorate even the door frames, creating an awe-inspiring sight as visitors come from far and wide to see the history of this vast empire. In the eastern wing of the museum, A group of student photographers gather round the ancient statue of a man who made his mark on history by creating the most fearsome empire in human history, all while setting the course for its inevitable destruction. The statue is of Augustus Caesar, the founder and first emperor of the Roman Empire. A man who, with an incredible lust for power, became the world’s most formidable ruler during his reign…
Wilson, R.J.A. “Roman Art and Architecture.” Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 361-399
During the middle and late third century Roman republic era gave rise to the arena games and became a great phenomenon for the Romans. An amphitheater, also known as a coliseum, housed these dangerous games that potentially harmed the audience as well as those who participated in them. Gladiatorial combat originated as part of funerals for deceased influential Romans. These large gladiatorial games were held by emperors during funerals of important roman officials, but were also included during other occasions. Over time the connection among the gladiator games and funerals decreased, and the upper class put on the games mainly to raise their social standing and gain favor with the public. Many politicians held these highly known games to help them sway votes of power and popularity (Meijer 2003, 27). “The arena was the embodiment of the empire.” (Futrell 1997, 209). The contestants, or the gladiators, had more significance of the Roman Empire beyond that as their role of entertainment.
The engineering discoveries of ancient Rome have played a key role in the history of architecture and engineering. Many of Rome’s roadways, bridges, and aqueducts have been in use from the first century until the twentieth century. Many American buildings have used the Roman dome. Several major structures from early Rome still stand, including the Collosseum. These remnants of feats of Roman engineering stand as a monument to the ability of ancient Roman builders.
As the materials used were help to design the first freestanding theater in the Roman cities. The concrete vaults formed a strong structural as it been through earthquakes, fire and looting the building still stands on point as of today. Masses of stone were used to design the structure through each floor. As the fourth floor had no opening just a bracket. The third floor utilize Corinthian columns, second floor Ionic columns and the first floor Doric columns. The fifty three meter high wall was divided into those sections to give the order relationships. As for the floor arena it utilize sand. The Colosseum was designed as an amphitheater it needed seats for the audience. As social hierarchy was used in ancient time seats for the rich, middles class their slaves and foreigners were made of marble. For the poor and women were seated in wooden seats. The strong structure can hold up to fifty thousand people. The Colosseum theater was built of limestone wall of brick, concrete and tufa which is volcanic stone. As the vaults were made of pumice stone. The materials were heavy weight so the arrangement of attached columns and open arches allow it to balanced out the mass. Molding was used to separate each arch from its supporting pier giving the columns more structure. The materials used in the Colosseum were designed to keep the structure standing
Here, we will be looking at a rendition of the high marble statue of Augustus Caesar known as “Augustus of Prima Porta.” Originating from 1st Century A.D., it is said that there is a possibility that the original sculpture could have been of greek descent. Upon a general overview of the sculpture, one can see that Augustus fulfils a millitarial role of some kind. From his very stance to the garments portrayed on him, Augustus is draped in a decorative cuirass and a tunic, accompanied by a figure of Cupid clutching on to his right calf. After taking the general themes of the work into account, one can then began to start unraveling the many symbolic elements embedded into the sculpture that allude to godly themes. Starting from the crown of his head, the very chiselment and structure of his face gives the work a youthful element to it, even though some say that Augustus was around 40 years old. A recurring theme within Greek and Roman culture is the matter of godliness and immortality amongst idolized figures themselves. This idea is usually depicted by displaying powerful human being in a younger light. This
"Roman Colosseum - Rome, Italy - Great Buildings Architecture." Architecture Design Architectural Images Drawings History and More - ArchitectureWeek Great Buildings. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.
"National Roman Museum - Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme." Soprintendenza Speciale per I Beni Archeologici Di Roma. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
Zanker, Paul. The power of images in the Age of Augustus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1988. (P. 158 ~ 159)
The Architecture of the Colosseum is very grand, with the capacity to hold up to 80,000 people. The Colosseum is over 160 feet tall, it “has a length of 620 feet and was close to 513 feet wide” (“Colosseum Architecture.”). Because the Colosseum was so big, it would have been very difficult to get so many people in and out of it had it not been for the various arches and stairs built within it. In total there are about 80 arches that each led to various stairways. These stairways then led to all the different levels of the Colosseum, which in turn made it a lot easier and more comfortable for a lot of people to exit it in a short amount of time. The Colosseum also had many arches of which four were “reserved exclusively for royalty and nobles” and the others were for the rest of the people (“Colosseum Architecture.”). Unlike other amphitheaters which had a circular shape, the Colosseum had the unique shape of an oval, which helped the people watching have a better view of the arena. This added to the overall different feel that the Colosseum had.
This class has examined the various accomplishments of ancient Rome, many that have been carried on throughout time and influenced numerous cultures around the world. Amongst those accomplishments were the development of concrete and the utilization of arches. This paper will examine the Roman development of both concrete and the infamous concrete arch that is utilized in many modern day structures today.
Today, the Colosseum still stands, but in ruins. It now serves as a tourist attraction. Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see this ancient stadium. This Colosseum is standing proof of the great architecture and engineering that the Romans possessed. Even today, in a world of skyscrapers, the Colosseum is very impressive. One of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions, The Colosseum tells very much about Roman culture. Even in ruins, the Colosseum continues to stand as a great marvel and a spectacular artifact.