Roman Ruins

On to the colliseum. This is a marvel, I think some of our modern day engineers could take lessons! The colliseum took 8 years to build, and was completed in 80 AD. It could hold 60 000 people, and due to how well it was designed and organized, it could be emptied in 20 minutes! It operated for about 400 years, then sat empty for over 1000 years, during which time, everything that could be stolen or pilfered from it was ( marble, iron, statues)

The original is the white marble, the brick is a restoration started in the 17th century.

A gladiator?

You can see the Roman numerals that would indicate which one of the 80 entrances you were going in.

Inside, there were 3 levels, the bottom floor reserved for the emperors and powerful people, and thus it was more elaborately decorated with marble floors. There were bathrooms using fresh water, and flushing all the waste away to the river through an intricate series og channels. 

Looking into the colliseum.

This shows the floor/stage area. Underground, this was where the gladiators or animals were held. Imagine, being kept underground ( there was a full wooden stage on top, then covered with sand), it would have been dark, stinky and loud, once brought above ground, you would be almost blinded by the light, 60 000 people screaming at you, then asked to fight some sort of animal you may not have ever seen. They brought in lions, tigers, giraffes, elephants, etc from other worlds. When they did so, they would often bring in the flora and fauna from that region as well to give spectators the full experience!

Near where all the people are, was an emperors box. The colliseum even had a cloth roof controlled by 

Sailmakers that could open and close. 

Don't we look all " matchy-matchy"!

We did not get a chance to explore the entire ancient city, but we saw the Circus Maximus. This was another stadium- like area that could hold 250 000 for the event of chariot racing. 

Hard to see, but the stadium would have been on the right, and the stands on the sloping grounds to the left.