The Colosseum Essay Research Paper The ColosseumIn — страница 3

were often forced to battle it out in front of the crowds with each other or other wild beasts. In the times of the Romans there were also professional gladiators who used the amphitheater as a way of proving their supremacy and gain money. The inauguration of the Flavian Amphitheater occurred in 81AD. Admission to the Flavian Amphitheater was free. The ruling classes felt that by giving free entertainment to the masses, the people would remain happy and have little reason for rebellion. The first games lasted over 100 consecutive days, and it is said that over that time it saw the deaths of 9,000 wild animals, and 2,000 gladiators. For the next 500 years the senate and other high public officials hosted games for the public which would endure the cruel torture of over a million

prisoners. The Flavian Amphitheater hosted many kinds of events. In the beginning it was used for duels between animals vs. animals or men vs. men. As time went on and the public became more accustomed to the gruesome nature of these battles, they began to crave more violence. It has been said that the violent behavior became addicting. Eventually battles began to involve one on one combat between men and animals. These fights would often include caves, or mountains, that were placed on the arena floor to turn the battle into an elusive game of cat and mouse. Usually during the middle of a day of games an intermission of sorts would occur. During this time hundreds of men would be marched out onto the floor, and a mass execution would occur in front of the public. This became

increasingly popular in the time of the persecution of Christians. The tradition of these types of executions was carried on until 438 AD when gladiatorial fighting was abolished. At that point fights still occurred, but they would only involve animals. Another popular event was the naval battles. Often the floor would be flooded, and real naval ships would be released into the arena floor/lake. Here the ships equipped with soldiers would engage in a realistic naval battle. Citizens could come to the Flavian Amphitheater and see a battle that was impossible to see anywhere else. The Flavian Amphitheater differed from that of other public amphitheaters because of its special features. In the middle of the day incense would be lit and a special system of sprinklers, that held

scented water, would be turned on. These devices masked the great stench of death, and the public odor of the crowds in tight spaces in the great heat. An awning was also constructed to protect the citizens from heat stroke. This awning was operated by a special set of sailors who were sent up from a naval base and were trained in the efficient operation of it?s opening and closing depending on the conditions outside. Oversized doors, known as vomitoria, could also be found at convenient spots for use by those who wished to relieve themselves of heavy foods consumed during the day. These special features all helped make the Flavian Amphitheater to be remembered not only as the first permanent amphitheater but a one of a kind venue of the times. The Flavian Amphitheater saw it?s

last battle in 523 under Theodoric, King of Ostrogoths. They had to close it due to several reasons. One, when they outlawed human fighting there was a great decline of interest of the general public. Also after such strenuous demands of the last few centuries the number of wild animals available had dwindled greatly. Throughout time, the government had also begun to regulate the amount of money that the public was allowed to spend on hosting the games. With the increasing expenses of the needed resources to hold a successful showing it became almost impossible to be able to afford hosting the games. As time went on the building was largely abandoned. In the middle ages, much of the stone resources were taken from it and used to construct other nearby buildings. During the Middle

Ages it also earned the name which it is largely known by today. It was named the Colosseum after a colossal statue of Nero that stood over 27 feet tall that was located near the theater in the public forum. Today the Colosseum still stands largely intact, due to its quality construction. It has become one of Rome?s most powerful landmarks, as its walls tower over much of its historic surroundings. The Colosseum was solid, thick and sturdy, the same as how Romans wanted people to perceive their empire. Through one building the civilization created a giant substructure of how their whole world worked. The structure was Vespasian?s gift to the people. Even though it saw the death of so many innocent people, the followers of the Flavian Dynasty continued to be thankful long after