The Colosseum Research Paper
The Classical World The Colosseum
What is the Colosseum?
** It is an ancient building which is a national symbol of the long history of Rome (the Eternal City) and a long surviving building of the Roman Empire.
** It was built for performances which were a basic part of the ancient Roman culture.
** Its size, date of construction (antiquity) and central place in old culture make it an obvious choice as Rome's symbol.
Its Role and Purpose:
** It was built by the Emperors of the Flavian family in Rome, and it is a theatre where the seats are in a circle. So it's called the "Flavian Amphitheatre" as well as the Colosseum.
** Many games were held there in the olden days, such as: gladiator fights, wild-beast displays, and events in …show more content…
Ancient sources (for his research): mosaics, ruins of old amphitheatres, inscriptions and written works, etc.
b. Why were the games played, and the role of the Colosseum and the arena in the ancient Roman society
c. What do we learn about the Roman civilization by studying about the Colosseum?
Romans and Greeks: Games were played and popular even before the Colosseum was built in both Rome and Greece (which had a sophisticated culture several hundred years before the Romans); however, these shows and displays were criticized by philosophers and Christian thinkers as cruel and immoral.
The struggle with nature: The people were to be grateful to the Emperor for killing all dangerous and harmful animals in the games, in the arena, and the Emperor was a considered a hero for getting his people rid of these animals (Hercules was a suitable symbol for the Emperors as he had killed many monsters in his legendary adventures). (Color Plate 23 and 16) It was built in the beginning to show the Roman victory over the Jews who had rebelled against them in Judea.
Life and death: Possible origins of the gladiatorial fights and lists of the different ways in which criminals were killed in the …show more content…
Pompeii: Cultural roots of the amphitheatre. Second Century BCE, Pompeii prospered and generally shared the Greek culture because of commerce and travel. Most of the richer houses were decorated with mosaics and wall paintings based on Greek culture and the town had Greek type theatres. 80 BC: big change in status of the town as it developed in public buildings as it became a settlement for retired soldiers from the Roman army. It received a new civic position and many different and new buildings were made to give the town facilities of a Roman centre. The amphitheatre, seating about 20.000 people, was one of the new buildings. It brought the Roman image to the town. This amphitheatre was the oldest permanent structure to survive the years. In the olden days, gladiators' events used to be held outside in natural arenas with the people watching from the sides of surrounding hills or temporary wooden seats were made where possible but didn't survive. Rome: Rome's gladiators' shows were held in the Forum. The Forum was the cultural and political centre of the
What is the Colosseum?
** It is an ancient building which is a national symbol of the long history of Rome (the Eternal City) and a long surviving building of the Roman Empire.
** It was built for performances which were a basic part of the ancient Roman culture.
** Its size, date of construction (antiquity) and central place in old culture make it an obvious choice as Rome's symbol.
Its Role and Purpose:
** It was built by the Emperors of the Flavian family in Rome, and it is a theatre where the seats are in a circle. So it's called the "Flavian Amphitheatre" as well as the Colosseum.
** Many games were held there in the olden days, such as: gladiator fights, wild-beast displays, and events in …show more content…
Ancient sources (for his research): mosaics, ruins of old amphitheatres, inscriptions and written works, etc.
b. Why were the games played, and the role of the Colosseum and the arena in the ancient Roman society
c. What do we learn about the Roman civilization by studying about the Colosseum?
Romans and Greeks: Games were played and popular even before the Colosseum was built in both Rome and Greece (which had a sophisticated culture several hundred years before the Romans); however, these shows and displays were criticized by philosophers and Christian thinkers as cruel and immoral.
The struggle with nature: The people were to be grateful to the Emperor for killing all dangerous and harmful animals in the games, in the arena, and the Emperor was a considered a hero for getting his people rid of these animals (Hercules was a suitable symbol for the Emperors as he had killed many monsters in his legendary adventures). (Color Plate 23 and 16) It was built in the beginning to show the Roman victory over the Jews who had rebelled against them in Judea.
Life and death: Possible origins of the gladiatorial fights and lists of the different ways in which criminals were killed in the …show more content…
Pompeii: Cultural roots of the amphitheatre. Second Century BCE, Pompeii prospered and generally shared the Greek culture because of commerce and travel. Most of the richer houses were decorated with mosaics and wall paintings based on Greek culture and the town had Greek type theatres. 80 BC: big change in status of the town as it developed in public buildings as it became a settlement for retired soldiers from the Roman army. It received a new civic position and many different and new buildings were made to give the town facilities of a Roman centre. The amphitheatre, seating about 20.000 people, was one of the new buildings. It brought the Roman image to the town. This amphitheatre was the oldest permanent structure to survive the years. In the olden days, gladiators' events used to be held outside in natural arenas with the people watching from the sides of surrounding hills or temporary wooden seats were made where possible but didn't survive. Rome: Rome's gladiators' shows were held in the Forum. The Forum was the cultural and political centre of the