Strangest question to hear at the Colosseum
‘What’s a gladiator?’ the lady asked her daughter as she sat to take a break.
We watched stunned as the daughter replied that a gladiator may have been a warrior. She then read a display nearby and elaborated that a gladiator was a captured warrior in ancient Rome that was forced to fight to the death, with the faint hope of freedom.
Okay. So a lot of people don’t know what a gladiator is. But those people aren’t travelling in Italy, or for that matter Rome. And hopefully, those people aren’t at the Colosseum, walking on the first level and takindg a break sitting on one of those ancient stones that you’re really not allowed to sit on.
But perchance you will be taking a tour of the Colosseum, you know the World Heritage Site in the UNESCO-designated Historic Center of Rome, and don’t know what it’s all about, here’s a list of the interesting facts about the Colosseum you must know before (or after) visiting this testament to history.
1. It was a place of Death
Blood flowing down his spliced shoulder, the Thrax warrior reaches out with one last fell swoop of his sica to slice off of the arm of the Retaritus holding the hasta. Breathing shallow, he then lunges forward to push the Retaritus down with his shield. ‘Mitte! Let him go!’ some cried. ‘Iugula! Kill him!’ rang more strongly. A thumb goes down somewhere in the distance. And with one strong swing of the sica, the Retaritus’s head bobbed down to the floor and blood watered the sand as he joined his fallen brothers in the afterlife. The crowd cheers; and a victor is crowned. The Thracian will live to fight another day. Or he will succumb to his wounds and meet his fellow gladiators in the next world.
Maybe it didn’t happen just that way. But one must know that the Colosseum is not just one of Rome’s many magnificent marvels of architecture and engineering.
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It is a silent reminder of the thirst for power and the shedding of so much blood, to the many lives lost for the entertainment of some. It is not a place one can visit flippantly.
Yes, it is as beautiful as churches and awe-inspiring and magnificent, but it is also sombre and macabre. The Colosseum must be respected for what it is, a reminder of what a few blood-thirsty men can do to entire civilizations.
2. History and Architecture of the Colosseum
The Colosseum was built by the Emperor Vespasian in 70 AD and took only 10 years to complete. Vespasian used booty from his 70 AD conquest of Jerusalem to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero’s artificial lake that had been filled in after his suicide in 68 AD, and called the Ampitheatrum Flavium after the Flavian Emperors ruling Rome at the time.
The name Colosseum was inspired by the bronze statue of Nero standing nearby that was 103 feet tall and called the Colossus Neronis, that’s almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. The remains of Nero’s house, the Domus Aurea is a short walk away.
The Colosseum took only 10 years to build and was the largest amphitheater ever built. Find out more with this short online tour that gives you The Secrets of the Roman Colosseum.
And as opposed to the other concurrent amphitheaters that were built into hills for support, the Colosseum was a self-supporting structure. Just think of the architectural genius. Add to that the sections for class-wise segregation and detailed seating charts, it really was a marvel.
Talking of marvels, the Vatican is a marvel containing so much art, you could get lost in it. It’s pretty easy to find some of the best cheap Vatican tours in Rome.
Many many many Christians were slaughtered in the Colosseum by the Emperors before Constantine. Emperor Nero would hold twilight executions where Christians were nailed to crosses and burned alive as torches to light up the arena. The cross is placed where the Emperors used to sit.
3. The Games
The Colosseum opened in AD with the Emperor Titus staging a sea fight there. That must have been a spectacle! The arena could be filled with upto a metre of water, before the Emperor Domitian built a basement to house the fighters, slaves and animals.
It was opened by Emperor Titus with a celebration of 100 days of games. Most times the games went on for days and were free to the people.
The cost of the games was borne by an ‘editor’ who was usually a magistrate, and most times for the city of Rome it was the Emperor. The editor paid for the shows, the gladiators, and the animals used.
The routine followed included hunting and punishment by exposure to animals in the mornings, other types of executions in the breaks, and gladiatorial games in the afternoon. On the night before that, the gladiators last wishes were fulfilled by a coena libera.
Some of the imperial punishments involved the tunica molesta where the condemned wore clothes filled with inflammable liquids. When the others started dancing, their clothes were set alight transforming the dance into striking contortions.
Hunts or venationes were started in 186 AD. They involved men and women dressed up in rich clothing and armed with weapons would hunt domesticated rhinos, elephants and hippos and slaughter them. The dead animals were butchered and their meat distributed to the people for free.
Famous hunts included the inauguration day hunt by Titus in 80 AD that involved 9000 wild beasts, and Trajans 107 AD show that involved 11000 gladiators and 10000 animals. What a world that must have been!
