Awnings were unfurled from the top story in order to protect the audience from the hot Roman sun as they watched gladiatorial combats, hunts, wild animal fights and larger combats such as mock naval engagements for which the arena was flooded with water put on at great expense. The vast majority of the combatants who fought in front of Colosseum audiences in Ancient Rome were men though there were some female gladiators.
Gladiators were generally slaves, condemned criminals or prisoners of war. The Colosseum saw some four centuries of active use, until the struggles of the Western Roman Empire and the gradual change in public tastes put an end to gladiatorial combats and other large public entertainments by the 6th century A.
Even by that time, the arena had suffered damaged due to natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes. In the centuries to come, the Colosseum was abandoned completely, and used as a quarry for numerous building projects, including the cathedrals of St.
Peter and St. Beginning in the 18th century, however, various popes sought to conserve the arena as a sacred Christian site, though it is in fact uncertain whether early Christian martyrs met their fate in the Colosseum, as has been speculated.
Restoration efforts began in the s, and have proceeded over the years, as the Colosseum continues to be a leading attraction for tourists from all over the world. Start your free trial today. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!
Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Mount Vesuvius, a volcano near the Bay of Naples in Italy, has erupted more than 50 times. Animal fights also occurred, where the best gladiators would fight one on one with the most dangerous animals, usually tigers or leopards. The ancient racing match involved multiple horses drawing a heavy carriage fit for one standing driver.
The race was notoriously bloody, with a large majority of horses and riders dying or sustaining severe injuries. Prior to the Colosseum chariot racing usually took place in a circus a large open-air venue , and the emperor would drop a cloth known as a mappa to signal the beginning of the race. Group or individual executions were a common occurrence during the games. The victims and their executions styles varied. With Roman criminals beheaded as that was the only allowed method for killing a Roman.
Slaves were crucified and sometimes burnt alive once they were nailed up. Either way, the executions, though bloody, were a way for the people of Rome to be involved in its politics.
Calling for the blood of those who went against the justice system encouraged harmony. By far the most famous games of the Colosseum were the gladiator battles of Rome. As these animals were usually quite harmless, even emperors or wealthy officials join in these displayed hunts. After this slaughter of innocence, the animal fights began. These involved the dangerous tigers, lions, and leopards, and usually were matched with a group of fighters, or an armed gladiator.
Gladiator Fights Undoubtedly the most famous event held at the Colosseum; the gladiator fights. The fighters were seen as ferocious warriors that were celebrities and sex symbols. A popular gladiator had huge endorsements, with action figures for children and public portraits of them on the streets.
However, a lot of the time these fighters were actually salves and were kept in terrible facilities until they won enough fights to be free or were killed fighting. The Gladiators fights were the very last events held during the games and involved a range of fights.
First up were the lightly armed fighters, then it was heavily armed, and finally, the gladiator style fights began. The most notable construction of course being the completion of the Colosseum. The Flavian success in the Jewish War was important as many historians believe that Titus brought over Jewish prisoners of war to contribute to the workforce needed for the construction of the amphitheatre.
This very much kept with the Roman practice of humiliating their defeated enemies further, and as a way of demonstrating their power. Not just a pretty landmark for tourists, but a symbolic place situated at the heart of Rome, the Colosseum represents a significant period of Roman history. An ode to the Flavian dynasty and their populist gesture to return a central part of the city back to its people. So now we know the motivations behind its construction, why else was the Colosseum built?
Who, and what, was it built for? To do this he had to unite the people of Rome and create stability. A clever man, he did this through distracting citizens with food and entertainment so they would take out their social and political frustrations in the arena rather than with an uprising.
The Colosseum acted as a hub of entertainment for the whole of Rome, offering a variety of events.
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