Lion, Tigers, and Gladiators...Oh My!

Lion, Tigers, and Gladiators...Oh My!

I am extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to Europe the past six weeks. I have learned to navigate trains, buses, discount airlines and hostels. I have also learned that things don’t always go as planned and last minute flexibility is an important aspect of traveling in Europe, the worlds most important tourist region. For my last weekend traveling Europe, my friends and I agreed that Italy would be the perfect final destination.

When I first arrived in Rome I could not help but think about everything I have learned over the summer about the Roman Empire. I was standing in the city that was the beginning and end of the Roman Empire, which ruled Europe for over one thousand years. I will admit Rome was exhausting sharing the sidewalks and streets with 2.8 million locals along with thousands of other tourists. However, the museums, medieval churches, ancient temples, and amazing Baroque fountains were worth the long lines, crowds, and some of the strongest body odors I had ever smelled! I enjoyed each place I visited in Rome, but I believe the Colosseum symbolized the ancient city.

When I arrived at the Colosseum, I couldn’t believe I was finally looking at the famous landmark of the eternal city. The structure was enormous and made every other ruin in Rome look dwarfed in comparison. Within seconds of arriving at the Colosseum, my friends and I were approached and asked if we wanted a tour in English. Besides information from our Baedekers we did not know much about this important Roman ruin so we decided to join the tour.

The Colosseum is an amphitheatre located in the center of Rome. It was built on a site of an artificial lake and was part of a massive park. Construction started around 72 AD under the reign of the Emperor Vespasian and was completed by the emperor Titus in 80 AD. It was built in the heart of Rome, as a gift to the people of Rome by the Emperor because he realized he was elected and ruled by the consent of the people. The Colosseum was the largest structure built in the Roman Empire. It is 188 by 166 meters with a height of 48 meters and was and continues to be famous for its Roman architecture style. I also learned that the current name of the amphitheater came from the nearby Colossus statue of Nero, which no longer stands by the structure because it was probably melted down for its bronze after Nero’s reign.
Once I was standing inside the structure, it seemed even larger than it did from the outside. I felt as if I were melting standing in the Colosseum in the hot summer sun and I couldn’t imagine being part of the 50,000 spectators crowed in the Colosseum to watch the bloody battles. The large size was necessary for the large and growing city during the rise of the Roman Empire. Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public. The floor no longer exists, so I could see all of the underground passages and brick cells that once held animals keeping them without food or water for weeks. I could also see platforms that were used to bring the animals to the arena level where they were set free to attack other animals and human slaves. Gladiator competitions were also popular fights that ended in blood and death. After gladiator contests were outlawed some time around 438 AD, the Colosseum was used for several different purposes in the centuries that followed. By the renaissance era the theatre was being used as a quarry to supply the stones from the structure to renaissance buildings around the city of Rome.

After visiting the Colosseum it was evident that even though only a small portion of the structure still exists, the Colosseum is Rome’s most recognizable classical building. I am very glad we decided to take a tour because if we had not we would have been taking pictures of ruins we knew very little about. I can see why this amazing structure is one of the 7 Wonders of the World!

I would highly recommend an English tour of the Colosseum. The following link has has several different options of tours. http://www.viator.com/Rome/d511/the-colosseum?pref=02&aid=g1999