The construction of the world famous Colosseum in Rome began in approximately 69 AD under the direction of Emperor Vespasian. It was dedicated a year after he died, in 79 AD by his son Titus. The construction of the Colosseum was completed in A.D. 82, by which time Titus himself, had also died.
The clear intention of this the awe-inspiring structure was to show the world the power and the might of the Roman Empire. And to provide a place where, no matter how humble, every Roman citizen could share in the feeling of power and world dominance, which this totally un-equalled structure was, intended to convey.
The other intention of the Colosseum was to distract the Roman people their habit of rioting and insurrection that were common place in Roman society. By giving them somewhere to go, with a spectacular show to entertain them.
Generations of Roman Emperors steadily increased the size and magnificence of the gladiatorial events and huge scale games held within the walls of the Colosseum. Each succeeding Emperor had an uncontrollable desire to show Rome that he could provide a bigger spectacle than the last.
Christianity and its ideals of non-violence began to take hold of Rome and the games began to loose there popular appeal to the Roman citizens. At the beginning of the fifth century a Christian monk by the name of Telemachus jumped into the arena and tried to stop a fight between gladiators. The crowd were incensed at the interruption and stoned him to death.
It seems that this act brought about the end of combat in the arena as the senate then passed a law ending four hundred years of human combat in the Colosseum. Animal against human combat, known as venations, continued for another one hundred years.
The most important years in the history of the Colosseum had come to an end.
The building fell into serious disrepair after two earthquakes one in 492 and another 16 years later which caused parts of the building to collapse. The massive hole in the outer wall seen today was probably caused by a quake during the ninth century.
Much of the stone was re-used for the construction of new buildings, in particular Christian churches. Decorative architectural elements such as statues were taken away and used in the construction of grand palaces and public buildings.
The Colosseum has stood unused for nearly 1500 years, there have, however been some temporary residents including a powerful Italian family who turned part of the structure into a fortified home. There were also bullfights held in the arena in the fourteenth century.
During the 1700’s the building became a dumping ground for the city’s manure, which was used in a factory on the site, to produce saltpetre used in the making of explosives.
During the next century the Colosseum was consecrated to honor the memory of the untold number of Christians who had perished there. Although modern historians believe that there were actually no Christians put to death there.
In 2000 the release of the blockbuster movie Gladiator brought the worlds attention once more onto the Colosseum, and gave many people their first concept of the purpose and importance of the building in an historical context.
These days Romans and the rest of the world appreciate the historic value that the building holds. And massive efforts are under way to preserve the structure from erosion by pollution and the vibration of vehicles.
