The Colosseum and Facts about the ancient Rome 🤩

 The Colosseum

          One of the most famous buildings left by the Ancient Romans is the Colosseum – a huge amphitheatre in the centre of Rome. This is where members of the public would come to watch sporting events and games, including battles between Roman gladiators!

   The Colosseum was built between 72 A.D and 80 A.D under the Emperor Vespasian, in the heart of Ancient Rome. Made from stone and concrete, this magnificent monument was built with the manpower of tens of thousands of slaves.

                    The Colosseum is the largest Amphitheatre (meaning “theatre in the round”) in the world.  Oval in shape, it measures 189m long, 156m wide and 50m high (about the height of a 12 storey building). This ancient sporting arena could easily fit a modern day football pitch inside! This brilliant building had 80 entrances and could seat approximately 50,000 spectators who would come to watch sporting events and games. These events included gladiatorial combats, wild animal hunts and, believe it or not, ship naval battles. At the Colosseum’s major events – often those organised and paid for by the emperors themselves – there was no entry fee. And free food was sometimes served, too. 

                   Emperors would use this as a way to gain popularity and support from the public. The event at the Colosseum were seriously brutal, though – during certain games held by the emperors around 10,000 animals were killed in a single day. The first games ever to be held were in 80 A.D, under Emperor Titus (the son of Vespasian), and they ran for 100 days straight. Games continued to be held for centuries to come – gladiatorial games until the fifth century and animal hunts until the 6th century. Below the Colosseum were numerous rooms and underground passages. Here is where the animals and gladiators were kept, waiting to meet their fate in the arena above. There were also 36 trap doors in the arena for special effects! Although two-thirds of the colosseum has been destroyed over time – mostly the result of vandalism, earthquakes and fires – it is today a popular tourist site, attracting thousands of people every year!

Fun facts about ancient Rome 

 

1.  Rome was founded in 753BC by its first king, Romulus. It grew into a rich and powerful city during the next few hundred years.
2. By AD 117 the Roman Empire included the whole of Italy, all the lands around the Mediterranean and much of Europe, including England, Wales and parts of Scotland.
   
   
   
3. The Romans built such a huge empire and conquered new lands, thanks to their strong army. The Roman army could march up to 40km a day!
4. During battle, a Roman soldier or ‘legionary’ first hurled his spear at the enemy, then he fought him with his sword. To protect himself, he carried a wooden shield and wore a metal helmet and armour.
5.  The Romans didn’t spend all their time fighting – they were amazing architects and engineers too! They built roads and walls – things we now take for granted.
6. To bring water to their cities, the clever Romans built aqueducts – a system of channels and bridges – to transport water for public baths and toilets!
7.   The Romans believed in gods and goddesses who ruled over different areas of life. For example, Neptune was the god of the ocean, and they prayed to him to protect them at sea. Temples were built to honour the gods, and people would visit them with offerings.
8.  Tunics – two pieces of woollen fabric sewn together at the sides and shoulders, with openings for your arms and head – were the most common clothes in Rome. Some Romans also wore togas – a kind of woollen shawl – to show how wealthy they were.

Credits and References :

written By : Rudraksh Rajput

References:  www.natgeokids.com

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