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Gallery of the Roman
Coliseum, arena of gladiators
by James Mayfield (Chairman, European Heritage Library)
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this Article • About
the Author • Bibliography/Sources
The Coliseum of Rome is among
the greatest structures to remain standing in the world today.
It reveals a time of what is today perceived as barbarism,
brutality, slavery, and wealth, as well as the architectural
genius of the pre-Christian Romans. Massive and glorious,
the Coliseum has endured nearly 19 centuries of entropy, though
it has undergone international restoration efforts to alleviate
its constant collapse and decay. It is one of the world's
most well-recognized sites and tourist destinations, and can
be enjoyed from local restaurants with wine and cuisine as
well as bustling street traffic. Very few are ever disappointed
even after waiting for hours in line.
Built roughly around 70CE
for several years under the commission of Vespasian, it remained
the largest amphitheatre in the world, surpassing even the
accomplishments of the Greek tribes before them. It originally
housed realistic theatrical performances where actual deaths
were known to have occurred for storyline fatalities, artistic
performances, imperial and military parades, as well as the
famous battles of the "gladiators" to the appeal
of the thousands of spectators high above. Thousands fought
and died here in these pre-Christian Roman times, with participants
gathered not only from Rome's massive slaveholdings but out
of voluntary service for military and social fame. The obliteration
of the Roman military and political power by the German, Hunnish,
and Slavic nations that accompanied the internal Roman collapse
did not spell the end of theatrical performance in the Coliseum,
though the brutality of the gladiatorial games are known to
have come to a halt when the authority over southern Italy
passed from the German Odinists to the Byzantine Christians
(the Eastern Roman Empire), and later to the Papal States
after their creation by the German Empire of Peppin and Karl
the Great (Charlemagne).
Recently, historians have
begun to investigate the massive flow of relics and wealth
from the Roman periphery to the Roman capital during the time
the Coliseum was constructed. Historians such as Simcha Jacobovici
(the Naked Archeologist) have averred that the sudden spike
in resources, gold, and marble used to build the Coliseum
and surrounding wonders were pillaged from the Hasmonean Maccabean
state of Jerusalem that Titus had annihilated during the Jewish
Revolt. Friezes depict Roman soldiers carrying menoras. This
theory is quite possible, although it presupposes the wealth
of Hasmonean Israel, a nation that was not remarkably wealthy
at all and was frequently on the brink of civil war between
rival factions.
The interior and exterior
of the Coliseum alike offer breathtaking sights. Collapse
and entropy of the massive structure are blatant on every
section of the amphitheatre; much restoration was done over
the centuries to this very pagan and barbaric structure, and
in many parts oddly-colored stone and brick can be seen with
steel bars to support the imminent collapse of entire sides
of the building. Original Latin and Greek inscriptions can
be seen all over the Coliseum in compliment to the elaborate
marble designs and etchings on many of the walls. The distinct
sections of the seating arrangement are fascinating: royalty
were segregated in one area (the Senate and the emperor),
the Praetorian guards in another, paupers in another, and
women in another. Today, the entire floor of the Coliseum
on which the gladiators once stood has collapsed; the center
of the building is instead a series of shack-like structures
and supports. This is the animal and slaveholding area to
feed the battles and performances. Food waste, urine, and
feces were apparently tossed aside into large pits to prevent
forcing spectators from leaving the glorious war games. Latrines
are also visible, cordoned off to visitors. A large number
of rooms with original bars can be seen for holding Christian
and Jewish slaves to be executed or used in the games. Other
chambers held female slaves for the alleged sexual pleasure
of the visitors; some guards are proported today to have raped
female slaves before murdering those not deemed "satisfying."
It must be acknowledged that these modern tales can easily
be no more than polemic exaggeration. The Roman culture was
admittedly rife with its share of iniquity, but many of its
grandees and kings (including Octavian) went to great lengths
(at least superficially) to reverse the liberality, homosexuality,
and promiscuity of their predecessors, especially the Greeks.
The upstairs sections of
the Coliseum can be visited today with original steps that
are notably very short both due to decay and the smaller size
of the foot some 19 centuries ago. The upstairs terraces offer
a full view of the massive Roman city, including a commemorative
temple to the emperor Constantine the Great, who legalized
Christianity in the West and East for the first time in history
in the 4th century CE. A massive and half-collapsed pre-Christian
"pagan" Roman temple can be seen atop a mountain
as well, quite similar to the Greek Hagia Sophia in what is
today Istanbul before the jihad of the Turks converted it
into a mosque to signify the triumph of Islam over Byzantium's
Christendom.
In the entrance to the Coliseum,
a massive Catholic cross can be seen that is visible from
all angles in the building. From the 18th century onward,
the history offered by the Coliseum of Christian martyrs received
notice. The thousands of Christians who died here became championed
as saints for many and heroes for others, and Pope John Paul
II began to carry a cross on his back throughout the Coliseum
to commemorate their sacrifice during this brutal pagan era.
Tour guides were not allowed to teach clients visiting the
Coliseum that Christians were massacred here until recently,
possibly because of the great deal of pride affiliated with
Roman heritage emphasized by the Fascist regime of Mussolini.
Below are a selection of
photos from my vacation to the Coliseum in Rome.
The Coliseum can be seen from the street and restaurants.
(click to enlarge)
the full Coliseum at its best angle. (click to enlarge)
the interior visible with a massive cross to commemorate the
fallen martyrs. (click to enlarge)
the full interior. (click to enlarge)
the seating for guards and royalty. (click to enlarge)
the collapsed animal and slave storage area. (click
to enlarge)
a latrine (left) and a cell for Jews and Christians (back
end). (click to enlarge)
the full interior. (click to enlarge)
The Italians pride themselves in their historical accomplishments.
(click to enlarge)
the pre-Christian Roman temple with a collapsed half of its
dome can be seen from the Coliseum. (click to enlarge)
a commemorative arch to Constantine the Great. (click
to enlarge)
a closeup of the arch. (click to enlarge)
the side of the magnificent arch.
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ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
James Mayfield is a historian
and the Chairman of the European Heritage Library. I have
a Cum Laude BA in History with a Minor in Germanic Studies
(language and history), am presently working for my Masters
in History, and plan to immediately progress to my PhD Doctorate.
I have a special academic interest in Europe's diverse ethnic
identities, languages, and cultures, and the political struggles
of native European and immigrant minority identities. See
my staff entry for more information.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
USED:
No additional citations or
sources necessary.
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