We all remember the emotionally charged movie Gladiator, where Russell Crowe’s character owned the Colosseum and made us wish he did not die at the end. The magnificence of the Colosseum and its thousands of spectators chanted and shook the walls of the amphitheatre; this gave us a slight insight into what being in the Roman Colosseum was like. If Rome is your next holiday destination then you may need to brush up on your Roman history.

[b]The Colosseum[/b]

The Colosseum was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre and was commissioned in 72 AD by Emperor Vespasian. The Colosseum was conceived as a “peculiarly Roman political gesture”, one writer points out that it was “a gift from a new dynasty of Roman emperors to the populous kept happy by bread and circuses”. Vespasian who was made emperor after the death of Emperor Nero decided that the city needed a new amphitheatre and began construction of the Colosseum. It took ten years to build the Colosseum with the use of concrete for foundations, travertine stone was used for the piers and arcades, tufa was used as infill between the piers on the wall of the lower two levels and concrete faced with brick was used for the upper levels and for the ceiling vaults. The Colosseum had the capacity of fifty thousand people seated and ten thousand standing and had eighty entrances. One writer states that in order to fit those numbers it was likely that spectators were packed like sardines. The writer further stated that “the seating arrangement was by way of social hierarchy where VIP seats were reserved for people with the highest social standing”.

The whole Colosseum covers some six acres and rises to about 48.5 metres which is the equivalent of a fifteen storey building today. Emperor Titus, the son of Emperor Vespasian opened the Colosseum in 80AD. However, at the time the Colosseum construction was incomplete. Emperor Titus commissioned the Colosseum by having games that lasted one hundred days. These games included gladiatorial combat, hunts and wild animals fighting. However, the Colosseum was only completed in about 82AD by Emperor Domitian son of Emperor Titus.

The Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world and was a freestanding structure, in that it was not dug into a hillside for support like many other amphitheatres at the time.

[b]The Gladiators[/b]

The majority of the people who engaged in combat and fighting in the Colosseum were man, though there were some females; these were called gladiators. Gladiators were generally slaves, condemned criminals or prisoners of war. However, not all were criminals with time others who enjoyed the thrill of battle and the roar of the crowds voluntarily signed contracts with gladiator schools in the hope of winning glory and prize money.

Another interesting fact about the gladiators was that they did not always fight to the death unlike poor Russell Crowe’s character. One article states that “a referee oversaw the action and probably stop the fight as soon as one participant was seriously wounded”. Further, “a match could end in a stalemate if the crowd became bored by a long and drawn out battle”.

Unfortunately, when you visit Rome today you will not find gladiators but you will find the Colosseum and bask in what is left of its glory. Upon arrival travel in style and convenience by enlisting the services of taxi transfers from Rome airport  for a safe, professional trip to your destination.

[b]About the company:[/b]

City Airport Taxis is a convenience, reliable and professional taxi service which allows travellers to enjoy the convenience of being picked up at the airport and dropped off at their destination with ease. Drivers await the arrival of their passenger and provide any information that may be required by the visitor. City Airport Taxis have grown to provide their services in South Africa, Iceland, Ireland and South Korea. If you are looking for transport from Barcelona Airport choose City Airport Taxis.