The Colosseum: One of the New 7 Wonders of the World

The Colosseum, also spelled Coliseum, is an oval-shaped amphitheatre located in the heart of Rome, Italy. It is also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, or Amphitheatrum Flavium in Latin and Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo in Italian.

Constructed primarily from concrete and sand, it is recognized as the largest amphitheatre ever built. The monument stands immediately east of the Roman Forum. Work on the structure began during the rule of Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was finished in AD 80 under his son and successor Titus. Additional changes were carried out during the reign of Domitian from AD 81 to 96. Since all three rulers belonged to the Flavian dynasty, the amphitheatre received its Latin name from their family name, Flavius.

It is estimated that the Colosseum could accommodate between 50,000 and 80,000 people, with an average audience of approximately 65,000. The enormous venue hosted gladiatorial fights and a wide variety of public entertainments. These included animal hunts, executions, recreations of well-known battles, and theatrical performances inspired by Classical mythology. Mock naval battles were also staged for a limited period, although this practice ended relatively quickly when the underground hypogeum was equipped with machinery and structures needed for other types of spectacles.

By the beginning of the early medieval period, the Colosseum was no longer being used as an entertainment venue. Over the centuries that followed, the structure served many different purposes. Parts of it were adapted for residences, workshops, accommodations for a religious community, and defensive use. The building was also treated as a source of construction material and functioned at various times as a Christian place of devotion.

Although substantial portions of the monument were destroyed or damaged by earthquakes and by people removing its stone for other construction projects, the Colosseum remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Imperial Rome. Today, it is among the most visited attractions in Rome. It also has an important connection with the Roman Catholic Church. Every Good Friday, the Pope traditionally leads a torchlit Way of the Cross procession that begins in the vicinity of the Colosseum.

The Colosseum is also represented on the Italian design of the five-cent euro coin.

The Original Name

The ancient Latin designation of the Colosseum was Amphitheatrum Flavium, a name commonly rendered in English as Flavian Amphitheater. The structure was commissioned and constructed by emperors belonging to the Flavian dynasty after the reign of Nero.

Although the term Flavian Amphitheater remains in use today, the monument is far more commonly identified as the Colosseum. In ancient Rome, it may also have been informally called Amphitheatrum Caesareum, with Caesareum referring to the imperial title Caesar. However, this expression may have been mainly poetic rather than an exclusive official name for the structure. Vespasian and Titus, who were responsible for building the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheatre bearing the same designation in Puteoli, which is known today as Pozzuoli.

The Origin of the Name Colosseum

For many centuries, it has been widely believed that the name Colosseum came from the enormous statue of Nero that once stood nearby. This statue was itself associated with the Colossus of Rhodes and was known as the Colossus of Nero.

After Nero's reign, later emperors altered the statue so that it represented the sun god Helios, also identified with Sol, or Apollo. A solar crown was added to give the figure the appropriate appearance. The head of the statue was subsequently changed on several occasions, with the faces of later emperors replacing earlier ones.

Despite its association with pagan beliefs, the statue remained standing far into the medieval period. During this time, it was believed to possess magical qualities and became a powerful representation of Rome's enduring existence.

The Prophecy of the Colossus

During the eighth century, a well-known epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede described the symbolic importance of the statue through a famous prophecy. It is commonly translated as meaning that Rome would stand as long as the Colossus remained standing, that Rome would fall when the Colossus fell, and that the world itself would fall when Rome fell.

The passage is frequently mistranslated as referring to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus, including in Lord Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. However, when the text associated with the Pseudo-Bede was written, the masculine Latin noun coliseus referred to the statue itself. At that time, the amphitheatre was still generally known by its Flavian name.

The Fall of the Colossus

The enormous statue eventually disappeared, perhaps after being dismantled so that its bronze could be recovered and reused. By approximately the year 1000, the term Colosseum had begun to be used for the amphitheatre itself.

Over time, the statue was largely forgotten. Today, only its foundation remains, positioned between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.

The Name Through the Middle Ages

During the medieval period, the name gradually developed into Coliseum. In modern Italy, the monument is still called il Colosseo.

Related forms of the name also appeared in other Romance languages. Romanian uses Coloseumul, French uses le Colisée, Spanish uses el Coliseo, and Portuguese uses o Coliseu. These variations reflect the long linguistic evolution of the monument's name across Europe.