The Colosseum: The Power, Magnificius And Ruthlessness Of The Roman Empire
explanatory Essay
1493 words
Situated in the center of Rome for nearly 2 millenniums, the Colosseum is a remarkable example of the power, genius and ruthlessness of the Roman Empire. Built solely for the purpose of entertaining the public in the most brutal way, the building illustrates the unscrupulous nature of the Ancient Roman culture and stands as an immortal representation of the time period. It is an undoubtedly unique architectural monument and engineering achievement second to none, combining the advanced Roman building technique and pure esthetics that take your breath away. Dominating the Flavian period of Rome the building also represents the Roman organizational ability. Throughout the years the Colosseum served as inspiration to a number of engineers and …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Describes the colosseum as a remarkable example of the power, genius, and ruthlessness of roman empire.
- Describes how the great fire of rome caused mass devastation and cleared the site on which the colosseum was about to be built.
- Explains that the four arches represent the main entrances of the colosseum. travertine was used for the pillars, the vaults were cast in cement and the walls were plastered and painted.
- Describes the colosseum as a monument that demonstrates power and greatness. it was designed to host the unique gladiator shows of its time.
- Explains that the colosseum is a symbol of the roman empire's traditions and architectural tendencies.
- Explains that the colosseum was built by one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen and represents its apogee. it suffered numerous devastations but survived for nearly 2 millennia.
Although nowadays it has lost much of its previous magnificence the Colosseum still makes people feel its glory so we can imagine how it should have felt like standing in front of it back then when it was operating. Being the largest buildings the Roman Empire ever built2 the Colosseum was in no doubt constructed to show people how great the power of the empire was. Designed to host the unique gladiator shows of its time, the Colosseum is still marked with the countless deaths it has seen, thus representing the ruthlessness of the Ancient Roman Empire. Combining tunnels, arches, vaults and columns in a sophisticated network, the building is an engineering masterpiece and an exquisite example of the organizational skills of the Romans. The Roman concrete is a building material which was very common for Roman architecture and represents the advance building techniques used by the Romans. The Colosseum along with buildings like the Pantheon in Rome is a bright example of the usage of Roman concrete making it a very distinctive building for the period of Ancient Roman architecture. The way in which seating is organized to provide easy access for visitors, clear view towards the arena and in the same time keep different classes of spectators separated was so precisely designed that it keeps inspiring stadium engineers until nowadays. Furthermore the Colosseum was an esthetic masterpiece being beautifully decorated which further strengthened its impact on people. Apart from its magnificence and glory an intriguing thing about the building is how it changed through the years and how it served its visitors and their changing interests. The fact that people associate the Colosseum with eternity and take it as something inseparable from the city of Rome (known as the everlasting city) is partly due to the fact that the building always lived its
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- analytical
- opinionated
- comparative
- The Roman Colosseumexplanatory essayBefore 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).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the colosseum is a trailblazing symbol of innovation in architecture and engineering and laid down the blueprints for thousands of subsequent stadiums.
- Explains that the colosseum's construction started in 72 ad, and was commissioned by the emperor vespasian who was the founder of the flavian dynasty.
- Explains that the colosseum was erected on the site of former emperor nero's private palace called domus aurea.
- Explains that the colosseum was interesting in the way it brought together members of society from all different castes to come and watch the games.
- Describes the construction of the colosseum on the site of a former lake. the foundation was built by first excavating until the builders hit the layer of clay that made up the lakebed.
- Explains that 100,000 slave workers were taken prisoners during the great revolt of 66 ad. they were responsible for transporting the stone from the quarry in tivoli to the building site in rome.
- Explains that the flavian family wanted the colosseum completed as fast as possible. they used standardized components, such as pre-made seats and stairs.
- Explains that the colosseum's most spectacular technological advances were hidden from the view of the spectators. underneath everything there was a maze of rooms, cells, cages, and tunnels spread out like the labyrinth.
- Describes the capstan as a winch placed in the vertical position to move the cages of the wild animals up and down beneath the floor to make them appear out of thin air.
- Explains that the colosseum is one of the most notable buildings in history with its unmistakable oval shape and sheer size.
- Explains that the colosseum still inspires people. with enough money, one can take guided tours of the hypogeum and the upper levels. the movie gladiator depicts a roman general betrayed by the emperor.
- Opines that the romans were masters of the applied sciences and created a masterpiece that has stood the test of time.
- Describes the works of pepe and mcelwee. the colosseum: emblem of rome.
