Colosseum Research Paper

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The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum. The massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was specially made around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the fluvial dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum–officially known as the Fluvial Amphitheater–with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, the wonderful arena was deserted and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination, as well as an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, noisy history. Even after the evil Roman emperor Nero took his own life in A.D. 68, his misrule and excesses fueled a series of civil wars. No fewer than four emperors took the throne in the loud years after Nero’s death; the fourth, Vespasian, would end up ruling for 10 years (A.D. 69-79). The Fluvial emperors, as Vespasian and his sons Titus (79-81) and Domitian (81-96) were known, attempted to tone down the excesses of the Roman court, restore Senate authority and promote public welfare. Around 70-72, Vespasian returned to the Roman people the…show more content…
Unlike many earlier amphitheaters, which had been dug into hillsides to provide enough support, the Colosseum was a freestanding structure made of stone and concrete. The unique outside had three stories of arched entrances–a total of around 80–supported by curved columns. Each story contained columns of a different order or style: At the bottom were columns of the relatively simple order, followed by Ionic and topped by the complicated Corinthian order. Located just near the main entrance to the Colosseum was the Arch of Constantine, built in A.D. 315 in honor of Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at Pons

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