Form and Function of the Colosseum

As a matter of fact, the system of entrance and exit of the Colosseum is another important aspect to explore how significant the impact caused by the Roman social structure on the architecture design is. Corresponding to strict arrangement of seating, after arriving at the Colosseum, the spectators are able to find out the specified entrance and exit routs for different social classes.7 Colosseum has an efficient network of vaulted passageways consisting eighty archways serving as entrance and exit.8 Without a doubt, it is certain that the entrance for the emperor is separated from the gates opening for the crowds. Among the eighty archways, there is only one special entrance used by the most powerful men with a great contrast to the public entrance. The walls leading to the special entrance have rich decoration, such as painting and stuccoes.9 Additionally, in order to achieve the efficiency as much as possible, the “admission tokens”10 with numbers of the seats are created to “enable the public spectators to go directly to the proper entrance for reaching their own seats”.

Early gladiator fights took place in funerals of wealthy Romans, but their main purpose was to give the people a good show. As the gladiator games grew in popularity, the funeral ritual tradition was eventually dropped and the games were staged for what they were—a display of wealth and entertainment for the masses. By approximately 90 B.C., gladiator games began taking place in circuses and forums. Circuses were elongated arenas with a spine down the middle, designed for chariot racing. In a circus, the audience had good seats but a poor view of the event. Since circuses were built for chariot races, their long and narrow shape made it difficult for someone sitting on one end to see an event going on at the other end. A good example of a circus is the Circus Maximus. This structure was the first and largest circus built by the Romans and it could hold up to 250,000 people. Forums were open gathering places in the center of a town, often with a monument in the middle. Audiences watching a gladiator event in a forum still experienced problems because the ground was flat, so only the people in the first few rows could see anything. Over the years, the gladiator games became even more elaborate to the point where some fights included fights with wild animals. So the Romans now had a problem on their hands: how to fit a large number of people in a way that let them see everything that was

Keegan (2005) elaborates on the brutal events held within this structure, also questioning the morality of these civilized people who enjoyed viewing murderous games. He explains that these actions are a complex representation of their culture’s architectural achievement and human barbarism seen through gladiator combats. There was a large amount of effort and preparation put into organizing and maintenance, worth it as the Colosseum continued to be rigorously used for the next four centuries. Eventually, these activities were phased out and the site later turned into a ruin, to be scavenged for its materials. Natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes contributed also contributed to this. It’s impressive how although the Colosseum’s function drastically changed over time, it continues to provide benefit to people.

Roman architecture has influenced our modern-day society in many ways. One of the ways is by the construction of the Roman Colosseum in 72 A.D. The Roman Colosseum was the first major stadium or amphitheater to ever be built. Without the planning, construction, and techniques used for Roman Colosseum, we would not have some of the famous stadiums and amphitheaters that exist today.

The art I selected from the Roman Empire is the architectural structure of the Colosseum, or amphitheater. This structure reveals the importance that the Romans’ placed on entertainment, in so much that Benton and DiYanni indicate “it was official policy that the state should provide entertainment for the public” (Benton, DiYanni, p. 108). The relationship between the art and the culture is distinguished and represented by the size of the structure; it being able to accommodate such large crowds of people indicates that the Romans placed much importance in attending the entertainment provided. The Colosseum influenced the culture by providing ample space for everyone to enjoy entertainment. The culture influenced the art by supporting through attendance to the different entertainment during that time.

Traditionally Roman buildings saw the use of the classical Greek Doric order on ground levels (without bases) with the more decorative orders of Ionic and Corinthian stacked above this (Lyes 1999, 6). However, in the Colosseum these orders were stacked and used in a way which had no previous precedent in Roman architecture (Lyes 1999, 6). The design sees the orders dramatically reduced, which has the columns that are engaged within the structure constructed with bases, and the column shaft themselves missing the usual entasis of classic Greek orders, this all leads to a much-simplified capital. Between each stacked order there is a triple facia architrave, a relatively plain designed freeze and cornice (Lyes 1999, 6). The use of the classical orders in this manner within the design of the Colosseum, without precedent, was in fact not structural but a façade or veneer. This allowed the

The Colosseum is one of the greatest buildings ever built. It was built around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian (Colosseum). In A.D. 80 the Colosseum was opened up for games (Colosseum). Some of the games being played were gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights (Colosseum). After going strong for four centuries about 2/3 of the Colosseum fell down (Colosseum). Yet, not much remains the Amphitheater still is a symbol for Rome and a very popular place for tourist (Colosseum).

