the roman colosseum
Citing these figures to illustrate the scale of the enterprise and the forethought that went into the design. Over-engineered perhaps, but it has stood the test of time. The name of the architect is unknown, but by analogy with what we know from the old documents in the ancient world, the design process would have involved floor plans drawn to scale, 3-dimensional scale models, perspective drawings, and for the artisans some full-size design sketches.The basic point being emphasized here is that in this building of huge scale and complexity, much of the detail was worked out before the building started. Indeed, the building was created according to a set of architectural principles, or a set of conventions developed in the construction of other amphitheaters.
Architect who is still unknown to this day, apparently began with the idea of building an arena measuring 300 x 180 Roman feet. The ideal ratio of the period was considered to be 5:3. By convention also, the width of the auditorium equaled the width of the arena, and in the Colosseum, it also surprisingly equaled the height of the external facade. These symmetries probably impressed both architect and the emperor. If you look upwards, you can still see the holes through which these vertical masts slotted.The exterior was decorated at the top with glistening gilded bronze shields, and the arches were filled with painted statues of past emperors and gods. Two grand entrances, one at each end of the minor axis, were used by the emperor.The entrances were marked by giant porticoes, each topped by a gilded horse-drawn chariot. The emperor also had a private entrance, which went under the seats, and emerged in the imperial box.
Architect who is still unknown to this day, apparently began with the idea of building an arena measuring 300 x 180 Roman feet. The ideal ratio of the period was considered to be 5:3. By convention also, the width of the auditorium equaled the width of the arena, and in the Colosseum, it also surprisingly equaled the height of the external facade. These symmetries probably impressed both architect and the emperor. If you look upwards, you can still see the holes through which these vertical masts slotted.The exterior was decorated at the top with glistening gilded bronze shields, and the arches were filled with painted statues of past emperors and gods. Two grand entrances, one at each end of the minor axis, were used by the emperor.The entrances were marked by giant porticoes, each topped by a gilded horse-drawn chariot. The emperor also had a private entrance, which went under the seats, and emerged in the imperial box.
So we are confronted visually with a series of squares within the framing of the arches. These are not accidents, but details of design, which reflect the architect's preoccupation with principles of number.
The ordered beauty and formal regularity of the Colosseum's exterior is created by three snots of superimposed arches with engaged columns. These columns are of different orders on each stone (Tuscan at the bottom) |
In between the pilasters, are small rectangular windows.
Above and between the windows there are stone soles (plinths), which once held the masts used to support the awnings, designed to shade about one third of the spectators,the Colosseum's partial destruction allows us to see into the bowels of the amphitheater, in a way that no ancient could. But when the Colosseum opened in 80 AD, Titus staged a sea-fight there,and recent research has shown convincingly that the amphitheater had no basement at this time. |
Like modern sports stadiums, the Coliseum gave spectators efficient protection from the sun thanks to its ingenious roof covering, the "Solarium". The Solarium was an enormous linen tarpaulin hung by a system of ropes, winches and wooden poles that girded the top of the outer wall. It took one hundred sailors from the Imperial fleet to move it. They moved in perfect synchronize to the beating of a drum.
After the VI century, with the Empire's decline, the Coliseum fell into disuse and its walls housed confraternities, hospitals, hermits and even a cemetery. From the Middle Ages onward, the Coliseum has been one of Romes and the world's greatest marvels, attracting hoards of visitors. |
Built in 72 A.D. the Colosseum has remained the largest amphitheater in the world and is considered to be Rome´s most popular tourist attraction. Standing as the iconic symbol of Ancient Rome, this monument that once hosted the inhuman ¨games¨ of man vs. beast, is considered a Modern day Wonder! But there is also a lot more information about the Colosseum in Rome that no one knows about:
-The Coliseum in Rome has over 80 entrances and can accommodate about 50,000 spectators. -It is believed that over 500,000 people lost their lives and over a million wild animals were killed throughout the duration of the Colosseum hosted people vs. beast games. -the last gladiatorial fights took place in 435 AD. -All Ancient Romans had free entry to the Colosseum for events, and was also fed throughout the show. -Festivals as well as games could last up to 100 days in the Colosseum. -The Ancient Romans would sometimes flood the Colosseum and have miniature ship naval battles inside as a way of entertainment. -The Colosseum in Italy only took 9 years to build using over 60,000 Jewish slaves. -Many natural disasters devastated the structure of the Colosseum, but it was the earthquakes of 847 AD and 1231 AD that caused most of the damage you see today. |
when was the COLOSSEUM builD?
Construction of the Ancient Roman Colosseum was started by Emperor Vespasian in 70 A.D. After Vespasian's death in 79 A.D. his son Titus completed and inaugurated the Roman Colosseum in 80 A.D. The opening ceremony is documented to have lasted 100 days and between 5000 and 11000 wild animals were killed. Further alterations and improvements were made to the Roman Colosseum by Emperor Titus' younger brother, Emperor Domitian, who included a series of underground passages and rooms to lodge the slaves and wild animals. A gallery was also added to the top of the Colosseum to increase its seating capacity to around 65 000 people.
-During its use the ancient Roman Colosseum was damaged by two events: a fire in 217 A.D. and an earthquake in 443 A.D. but was repaired both times. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial combat until about 435 A.D. and wild animal hunts continued until the early 6th Century. -In 1349 A.D. there was a massive earthquake that inflicted severe damage and most of the fallen masonry was used in the construction of other Roman buildings (including the Vatican and the outer walls of Rome), and what hadn't quite fallen was helped on its way as stone robbers removed the marble facades, the exterior walls and even the bronze couples that were used to join the marble facades to the perimeter walls. |