The Colosseum was built so that the outer walls were strong enough to hold the weight of 50,000 people. It was oval in shape and made with many different building materials. The Roman craftsmen used limestone, marble, iron, wood, and even concrete, which they invented. The concrete was a mixture of rubble and sticky lime. The workmen drained Nero's lake and poured in rough concrete with large chunks of rubble and lime to form the foundation of the Colosseum. The original Colosseum was built three stories high, but later a fourth level was added. The outside of the building was decorated with columns, statues, and arches, which gave it added support. The amphitheater had a wooden floor covered in sand for the arena. There were passages and rooms underneath to put animals in. Performers and animals went through these passages and entered the arena through a main door or trap doors under the floor. A huge white canvas covered the top of the Colosseum. There were skilled workers to maneuver the canvas whenever the sun moved, to shade the spectators because there was a hole in the top of the canvas to let a little sunlight in.
The Colosseum had seventy-six entrances. 50,000 people could find their seats within ten minutes. Each entrance led to stairs that went up to a group of seats. Every person had a ticket that they were given to show where they could sit. The emperor and his family sat in a marble box in the first row. The elite class and more wealthy sat just behind. Several rows back were the citizens, which were all men. The women had to sit in a separate place by themselves. At the very top, the slaves, foreigners, and noncitizens stood all day.
At dawn, the people swarmed into the Colosseum. They found their seats and the games began. The animal tricks came first. The Romans saw jugging elephants and harmless lions. Then came the wild animals that fought other wild animals or men trained to fight animals with bows and spears. After that, the people were free to walk around and eat lunch outside for a slight intermission. Meanwhile, the gladiators were getting ready to fight.
For part 3 of this story, click
The Colosseum of Ancient Rome part 3
Balestino.com Copyright 2007 sponsor
Inkjet Printer Cartridge|Laser toner cartridge|Printer Ink Cartridge