Under the Tuscan Spell

The Colosseum in Rome is one of the most famous buildings in the world. Within its stone walls Romans held spectacles to glorify the empire: contests among gladiators, games where prisoners were hunted by wild animals, mock battles between armies to honor famous victories, and even battles between ships to honor famous sea victories.

The stories of Christians being thrown to the lions in the Colosseum are more fable than truth. During the heyday of the Roman Spectacles, Christians were in good stead with Roman leaders.

Early on the morning of our second day in Rome, Linda and I joined a small group and hired a guide to take us through the Colosseum. As we walked through the 2000–year old structure, I could almost hear the clanking of swords and the roar of 50,000 people in the three tiers of seats.

The Colosseum was completed in 80 AD to replace a wooden amphitheater which burned 20 years earlier. It was damaged by lightning in 217 AD and 250 AD, by earthquakes in 429 AD and 443 AD, and by invading barbarians after 476 AD. During the Middle Ages it was first used as a fort then abandoned. During the Renaissance, it became a quarry for blocks of stone to be used in new sculptures and structures.

Between 80 AD and 476, the Roman Colosseum looked like this The Colosseum is elliptical, much like the University of Michigan’s Big House Football Stadium which seats 111,000 on only one tier. The Colosseum floor measures 80x50 yards, as opposed to the Big House’s 120x60 yards.

The outside of the Colosseum is made up of four stories, three with arches and columns, the top closed in with fake stone columns. It had wooden beams across the top over which a canvas canopy could be drawn to protect the spectators from sun and rain.

Continued next week

The arena of the Colosseum was originally covered with a wooden floor on which the spectacle was held. Below the flooring were animal cages, gladiator prep rooms, storerooms, and sets for the performances.The exterior wall of the Colosseum today shows the holes where brightly colored “posters” of terracotta and mosaic were once attached.Scattered along the interior corridors are the remains of terracotta posters displaying gladiators in action.