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4. A heap of ruins that now has a Green Thumb
The Colosseum lay in ruins for centuries after the dawn of the 5th century. Talking about Roman ruins, my friend Christian has visited the UNESCO ruins at Tipasa in Algeria. Definitely worth adding to the bucket list!
Anyways, the stones of the Colosseum were later used as building materials for Il Palazzo di Venezia, La Scala Santa, the tribune of San Giovanni di Laterano (Saint John’s Cathedral in Rome), Palazzo Farnese, San Marco (Basilica of Saint Mark) in Venice, and more.
The unusual micro-climate at the base of the Colosseum has led to the growth of some rare plants in the ruins, with over 350 species having been identified (including the exotic plants). These plants are being studied since the 18th century.
Also, there’s a tour of the underground, the last one being at 3 pm. We missed it by 15 minutes. But it shows you the dark side and the green thumb of the Colosseum.
5. A backdrop for parades and movies
Mussolini used the Colosseum to hold Fascist rallies in the 1930s. But on a different note, the Colosseum starred in the heartrendingly sad movie ‘Roman Holiday’ in 1953, where Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn fall in love only to part. Isn’t that how all good love end? Sniff sniff. Where’s the box of tissues?
And then in 1972 Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris star in the action-packed comedy movie ‘Way of the Dragon’ or ‘Return of the Dragon. And guess where the final fight takes place? Ah, you’re smart. Yes, it was in the Colosseum.
After that, Russell Crowe followed them and decided to die in the Colosseum fighting for the ‘vision that once was Rome’ in the movie ‘Gladiator’. He’s quite a dish, isn’t he? Only thing, he didn’t, die in the Colosseum that is. The fight scenes at the Colosseum were filmed at a reconstructed set in Malta.
6. A famous Tourist Attraction
After the Vatican City and the Pantheon, it is the most visited tourist attraction in Italy, drawing well over 6 million visitors a year. So whenever you visit, expect it to be really crowded.
The lines are really long, but with the efficient staff they tend to move quickly. It only took us about 45 minutes of standing in a regular line to get in. It’s worth the wait. The Colosseum is a must on your itinerary for a trip to Rome.
You have the option of buying your tickets in advance and skipping the lines. There are a few different combinations of tickets available as well, in combination with other attractions like the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and some museums. So we’ll leave it up to you to decide which grouping of tickets you prefer.
7. Beware of the small vendors outside the Colosseum
Once you exit the Colosseum, you hardly travel a few metres when you’re approached by Indian, Italian, African and Bangladeshi sellers with trinkets and souvenirs and sometimes food. But there’s another type of seller that you need to be careful about. These guys make a habit of selling bracelets and chains of copper or other metals to unsuspecting tourists.
Okay, there’s nothing wrong with that. But in the middle of your conversation, they start telling you how happy they are today because they just got the news that their wife had a baby boy. They even go to the extent of showing you a picture of a newborn.
And once you congratulate them and try to walk away, they ask for some gift for their new son. You look at them dumbfounded, and they tell you, even 20 dollars is okay. Seriously? We watched this happen with a couple of tourists before they tried it on us. There are quite a few of them too. So try not to fall for that trick.
Have a wonderful tour of the Colosseum when you get to Italy, and when you get back let me know if I’ve left something out. 😉
Or if you’ve already been, please comment below to let me know what else I should have added in.
More Useful Info & Links
- You can book this skip the line tour of the Colosseum with the underground, Roman Forum and Palantine Hill!
- Or you can take a tour of the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel.
- If you’re only in Rome for 1 or 2 days, do the Rome In A Day Tour with Vatican, Colosseum & Historic Center.
- Avoid the noon-day sun and the crowds with this evening tour of the Colosseum in the moonlight!
- Take a day trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast
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- Feldkirch Things to do
- Resting in Jesus
I’m an East Indian foodie and travel blogger from Bombay, India. I love baking, cooking, and making wine at home. But I also love doing stuff around the house and spending time in the Word. You’ll find more info about me here!
I like very much your post on why this is colosseum in rome a must see place. Very good to read for knowledge about Rome history.
I bought a ticket with the guided tour provided by the Colosseum. It allowed me to visit all three levels. It helped me a lot to understand the history.
It was interesting to hear the story.
So great that you included all those interesting facts and history! Too often, people see the Coliseum as just a pretty place for a photo. Definitely not so. Great read!
Fantastic article! I especially love the pictures. Visiting is such a magical experience. These tips are very helpful.
Great roundup about all that went behind Colosseum. I actually felt heavy-hearted when I stepped inside, it was as if I could still feel the sorrow and pain of all that died so tragically inside.
The last tip in your post was very useful too!
I enjoyed my visit to the Colosseum. Here is another tip: buy tickets in advance! Gosh, I saved…hours and hours by simply going in with my pre-printed tickets. So important!