How Old is the Colosseum?
How old is the Roman Colosseum?
The Colosseum is nearly 2,000 years old.
The Colosseum is located in Rome, Italy. The arena was created when the Roman Empire was at the peak of its glory. The Colosseum’s construction began around 72 AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Vespasian. The structure was completed in 80 AD when Titus was the emperor. Upon its completion, the Colosseum was the largest known amphitheater ever built in the world at the time. Later on, further modifications were made at the time of Domitian, who was the Emperor of the Roman Empire from 81 to 96 AD.
A magnificent structure and the largest of the time, the Colosseum had a seating capacity for an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 people and averaged an audience of approximately 65,000 people. People from all parts of the Roman Empire would flock to the Colosseum to witness the spectacles and events held there. Among the most popular of these were the gladiatorial contests, which were bloody armed combats. People were entertained by other spectacles such as; mock sea battles, execution, reenactments of famous battles, and animal hunts.
The Colosseum entertained the people of Rome for a long time. However, by the 4th century, the Colosseum was in decline, as the Western Roman Empire itself was facing problems, and by the early medieval era, entertainment activities were no longer being held at the structure. Thereafter, the building came to be used for purposes such as workshops, housing, quarters for religious orders. With time, the building continued to get further ravaged by stone robbers and earthquakes.
Today, the Colosseum stands as one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, and an icon of the Roman Empire. Every year, thousands of tourists from across the globe visit the Colosseum. It has a huge religious significance too as it is also a prime site of Roman Catholic ceremonies.
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