Impressions of the Colosseum During Roman Times On approaching the colosseum, a spectator in Roman times would have been overwhelmed by its sheer size and beauty as it stood against the skyline perhaps higher than any other building in close proximity. The roar of over 45, 000 people would have greeted them as they neared. Upon entering, the spectator would have been amazed at the sheer volume of the people the space could accommodate as well as the different safety and comfort features. The architects took into account not only the appearance but the firmness and function of the colosseum. The clever architecture meant that every spectator had an unimpeded view of the arena and of the emperor’s reactions to the proceedings. Seats, corridors and stairs were planned in order to allow the public easy access and exit and to keep the different social classes separated. The strict social segregation meant that the two main entrances led directly to the central boxes where the emperor and senators would sit while a series of other pathways led the other spectators to their designated seats. Most of the seats were made of a kind of rock called travertine which could withstand heavy pressure. However, the seats reserved for dignitaries were made of marble. Other safety features included a fence which could be raised around the central arena when animals were being used in the proceedings. There was also a giant awning called the Velarium which could be unwound to provide shelter from the elements. There 80 arches on the ground floor, four of which served as main entrances. The columns here were Doric in style, those on the seco... ... middle of paper ... ...clusion, I feel that while some people of the 21 century understand the Roman way of life, there are some who will form an opinion judging them by today’ standards without fully understanding or studying the culture ethics and morals of the time. Each society has a set of norms and traditions and the Romans were no different. For them, the colosseum and its events served the purpose of uniting the people against the common foes of lawlessness and blasphemy and gave them a sense of unity. BIBLIOGRAPHY An Introduction to the Humanities Block 2 The Colosseum. Open University Press 1997 Wiederman, T. Emperors and Gladiators. London. Rutledge 1992 Wistrand, M. Enertainment and Violence in Ancient Rome: The attitude of Roman writers of the first century A.D. Gotegorg:Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis, 1992
For much of the last millennia many great architects have looked upon the Pantheon as a staple of classical architecture, as well as a model for many modern day buildings. Created by the Romans, the Pantheon would use many elements better than any other works of architecture to that time. No further than Columbia Missouri is this evident in the construction of what used to be known as the First Academic Building on the University of Missouri campus. The Architects Bell and Binder headed the creation of the new building after the First Academic Building burnt down in 1892. Known today as Jesse Hall, this modern day work of architecture pulls many elements from the Pantheon to create a unique work of public space. The most glaring comparison of both comes from the domes that top both buildings. Each building also shares similar characteristics in their front facades. Yet, while there are many similarities to both works, each contain unique differences in their layout and construction.
From about 50 BCE to the year 200 CE, the Roman Empire was a powerful nation. Rome was the city that became the center of the Roman Empire and by 200 BCE Rome became a powerhouse. The Romans conquered Scotland to Spain, controlled the Mediterranean Sea, and established colonies in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. By the year 44 BCE Julius Caesar became a Roman Emperor and Rome had a great military. Then around the 5th century CE the Roman Empire began to weaken. The primary reasons for the fall of Rome was because of the Roman Emperors, the Roman Army, and foreign invasion.
Today’s sports arenas and the Roman Colosseum have many similarities. One of the many similarities are the retractable roofs. Retractable roofs are very common in football stadiums, outdoor tennis courts, and baseball stadiums. Retractable roofs now allow a schedule event go on no matter the weather. Other similarities are the ticket and gate number assignments, and the oval/ circular shaped arenas.