1882 wordsRead More - The Roman Colosseum and Its Activitiesexplanatory essayWhat actually happened at the Roman Colosseum? It was a beautiful and terrible place full of death, glory, and victory. But the Colosseum was also the center and heart of Roman culture. It was the place where gladiators could win big or lose it all evidently their lives.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the roman colosseum was a beautiful and terrible place full of death, glory, and victory. it was also the center and heart of roman culture.
- Explains that the roman colosseum was built around 2,000 years ago in the heart of rome. it hosted the gruesome murderous games of gladiator fighting.
- Explains that the colosseum was built in the heart of ancient rome with lots of tunnels and pulley systems. it survived earthquakes for almost 2,000 years with minor damage.
- Explains that the roman colosseum was important because it was a place where romans could et entertainment.
608 wordsRead More - Circus MAximusanalytical essayThe ancient Romans created many architectural and engineering marvels. Marvels such as aqueducts, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and many more. None affected as many Romans more so than the Circus Maximus. The Circus Maximus, the great Roman chariot racing stadium, attracted visitors from far and wide. The Circus Maximus can only be properly described by its history, construction, use, importance to the Romans, and what it reveals about the Romans.
In this essay, the author
- Explains how claudius and nero rebuilt the circus maximus in stone to avoid fire damage. the circus fell into disrepair after the 6th century ad.
- Describes the construction of the circus maximus, which was a mixture of stone and wood. the sculpted eggs and bronze dolphins served as lap counters.
- Analyzes how the circus maximus was a symbol of augustus' triumph over his roman and egyptian enemies. it thrived in periods of growth and evolution of the roman civilization, but not under terrible rulers.
- Opines that the circus maximus is one of the great works of ancient rome's civilization.
- Explains that the circus maximus, the great roman chariot racing stadium, attracted visitors from far and wide.
- Explains that the circus maximus played a large role in religion to the romans. it attracted and allowed all people to come spectate with less segregation.
1238 wordsRead More - Romans And Aqueductsopinionated essayThe Colosseum was created by Vespasian in 72 A.D. The purpose of this beautifully constructed building was to give pleasure and entertainment to all the Romans and foreigners by providing an arena where people and animals fight till death. Also, believe it or not, but the Colosseum was able to have navel fights by flooding the arena with the channels constructed from the times of Nero’s enormous lake. Unbelievably, to construct the massive arena, the Romans funded the project with the relics they stole from the Jews. Never the less, the Colosseum was a major and brilliant project. Not to mention, that the construction workers thought of not only making the arena huge, but also comfortable for their viewers. For one thing, the structures it self had 110 drinking fountains, 2 restrooms able to stand a full house, and lastly, shaded roofs. On the negative side, however, they had 100 days of continuous fighting killing 5,000 animals daily and thousands of people and slaves. All things considered, the Colosseum was a major breakthrough and an astonishing building even for today’s
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the romans are considered one of the most advanced ancient civilizations in human history. they were so advanced in technology that people today recognize them as the people who revolutionized the world.
- Explains that the romans were masters of technology and created the first national highway or road network in 312 bc. the roads were built and guarded by legions.
- Concludes that the romans invented concrete and aqueducts, which were crucial to their architecture.
- Explains that the colosseum was a major breakthrough and an astonishing building even for today's architecture.
- Explains that caracalla built the bathing complex to leave a mark as influential as the past emperors, but it wasn't enough for his people to praise him.
- Opines that rome was an era for innovations and improvement. rome did a fantastic job renovating and revolutionizing their land even without technology.
790 wordsRead More - The Colosseum, Romeanalytical essayThe Roman Colosseum is one of the largest amphitheaters ever built. It was once known as the Flavian Amphitheatre and is now an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is made of concrete and sand and is located in Rome, Italy. The location of the Colosseum is very significant. It was built on the same site where Nero’s Golden House once stood, which is also considered the heart of the city of Rome. The construction of this building began in 72 AD under Emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Vespasian’s son, Titus. It was originally built as a gift to the Roman people, but was used for many things like executions, gladiator
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the books, journals, websites, and websites are reliable, but they are publicly-founded sources.
- Explains that the roman colosseum is one of the largest amphitheaters ever built. it was built on the same site where nero's golden house once stood.
- Explains that d.l. bomgardner covers a lot of vital information about the roman empire, amphitheaters in rome, and more specifically, the colosseum.
- Explains how the roman colosseum portrayed greek influences to create a hybrid late republican architecture.
- Analyzes how the roman colosseum was designed to accommodate 50,000 spectators.
- Analyzes how rose, peter, and rose studied functional design in roman entertainment buildings.
