The Colosseum

            Alper, Humanities A Justin Woodford.
             Research Paper 5-5-03/Period A.
             The Colosseum.
             In Rome, before the founding of amphitheaters, gladiatorial combats and other entertainment were held in areas such as the Forum, the Circus Maximus, and other places. However, a politician named Curio came up with the idea of an amphitheater, which allowed better viewing from the stands. ("Amphitheater."") Perhaps the greatest amphitheater of all was the Colosseum. During its day, the Colosseum was the largest, most marvelous structure of its kind. Their work created a structure that was so immense it could hold approximately fifty thousand spectators ("Roman Colosseum."") The spectators came to watch a variety of activities, including ship battles, animal fights, and gladiator games (Kent School District). However, these naval battles did not continue for as long as the other spectacles. The Colosseum has an interesting history also, including why the water battles were banned.
             The Colosseum is not a perfect circle at all, as it may be believed. In actuality, it measures 189 m (620 ft) long and 156 m (513 ft) wide. The structure is four stories, totaling 47 m (157 ft) to the top. Three of these stories are arcades, and one is an attic floor surrounded with many windows. Supporting these arcades are columns. Each floor has a different type of entablature; Doric in the first story, Ionic in the second, and Corinthian columns in the third. The main arena is made of wood, and below this floor, there is a complicated set of rooms and passageways for wild beasts and other necessities that were used for staging the shows. There are eighty walls, which enclose the stage floor (Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia). To this huge structure, there were a total of seventy-eight entrances. Seventy-six of the entrances were used for the spectators, and four were reserved for the gladiators and Emperor Titus.