In 79 AD Vespasian came to his final days, dying before the construction of the Colosseum was complete. His son, Titus, was to take over his role as emperor. Titus, new in his role, knew that he too must impress the people as his father had done, and so he announced the opening of the Colosseum would occur one year later. This seemed like an impossible goal for the constructers, and Titus had planned an extravagant opening to ensure that none would think he was less visionary than his father. Upon the opening of the great amphitheatre there were one hundred days of fighting. These one hundred days involved the slaughter of an unfathomable number of animals and men; one source tells us that five thousand animals were killed in the first day. The writer Cassius Dio tells us just how extravagant the opening may have been;

One of the most important things to understanding Rome is their fixation with violence and war. Without an understanding of why and how the Romans had such extremely violent games in the Colosseum it is incredibly difficult to comprehend Roman culture and the motives of their actions. The cause and effects of the Roman Colosseum come about after the Punic wars. Roman culture is also very interesting because it in some ways is opposite to our own.

In Rome there was a large stadium called the Circus Maximus . The Circus Maximus was a mass entertainment venue used to hold chariot races, gladiatorial competitions, religious ceremonies and athletic events.The Circus Maximus was built on the level ground of the Valley of Murcia , between Rome's Aventine and Palatine Hills. In Rome's early days, the valley would have been rich agricultural land, prone to flooding from the river Tiber and the stream which divided the valley. The circus was founded by King Tarquinius Priscus in the 6th Century BC, when the marshy valley separating Palatine hill from Aventine Hill was drained just for its construction.

Towards the city’s heavily trafficked center the Roman Forum was constructed for convenient easy access of all the citizens. The foreground of the forum was occupied by a paved square with monuments to famous citizens. The temple to the Divine Julius, dedicated in 29 BCE to the deified Caesar, built in a Hellenistic style, is located in the background on the left; to the right is the temple of Vesta and the house of the Vestal Virgins, guardians of the everlasting flame; further to the right is the temple of the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux dedicated in 6 CE Here the office of weights and measures was situated. The podiums of the temples of Caesar and the Dioscuri were often used as orators' platforms and it is in this part of the Forum that the meetings of the comitia took place. On the far right is the Basilica Julia built by Caesar. Its long façade occupies the entire south side of the Forum. (Owens, 154) Semi-circular in plan and having consisted of a tall stage building, theaters were a semi-circular orchestra and tiered seating area. Unlike Greek theatres, which were built on natural slopes, they were supported by their own framework of piers and vaults and so could be built anywhere and not where nature dictated. Amphitheatres (literally, ‘double theatres’) were elliptical in plan; with a central areana. (Bowra, 38)

Historians have always used great structures from the ancient world to find out information about the kind of lives they used to live. The Colosseum in Ancient Rome, Italy was one of the most famous structures. The Colosseum in Rome gives historians a number of insights to the type of civilization that existed during the time of the ancient empire, through the gory battles and violent games that took place. This can be proven by the purpose of the Colosseum and the context surrounding its construction, the political and economic benefit of the Colosseum to the empire, the types of games which were held in the arena and the values which the structure suggests were important to the civilization at the

‘The Colosseum’ is regarded as one of the best work of the Rome architecture and engineering. It is situated in the centre of the city of Rome in Italy and is also known by the name of ‘Flavian Amphitheatre’ (Origins of the Colosseum, 2015). ‘The Colosseum’ is considered as one of the largest amphitheatre in the Roman Empire and also in the world. The building of ‘The Colosseum’ is highly impressive and is an important landmark for signifying the past history of Roman culture. The amphitheatre

    The Colosseum reflect in their society because this is who the Romans were. The seats were arrange where the wealthy would seat in the front, and the further back you got the lower class you were. This was also an opportunity for the gladiator to showcase what they were all about. The Romans liked to be entertained and what better way to do it than to watch a show in the Colosseum. The structure of it was amazing even today the Colosseum is a must see if you are touring Rome.  I personally like how it was built for an event. Just like today that people gather around the television, or some make there way to a stadium. The Roman capture what we like to consider today an event like Football or any sport. Just like today the structure matters just like it did back then. The Colosseum was massive a spectacle. I love the work because it it hard to imagine something like that can be created in the 80 CE. What I especially like and wish that I could of seen are the battles that took place inside the

The Roman Colosseum, a colossal amphitheater, was built in the first century under Flavian's rule. Many events such as gladiator games, beast fights, naval battles, and much more took place inside the huge elliptical arena. People of all ages and classes attended these well-known spectacles. The Colosseum is a huge Roman architectural achievement and the fact that it is still standing today only amplifies the importance of this structure. Hundred of thousands of people attended the ancient games, and even more continue to visit the arena today.