1477 wordsRead More - The Roman Colosseumexplanatory essayThe Roman Colosseum, a colossal amphitheater, was built in the first century under Flavian's rule. Many events such as gladiator games, beast fights, naval battles, and much more took place inside the huge elliptical arena. People of all ages and classes attended these well-known spectacles. The Colosseum is a huge Roman architectural achievement and the fact that it is still standing today only amplifies the importance of this structure. Hundred of thousands of people attended the ancient games, and even more continue to visit the arena today.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the roman colosseum, a colossal amphitheater, was built in the first century under flavian's rule.
- Explains that a typical day at the roman colosseum was filled with excitement and eager fans waiting to see the upcoming events.
- Explains that the colosseum was built by titus flavius vespasianus, a soldier who served under emperor nero and later took his place.
- Explains that the colosseum's technical name is the flavian amphitheater, so called in praise of the emperor who oversaw its creation.
- Explains that the flavian amphitheater was the original name of the building, but the colosseum was named after a statue that stood near the arena.
- Explains that the colosseum was built in a valley between the esquiline, the palatine, and the caelian hills, where nero's lake used to be.
- Describes the colosseum as the largest amphitheater of the time period.
- Explains that the arena was surrounded by a protective wall and marble terrace. ringside boxes were built for the emperor, pontifex maximus, and vestal virgins.
- Describes the colosseum as a feat of roman architecture and engineering. the main material used for the building was travertine.
- Explains that each story head different types of columns--the first was doric, the second ionic, and the third corinthian.
- Explains that gladiatorial games were of great importance in the time of the roman empire. they were put on by upper class citizens to please the common person and for entertainment purposes.
- Explains that gladiatorial combat took place at the funeral of a nobleman, junius brutus, in 246 b.c.
- Explains how caesar took full advantage of how popular the games were becoming in rome, but they had lost all religious and funeral meanings. caesar eventually brought all games under his control in 22 b.c.
- Explains that the gladiators were not interested in putting on a show for the romans. it took force, money, sophisticated training techniques and understanding of the human mind to train them.
- Explains that the first school was in campania, which was 100 miles from rome. there were four large schools built near rome, the great school (ludus magnus), the gallic school, dacian school and the animal fights school.
- Explains how a gladiator took the gladiators' oath, which required him to pass fitness tests and die by the sword. they were thought to have felt like part of the group.
- Explains that gladiators would practice with real weapons to prepare them for the experience they would face in the arena. the living quarters were assigned according to rank.
- Explains that high-ranking gladiators were expected to be a leader among the group. they introduced novices to the guild of gladians.
- Explains that the schools would boost a person's morale and force belief that gladiators were members of an elite force. they also offered trained and loyal men to fight in the arenas and face death without fear.
- Explains that gladiators were prisoners of war, criminals, slaves and volunteered men, who were auctioned off in rome's slave markets.
- Explains that there were six main types of gladiators. the first samnite, named after the people from samnium, had heavy armored helmets with high-decorated crests and feathers.
- Explains that the hoplomorchus and the thracian gladiators were heavily armored.
- Explains the mirmillo, the fifth type of gladiator, and the retiarius, who fought with a three-pronged fishing spear.
- Explains that the sixth type of gladiator was the secutor. the helmet was round and had two small eyeholes, while the right arm was covered with protective leather or metal bands.
- Describes the six types of gladiators, including the lacquearius, dimachaerus, and eques.
- Explains how honorius banned gladiatorial games after a christian monk, telemachus, was torn
- Explains that the beast fights were known in the roman world as the venationes. they were conducted by specially trained hunters called bestiarii.
- Explains that the editor of the venationes would import animals from around the world at great expense in order to make the games as unique as possible.
- Explains that the massive hunting shows were the expression of rome's imperial ambitions and power. when rome expanded and conquered lands, they encountered exotic animals outside of italy.
- Explains that the colosseum is associated with a lengthy series of heroic deaths. the first christian to suffer martyrdom in the arena was st. ignatius who was thrown to the lions
- Explains that elephants were a huge attraction at the games and the audience was thrilled by trained animals defying the laws of nature, such as dancing and tightrope walking.
2372 wordsRead More - Colosseum and the Speckles Organ Pavilioncomparative essayThe Colosseum was an enormous entertainment center. Roman audiences watched a variety of athletic events and spectacles, including animal hunts, fights to the death between gladiators or between gladiators and wild animals, performances of trained animals and acrobats, and even mock sea battle. The colosseum is designed in an oval shape, like many stadiums today, and seats up to 50,000 spectators. The concrete core, with its vaulted corridors and stair ways is devised to ensure the smooth flow of traffic to and from the arena. The semi-circle outer walls of the Colosseum consist of three levels, the three Classical orders are superimposed according to their "weight": Doric, the oldest, on the first level, it's followed by the Ionic, then the third level the Corinthian capitals. These are the basic structures of the Colosseum in Rome.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that balboa park is home to an enormous collection of art, history and science museums and galleries. the speckles organ pavilion has a unique blend of ancient roman and western architecture.
