Colosseum : Rome's Arena of Death

The Colosseum in Rome is one of the world's most amazing buildings. Built over 10 years during the reign of the Emperor Vespasiano in c. 72AD, at 160 feet high this immense oval stadium was home to the most violent and deadly spectator sports in history, and the making of many 'gladiator' heroes. Using state-of-the-art computer graphics, Colosseum brings the world of Ancient Rome to life and shows how and why this most extraordinary of human monuments was built. New research debunks the myths perpetuated in the film Gladiator and helps us understand the nature of these games - why the chariot races of Gladiator could not have happened within the Colosseum walls, for instance. Here for the first time, new evidence reveals exactly how the Colosseum was regularly flooded with water for the spectacle of deadly sea battles. Contents 3 Introduction 5 1. The ancient Romans 8 2. Vespasian's vision 27 3. Enter the gladiators 58 4. The life of a gladiator 79 5. In the arena 98 6. The naumachia 125 7. The fall of the Colosseum 138 8. The excavations 154 Appendix I. Beneath the arena 168 Appendix II. Writing about the Colosseum 190 Glossary 197 Further reading 200 Index 202 Using state-of-the-art computer graphics, this book brings the world of Ancient Rome to life and shows how and why this most extraordinary of human monuments was built. The Colosseum was home to the most violent and deadly spectator sports in history, and the making of many 'gladiator' heroes.