THE ROMAN COLOSSEUM

DONEBY:HASHEM Q.
4E

INFORMATION
The Colosseum's original Latin name wasAmphitheatrum Flavium, often
anglicized asFlavian Amphitheater. The building was constructed by
emperors of theFlavian dynasty, following the reign ofNero.[10]This name is
still used inmodern English, but generally the structure is better known as
the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by
the unofficial nameAmphitheatrum Caesareum(withCaesareuman adjective
pertaining to the titleCaesar), but this name may have been strictly poetic [11]
[12]as it was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of
the Colosseum, also constructed anamphitheater of the same name in
Puteoli(modern Pozzuoli).

HISTORY
The site chosen was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the
Caelian,EsquilineandPalatine Hills, through which acanalisedstream ran.
By the 2nd century BC the area was densely inhabited. It was devastated by
theGreat Fire of Romein AD 64, following whichNeroseized much of the
area to add to his personal domain. He built the grandioseDomus Aureaon
the site, in front of which he created an artificial lake surrounded by
pavilions, gardens and porticoes. The existingAqua Claudiaaqueductwas
extended to supply water to the area and the gigantic bronze
Colossus of Nerowas set up nearby at the entrance to the Domus Aurea. [15]

EXTERIOR

Unlike earlier Greek theatres that were built into hillsides, the Colosseum
is an entirely free-standing structure. It derives its basic exterior and
interior architecture from that of twoRoman theatresback to back. It is
elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and
156 meters (510ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of 24,000
square meteres (6 acres). The height of the outer wall is 48 meters
(157ft / 165 Roman feet). The perimeter originally measured 545 meters
(1,788ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The central arena is an oval 87m (287ft)
long and 55m (180ft) wide, surrounded by a wall 5m (15ft) high, above
which rose tiers of seating.

The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic metres
(3,531,467cubic feet) oftravertinestone which were set without mortar;

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