- Explains that the colosseum was an enormous entertainment center. it was designed in an oval shape, like many stadiums today, and seats up to 50,000 spectators.
- Explains that the organ pavilion is not a duplicate nor does it look anything like the colosseum. there are some similarities between the two architecture.
- Compares the colosseum and the organ pavilion. both buildings were designed to provide live entertainment for its citizens.
- Explains that the colosseum and the organ pavilion shared a similar goal, which was to provide the citizens with live entertainment.
753 wordsRead More - Romeexplanatory essayImperial Rome saw the highest and lowest point in Rome’s history. But during this time an enormous number of innovative and massive structures were built that defined Rome as the dominant power in the ancient world. During this time Rome reworked its earlier principles to be used in the government and religious buildings. Cement also played an important role in the ability to construct complex domes and ornate arches. Another major change that occurred was the extensive use of marble in construction, unlike earlier brick buildings....
In this essay, the author
- Explains that architecture is one of the easiest yardsticks by which it is possible to measure the greatness of any civilization when seeing the visible representations of their wealth and power.
- Explains that the roman forum was the greatest architectural complex of this time. it consisted of temples to several major gods, the comitium, and the senate house.
- Explains that the individual citizen's house was strictly symmetrical and followed a set layout, with an atrium in the center of the house, and arched columns leading to the other rooms. in urban areas, the insulae are the common form of living.
- Explains that the trajan forum was constructed in the excavation between the quirinal and capitoline hills. it was funded by the spoils from the conquest of dacia.
- Describes rome's theatres and amphitheatres as the epitome of roman architecture and grandeur in the eyes of many people.
- Explains that the aqueduct supplied rome with colossal amounts of fresh water every day, which is greater than the amount of water rushing over niagara falls.
- Explains that rome's architecture was based on shaping matter around space, and this only changed in complexity and meaning, but never changed the foundation upon which it was built.
- Explains that early rome was an architecturally diverse place. the etruscans learned how to build complex structures with specific purposes. roman architecture can be defined along with rome's governmental development.
- Explains how the etruscans drained the swampy area between palatine hill and capitoline hill, and built the cloaca maxima.
- Explains that the baths, or thermae, were a place of socialization and cultural importance to rome. roman theatres were one of the first structures made entirely of stone.
- Explains how the use of concrete allowed more complex structures to be built. the pantheon is a perfect example of cement and the new techniques.
- Explains that the roman's house remained a place where man could retreat from his structured, ordered life and live in leisure. the emperor had the most extravagant palace in the empire.
2818 wordsRead More - Roman Engineeringexplanatory essayThe 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the ancient romans were skilled engineers and have left lasting contributions in this field. the roman arch design was by far the most important innovation of their time.
- Explains that the romans discovered many things that would aid the construction of their great civilization. they used concrete to make foundations for large buildings as well as bridges.
- Explains that the romans used the same basic layout as they would for an army encampment. the cities were laid out in small sections, each section having its own fountain.
- Explains that the roman army built many roads throughout europe in order to move troops and supplies great distances with great reliability. roman roads were made of stone held together by mortar.
- Explains that roman engineering's greatest accomplishment was the use of the arch. the barrel vault was an elongated arch, while the dome is an adaptation of it.
- Explains that aqueducts and bridges provide ample water supply to roman citizens, allowing them to build cities close enough together to travel from rome to germania without having to stop between cities.
- Explains that the engineering discoveries of ancient rome have played a key role in the history of architecture and engineering.
618 wordsRead More - Ancient Greek and Roman Architecturecomparative essayThe Colosseum is an enormous oval amphitheater in the center of Rome, making it literally and symbolically the heart of Rome. It was commissioned by the emperor Vespasian and constructed of concrete and stone. It could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000...
In this essay, the author
- Describes the colosseum as an enormous oval amphitheater in the center of rome. it was commissioned by the emperor vespasian and constructed of concrete and stone.
- Explains that the invention of arches changed the approach of the creation of other structures that relied on columns, but it was also a stepping stone to another architectural innovation, the dome.
- Explains that the romans started building with cast concrete over 2,000 years ago. they used it to construct aqueducts, buildings, bridges and monuments throughout the mediterranean basin.
- Explains that the romans were able to push the boundaries of physics and turn architecture into an art. their superior engineering skills set them apart from their greek counterparts.
- Compares roman architecture with ancient greek architecture. the use of arches, the dome, and concrete allowed the ancient romans to attain extraordinary achievements in the construction of imposing structures for public use.
1021 wordsRead More