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One of the Gladiators encouraging visitors to take one of the many tours of Colosseum
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Looking across from the Colosseum to the imposing Baths of Titus, part of the Roman Forum - they were in incredible condition considering they were built in 80AD
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What used to be one of the main corridors leading to a ruined stairway in the Colosseum. It now holds the remains of some of the Doric Columns which once graced this amazing building.
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Looking through one of the underground elephant chambers in the Colosseum
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The spectacular Arch of Constantine - located just outside the Colosseum
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Each angle you looked at the Colosseum was impressive - huge, towering walls and massive archways which dwarfed everything around them. If you look closely in the photo below you can see someone standing on top of the bottom archway on the left - they were so tiny compared to the arches themselves.
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Outside the Colosseum there are scores of Gladiators entertaining the visitors, as well as expecting payment if you have your photo taken with them if you aren't part of an official tour! This one was actually part of our tour and so payment wasn't necessary!
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Looking up to the magnificent structure of the Colosseum - even in ruins it was still impressive so we could only imagine how powerful and intimidating it must have looked in its heyday
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The other Gladiator, who was part of our tour, taken with me outside one of 80 of the huge barred gates which gave entry to the Colosseum
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The Gladiatorial displays, which had been part of the Roman culture since 264 BC were banned in 438 AD. Gladiators were expected to fight to the death and before each performance they would salute the Emperor with the famous saying, "Caesar, those who are about to die salute you!" The last animal show was held in 523 AD when the Roman Empire had all but collapsed.
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One of hundreds of huge archways leading to the corridor where the animals were housed in the Colosseum
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Ancient broken columns from the Colosseum - even lying in ruins there was still a stateliness about them!
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Entering the underground chambers beneath the arena of the Colosseum - the ceilings were so high and corridors went off in all directions - this was one of the original gates where the gladiators and animals entered their underground chambers
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Entering the arena after scaling the very steep staircases inside this amazing structure - the vastness of it was astounding
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One of the many deep chambers that surrounded the lower gallery of the Colosseum - this was actually about 10 metres high and about 5 metres deep with concave walls
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The upper galleries of the Colosseum, where the poorer classes watched the "action" below
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According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodation 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000. It is 189 metres long and 156 metres wide, with a base area of 6 acres, while the height of the outer wall is 48 metres. There were actually 15 levels when it was intact and was ringed by 80 entrances at ground level with 76 for use by the ordinary spectactors.
Our first glimpse inside this mighty arena was awe inspiring. Photos cannot portray the size or "power" of this amphitheatre, nor the atmosphere that each of us felt as we looked out over where so much death and carnage had occurred. Gladiators - prisoners of war, slaves, criminals or volunteers - and Christian martyrs were pitted against each other or animals, including elephants, giraffes, hippopotomii, rhinoceros, panthers, leopards, crocodiles, ostriches and bears, as well as lions and tigers, and forced to give their lives to "entertain" the crowds.
To get a true perspective of the size of the Colosseum click on this photo to enlarge it - you can see several large groups of people in individual tours around the various levels.
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Immense underground corridors surrounding the inner arena, where the animals and gladiators were led to their cages to await their turn in the arena. You can get a small idea of the size of the Colosseum by the people in the actual arena and also the man walking in the corridor.
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What is now the stage area of the Colosseum where Il Divo and other famous artists have performed in recent years, this area was once the entrance where the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins would enter and watch the "entertainment". Spectators were seated in a tiered arrangement where the higher your class in society, the closer you were to the arena.
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The arena and hypogeum (underground chambers) of the Colosseum. Originally covered by a sandy wooden floor which has disintegrated over the years, it is now possible to look into the huge caverns and chambers below the surface to where the gladiators, Christian martyrs and animals were housed while they awaited their fate.
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Large hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and other large animals, which were housed in these huge underground chambers of the Colosseum
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The upper public galleries were for the for poorer classes, while the women, slaves and common poor were in the highest level where it was standing room only, making it harder to see the action.
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The Emperor's Royal Chambers in the Colosseum
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One of scores of steep stairways leading up to the upper galleries of the Colosseum, where the women and lower classes would view the "entertainment". Each individual stair was approximately one and a half times the height of a normal one and we had to climb four sets of these to get to the top galleries. Due to my meds I suffered terrible heart palpitations when I reached the top and had to rest for about 5 minutes before proceeding with the rest of the tour. Thank the Lord I came good and was able to enjoy the rest of the tour.
Looking through one of the massive archways of the Colosseum to the Roman Forum on Palatine Hill
Map of the Colosseum
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From the Colosseum looking across Palatine Hill to the skyline of Rome
The Arch of Constantine - a triumphal arch situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius on October 28 312. It is 21 metres high, 25.7 metres wide and 6.5 metres wide and quite spectacular!
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Looking from the Colosseum across to Palatine Hill, where the Roman Forum is situated
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Ruins of the original training barracks of the gladiators
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After years of civil war the victory of Constantine's army over the superior army of Maxentius at the Battle of Milvial Bridge in 312 brought some peace to the Roman Empire. To commemorate this victory the Roman Senate awarded Constantine a Triumphal Arch.
Constantine believed that his improbable win was the result of help from the Christian God. As a result, persecution of Christians ended and Christianity became the official religion in the Roman Empire.
The Arch of Contantine - built in 315
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One of 80 massive entrances to the main arena of the Colosseum
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The ancient flagstones of the Colosseum
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A Memorial Cross was erected in honour of the Christian Martyrs who were put to death here. Now the Pope celebrates the Stations of the Cross every Good Friday in the arena of the Colosseum.
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The magnificent amphitheatre against a clear blue sky
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Gazing into the gladiator and animal enclosures below ground in the Colosseum
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Ancient stones in the Colosseum walls - if only these walls could talk!
The stage area, underground cells and amphitheatre of the Colosseum
Gladiator and Christian martyr cells in the Colosseum
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The remains of massive animal cages, which housed elephants and giraffes, in the Colosseum
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Huge arches grace the entrance to the Colosseum
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I couldn't get over how old these cobblestones must have been and how many gladiators and Christians had walked, often to their deaths, over them!
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"But when the rising moon begins to climb
Its topmost arch, and gently pauses there;
When the stars twinkle through the loops of time,
And the low night-breeze waves along the air -
The garland-forest, which the gray walls wear,
Like laurels on the bald first Caesar's head;
When the light shines serene but doth not glare,
Then in this magic circle raise the dead:
Heroes have trod this spot - 'tis on their dust ye tread."
Lord Byron, English poet - 1818
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Just before we left the Colosseum area we had one last close up look at the Arch of Constantine - built in 315.
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If you are still out there Jeni, thank you for the wonderful photo's of the Colosseum. My family and I visited Italy in April/May 2013 and it was every bit as magnificent as you say. How did they build that sort of stuff back then?? Truly awesome and a trip I will nver forget.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Anita.
Hi Anita
DeleteThank you so much for your comment on my blog post about the Colosseum. It's wonderful to know that someone has seen my reminiscing and can identify with it so much.
Such a spectacular place and, like you, I marvel at the workmanship and scale of the place. Imagine what it looked like in its heyday if it's this spectacular in ruins!
Hopefully you'll get to visit it again one day.
Take care and happy travels ... Jeni