Colosseum.

Whilst we were in Rome we could not miss the Colosseum. We walked past it every day but on our third day we went on a guided tour in the early afternoon when other people were having their siestas.

We learnt that in the year 70AD, Vespasian of the Flavius family was the Emperor of Rome and he declared that a great amphitheatre would be made to have gladiator fights and to return Rome to the Romans. 

Before the time of Emperor Vespasian, an evil tyrant called Nero ruled Rome and he built lots of buildings for himself including an enormous brass monument of himself. This is why Vespasian built the Colosseum – to bring some fun and enjoyment back to the Romans. It was first called the Flavian Amphitheatre and then hundreds of years later the name changed to the Colosseum because of its colossal size and the enormous statue of Nero near it. 

How the Flavian Amphitheatre would have looked

The amphitheatre was to be the biggest and most regal in the whole Empire. 
The plan was to have 50,000 people in it. The Colosseum stands at 48 metres at its highest point and had seven levels including two under the arena where the animals were to be kept. On ground level where the gladiators fought there were 36 trap doors for the animals to get up and down. There were 240 arches around the Colosseum with 80 arches on 3 of the 4 seating levels. 

On the 2 bottom levels for the animals there were 32 animal pens where they would starve the animals like bears, lions, tigers and bulls so they were terribly hungry when it was time for them to fight against the gladiators for their lives. The slaves would often dress the animals in gladiator gear before they fought. 

The animals fought in the arena against the gladiators, slaves and sometimes there were professional gladiators who didn’t have to fight but chose to. The gladiators were men who had been captured for all different reasons by the Emperors men and held captive for 7 years. If they survived 7 years as a gladiator fighting against fierce animals and other men to the death then they were allowed to go free. 

Not many of them made it through the seven years. If the gladiators were attacked by the animals and they wanted mercy then they would beg to the Emperor. The Emperor would listen to the crowd cheer or scream and he would decide and then show by lifting his hand.

If it was a clenched fist then the gladiator had to finish fighting with the animal. If the Emperor stuck his thumb out (like a sword) then the gladiator was killed quickly with a sword and sometimes if the Emperor was in a good mood he would wave the gladiator on and he would be spared to fight another day.

When the Colosseum was finally finished in 80AD (the year after Vespian died), Titus the new Emperor had a great celebration that lasted 100 days. In those 100 days 9,000 wild animals were slaughtered. In the whole life of the Colosseum 700 000 people died in the arena fighting.

In 404AD the kind Emperor Honorius decided that there should be no more savage killing and the Colosseum was used for lots of other things. They used all the nice marble and brass for buildings like the Vatican.

Two huge earthquakes made the Colosseum crumble and that is why it looks like a ruin today. 
I made a book in year 5 about the Colosseum but I never realised how big and old it really is and how gruesome the fighting was until I stood inside it and learnt more.

Charlotte