Colosseum

The roman ColosSeum

The center of an empire

The seating reflected the hierarchy of Roman society. The more powerful you were, the lower you were seated. So the senators sat on the lower level, closer to the action, while the poorer women, men and slaves were only allowed to sit on the upper level. Even then, not everyone was welcome at the Colosseum. Actors, undertakers and ex-gladiators could not attend shows.

The Colosseum in Rome is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world. The Colosseum was chosen in sixth place. The others were the Great Wall of China, the ruins of Petra (Jordan), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichen Itza (Mexico) and the Taj Mahal (India).

Although it still stands, at the time of its construction, it was an entirely closed construction. It impressed gladiators and spectators, and it is often thought to be a central site in uniting the people in the city and the Roman Empire. Construction of the Colosseum began around 70-72AD, and finished in 80AD. The Colosseum was constructed out of different materials including wood, tuff, tiles, limestone, cement, and mortar.

The Colosseum was used for almost 500 years, and the last games were held there in the 6th century, long after the traditionally understood date of the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.The Byzantines also used it during the 6th century. In addition to gladiator fights, many other public spectacles took place here, such as naumaquias, animal hunts, executions, reenactments of famous battles and plays based on classical mythology.