The Colosseum: An Engineering Marvel Of The Roman Empire

 

INTRODCTION

We all have heard the name of the colosseum that is in Rome but do we know the amazing history it has. So let start knowing its history with the help of this article

ABOUT

• It is an amphitheater in the center of the city, Rome, Italy.
• It is the largest ancient amphitheater and is still the largest amphitheater in the world.
• Earlier, it was known as the Flavian Amphitheater, during whose reigns the building was constructed but now it is known by the name Colosseum.
• The name of the building was referred to as the patronage of the Flavian Dynasty.
• The name Colosseum was attested from the 6th century, during late antiquity. The name Colosseum is believed to be derived from the Colossal Statue of Nero on the modal of Colossus of Rhodes.
• In the 12th century, the structure was recorded as the amphitheater colisei,(Amphitheatre of the Colossus) but the earliest citation for the name Colosseum in Early Modern English is the 1600 translation by Philemon Holland.
• After Nero's suicide, the Colossal Statue of Nero was remolded by the condemned emperor's successor into the likeness of Helios or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown.
• Nero's head was replaced several times with the heads of the succeeding emperors.
• Arena, the most distinctive feature of the Colosseum. It is the area upon which the gladiators, convicts, prisoners, and wild animals fought. The arena was made of red and black stone blocks, marking a strong contrast with the rest of the building which was mostly white.

 

CONSTRUCTION

• The site chosen for the Colosseum was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the Caelian, Esquiline, Palatine Hills through which a Canalised stream ran as well as an artificial lake.
• Construction of the Colosseum began between 70 & 72 CE under the Roman Emperor Vespasian.
• It is the largest of all Roman amphitheaters with a regular elliptical plane measuring 188*156m.
• Tuff(a type of volcanic stone used due to its weight), Concrete & Travertine(a type of limestone) were three primary materials used in the construction.
• It was constructed to be an entertainment venue, hosting animal hunts, gladiator fights & even mock naval battles.
• Most of the labor for the construction was provided by Jewish slaves, who had been taken as prisoners since the first Jewish-Roman war.
• The Colosseum was devastated by the Great Fire of Rome in 69 AD and following which Nero seized most of the area to add his domain.
• He (Nero) built the grandiose Domus Aurea (landscaped palace) on the site, in front of which he created an artificial lake surrounded by the pavilions, gardens, and porticoes

 

EXTERIOR

• The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,00 cubic meters of travertine stone which were set without mortar, they were held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.
• It is elliptical in plan and 189 meters (615ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman Feet) wide, with a base area of 24,000 sq. meters (6 acres). The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet)
• The central arena is an oval 87m (287 ft) long and 55m (180 ft) wide, surrounded by a wall 5m (15 ft) high, above rose tiers of seating.
• It has suffered extensive damages over the centuries and the large segments have collapsed by following earthquakes.
• The surviving part of the outer wall's monumental façade comprises of three  stories of superimposed arcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals
• The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters.
• 240 mast corbels were positioned around the top of the attic. They originally supported a retractable, known as the velarium (used to protect spectators from the sun)
• Velarium consisted of a canvas-covered net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center.
• It covered two-thirds of the arena and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze to the audience.
• The colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled and evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted a solution very similar to those used in the modern stadium to deal with the same problem.
• The architecture constructed 80 ringed entrances at ground level, 76 of which were for ordinary spectators. Each entrance and exit was numbered as was each staircase.
• The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his asides, while the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite.
• All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted stucco relief, of which fragments survive.
• Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered , which directed them to the appropriate section and row.

INTERIOR

• According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000.
• People were used to sitting in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society.
• Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena.
• In Rome, the sitting area was classified into four categories as- for the senatorial class, for wealthy citizens,  for poor citizens, and the slaves and women.  
• Senatorial were allowed to carry their chair and they were used to sit at the most lower part of the arena for a better view.
• Wealthy citizens were used to sitting just above the senators and that part of the Colosseum known as the immune
• Poor citizens were used to sitting above the immum and that part known as the summum and the slaves and women were used to sit at the very top of the building.

OTHER FACTS

• In medieval times, the Colosseum was used as a church & then two leading Roman families, the Frangipane & the Annibaldi used it as a fortress.
• Due to pollution, lighting, & earthquakes, the Colosseum was damaged. All the decorative material & marble seats disappeared as it was treated as a quarry for more than 1000 years.
• With the notable efforts led by Pius V111, the preservation of the Colosseum began in the 19th Century.
• For Reference, it is almost twice as long & 1.5 times as wide as a modern football field
• It receives close to seven million tourist visitors annually.
• It also has an underground area called Hypogeum, the hypogeum was a network of tunnels & chambers distributed in two levels where gladiators and animals were kept before appearing in the arena above.

 

IT'S IMORTSNACE IN NOW DAYS

• Almost all the stadiums in the world now have their're designed based on the Colosseum. The colosseum is a model for the sports stadium arena we have today. Its shape is the major way that influences the shape of our football stadiums.
• The engineering and the construction process are extremely crucial even to the world of modern engineering and architecture. The designs used in the initial construction was amazing
• It also tells us how smart the ancient Romans were. They were the first people in ancient times that used the techniques in the design of the Colosseum.
• Furthermore, it teaches us the daily lives of the ancient Romans and their psychological nature, which is the thirst for battle and bloodshed.