Is there a more polarizing symbol of the ancient Romans than the gladiator to scholars today? Probably not, but the ancient Romans also held a dichotomous opinion of the famous warriors of the arena. Today, the gladiators represent the opulence and moral depravity of the Roman culture as well as the power and innovation of the Roman society. The contrasting views that the Republican and Imperial Romans had was that those who participated in the gladiatorial games were debased and stripped of status during the times they spent participating, but they could also attain greater honor, glory, and respect than they could or would have gained in their regular life by bravely fighting in the arena. Winning was not the determining factor if respect was given to the gladiator by the audience. Rather it was the zeal, conviction, heart that the contestants fought with in the arena. A clear example of how much popularity and glory a gladiator could received can be seen by the number of free men and women who volunteered to participate in the games. Carlin A. Barton discusses the contrasting opinions and the fascination that people had about the gladiators and where those opinions arose from in his article “The Scandal of the Arena.” He discusses the importance of the gladiator to the citizens, those who participated, and the history that led to the exorbitant numbers of gladiatorial participants in the Imperial period of the Roman Empire.
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.
30 BC ~ Octavian was given the title of Imperator, which was used in the Eastern provinces. Imperium suggests unlimited imperium (or power) (Antiquity 2 Interpreting The Past) This was the first of many titles that were to be given to Octavian after his defeat of Mark Antony in 31 BC at the Battle of Actium. It indicates that the provinces thought Octavian was worthy of being honoured, and that the power he possessed at the time should remain his. Therefore this was the first factor that initiated the rise of Octavian.
...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).
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.
The art and entertainment of the Romans in the Roman Republic consist of many things. A variety of their art is based of of other cultures, which was mainly the Greeks. The art is well known, while the entertainment is a lesser known subject about the Roman Republic.
“The Romans are often characterized as loving violent and cruel entertainment in the amphitheatre. It has been suggested that the games served the dual purpose of providing entertainment for the people and maintaining the political status quo.”
The Crisis of the Third Century from A.D. 235-284 was a period of Military anarchy and witnessed the collapse of the Roman empire. The empire witnesses numerous crisis like military, political and economic in the form of barbarian invasions, civil wars and hyperinflation. It was primarily because of the settlement of Augustus that failed at establishing succession rule of the emperors. Hence, no emperor was able to hold the Imperial position. This period ended with Diocletian, the Roman emperor A.D. 284-305 who was able administrator during the crisis. Diocletian became the Roman Emperor after defeating Carinus. During Diocletian’s reign, the Roman empire was unified under Tetrarchy. There were several administrative changes from Diocletian to Constantine. These changes had however, started long before the reign of Diocletian. The Roman empire was comparatively at rest and peace despite the war for imperial succession and numerous civil wars. Augustus’s reign is also referred to as Pax Romana. The time period during reign of Diocletian witnessed imperial immortality and ancestry was turned into identity. Hence, ancestry was now seen as a dominating principal and Diocletian and Maximian were seen as equals before the common public (Nixon and Rodgers, 80) .The Edict of Caracalla in A.D. 212, marked the beginning of various administrative changes that took place in the Roman empire (Cameron, 50) .
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 Colosseum is one of the most well-known structures in Rome, Italy. The Colosseum was built almost two thousand years ago to host games for gladiators. The Colosseum provided for entertainment for the Romans, a form of punishment for those who did not obey the laws, and a place of great architectural beauty.
The Colosseum, one of Rome’s most famous structures, is located east of the Roman Forum in Piazza del Colosseo in Rome, Italy. As a gift to the Roman people, Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty commissioned the Colosseum around AD 70-72. Titus, Emperor Vespasian’s son and successor, opened it officially in AD 80. The Colosseum is able to hold roughly 50,000 spectators, making it the largest amphitheater in Rome. The Colosseum is a symbol of how advanced Romans were in architecture and building. This monument represents strength, power, cruelty and violence. Thousands of people, most commonly criminals and professional fighters, even animals, have been killed inside the walls of the Colosseum.
The Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is perhaps the most famous ancient landmark in the world. The Colosseum was the host to thousands of gladiatorial shows, mock naval battles, executions, and animal hunts. Today, the Colosseum still stands in the center of Rome, Italy, however, not quite as it used to be. Still, today, the Roman Colosseum is a large tourist attraction, thousands of tourists from all over the world still come to view this marveled arena. The Roman Colosseum has a rich history, and remains a prized possession of the Roman citizens.