When Vespasian became the Emperor of Rome in 69 AD, he promised to make a difference. He did not want to live the rich life that Nero had. Vespasian tore down Nero's Golden House and turned the land into a public park. Nero's giant bronze statue, called the Colossus, stood nearby. Vespasian paid for a new amphitheater with treasure the Romans had taken from the city of Jerusalem. Later people called it the Colosseum after the statue.
The Colosseum was a large center for entertainment. It took about eight years to build and was made mostly of limestone and concrete. The Colosseum was the largest building of its kind. It could seat about 50,000 people. This is where the Romans gathered to watch the gladiators. During the Colosseum's opening ceremonies in 80 AD, events were held for 100 days in which thousands of animals were killed.
The Colosseum was oval shaped. It was 160 feet tall, and had four stories of windows, arches, and columns. Spectators sat according to social class inside the Colosseum. Women and the poor sat on the top tier. A large awning could be stretched over the top to keep out the hot sun. A wooden floor covered the chambers where the gladiators and animals were kept.
Most events lasted all day. They began in the morning with comedic contests and exotic animal shows. Professional gladiators fought animals or each other in the afternoon. Gladiators used nets, swords, tridents, spears, or firebrands. Gladiator fights were outlawed by Emperor Honorius in 404 AD. Animal fighting combats continued for another hundred years.
