Colosseum

Scientific research on the Colosseum of Roman architecture

1. The Colosseum
History of Architecture and Arts
Nzeer Al-Durobi
Dr.Shrief Al-Said

2. Table of Cantante
01.
ColosseumLocation
02.
Interaction
03.
Naming Reason
04.
Colosseum Plan
05.
General Description
06.
Exterior Facade
07 -08.
Within the Colosseum
09.
The Arena
10.
The Sails

3. Table of Cantante
11 -12.
Materials
13 -14.
The Construction
15.
Colosseum Style
16.
Colosseum Columns
17 -18.
Colosseum Underground
19 -20.
Section
21.
Colosseum Before and After
22.
The Colosseum and Modern
Stadiums
23.
The Resources

4. Colosseum Location
P.01
Fig.1 Shows the location of colosseum on the map. source: Google map

5. Introduction
TheFlaviusAmphitheatreisthebiggestandmostimposinginthe
Romanworld,butisalsothemostfamousmonumentinRomeandis
knownasthe"Colosseum"or"Coliseum".StartedbyEmperorVespasian
oftheFlaviafamily,itwasopenedbyhissonTitusin80A.D.Thehighly
ostentatiousopeningceremony,lastedonehundreddaysduringwhich
peoplesawgreatfights,showsandhuntsinvolvingthekillingof
thousandsofanimals(5000accordingtothehistorianSuetonius).For
theopening,thearenaspacewasfilledwithwaterforoneofthemost
fantasticeventsheldinRomantimes.ItisthelargestRoman
Amphitheaterintheworldanddespitesufferingmultiplefires,
earthquakes,andothernaturaldisasters–aswellassubstantial
mistreatmentatthehandsofmen–itisstillstandingtoday.Theshows
takingplaceintheColosseumwerebothofasymbolicandsolidnature
andcreatedalinkbetweencitizensandtheirleaderthroughcommon
participationatimportantpubliceventswiththenotunimportant
functionofgivingthepeoplesomefuntodistractthemfrompolitical
problems.
P.02
Fig.2 Shows a sketch drawing of colosseum. source: Google
Fig.3 Shows the outer
face of colosseum.
source: Google

6. Thisnameappearedforthefirsttimeinafamousprophecy
ofthemedievalmonkVenerableBeda:“Romewillexistas
longastheColosseumdoes;whentheColosseumfallsso
willRome;whenRomefallssowilltheworld”.Perhapshe
gotthenamefromtheenormousstatueoftheEmperor
Nero,“theColossus”35metershigh,whichstoodrightnext
totheAmphitheatreandhasnowbeencompletely
destroyed.
Naming Reason
P.03 Fig.4 Statue of the Emperor Nero, “the Colossus”. source: Google
Fig.5 Digital rendering from Rome Reborn, in which both the Colosseum and
the Circus Maximus are visible. source: omeka.wellesley.edu

7. Colosseum Plan
P.04
Fig.6 Shows the plan of colosseum. source: Google map

8. Thecolosseumhadfourfloors;thefirstthreehadeightyarcheseach;
thearchesonthesecondandthirdfloorsweredecoratedwithhuge
statues.TheRomanswerereallygoodatanarchitecturaltechnique
thattheyknewwell:thearch.Anarchallowsyoutodistributethe
weightofheavyconstructionseffectively,inaperfectmanner.The
Romansusedarchesasthemainelementoftheirarchitecture,think
ofRomanaqueducts,forexample.TheColiseumcanbeviewedas
thoughitwereaseriesofaqueductsbuiltoneontopoftheother.
Whatweseenowadaysisjusttheskeletonofwhatwasthegreatest
arenaintheancientworld.
Three-fifthsoftheoutersurroundingbrickwallaremissing.
TheAmphitheatrecouldholduptoseventythousand
spectators.Thetiersofseatswereinclinedinsuchawayasto
enablepeopletogetaperfectviewfromwherevertheysat.
EntrywasfreeforallRomancitizens,butplacesweredivided
accordingtosocialstatus,similartoseatingdivisionsin
today’stheatres;theseatsatthetopwereforthecommon
people,butwithdistinctsectionsformenandwomen,the
neareryougottothearenathehigheryoursocialstatus;inthe
frontrowweresenators,vestals,priestsand-naturally-the
emperor.
General Description
P.05
Fig.8 Inside the colosseum. source: Google map
Fig.7 Shows the exterior arches of the Colosseum . source: Google

9. Exterior Facade
TheexteriorfacadeoftheColosseumconsistsoffourlevels,
withthebottomthreelevelscomposedof80archeseach.
Structurallyspeaking,thearchesmakepossibletheimmense
sizeofthestructure.Aesthetically,thearcheslightenthevisual
aspectofthebulkofthemassivebuilding.Butideologically,
theyfunctionasnumeroustriumphalarches,reflectingthefact
thattheColosseumwasbuiltfromthespoilsofJudea.
P.06 Fig.9 Shows external view of colosseum. source: Google
Fig.10 Giacomo Lauro Colosseum cutaway diagram
Wellesley College Special Collections. source:
omeka.wellesley.edu
Fig.11 Shows the exterior façade of colosseum. source:
Google map

10. Within the Colosseum
InsidetheColosseum,therearefourlevelsthatarevisiblefromoutsideprovidehugeamountsofspectatorseating.Contemporaryestimatesclaimedthe
Colosseumcouldseatupto87,000people,thoughmodern,moreconservativeestimatesputthatnumbercloserto50,000people.Thetiersofseatswere
inclinedinsuchawayastoenablepeopletogetaperfectviewfromwherevertheysat.EntrywasfreeforallRomancitizens,butspectatorswereseatedbased
upontheirsocialstatusandwithdistinctsectionsformenandwomen,withthemosteliteviewersclosesttothearena,andthelowerclasscitizenshigherup.
Theneareryougottothearenathehigheryoursocialstatus.Thevaultingwithinthearenawascrucialnotonlyforthestructuralintegrityofthebuilding,but
alsotoprovideeasyaccessandfreecirculationforspectators.Spectatorswerenotfreetowalkanywheretheywanted,butwerecarefullyfunneledthroughout
thestructurebasedontheirsocialstatus.ThissegregationwassocompletethatthecorridorsystemsmadeitimpossibleforSenatorsandEquestrianstoruninto
eachother,anditwaspossibleforplebsonlytomeetotherplebs.
P.07 Fig.12,13,14 Show the inside. source: www.italyguides.it

11. Thecomplexwasdesignednotonlytocontrolthecrowds,butto
keepthemcomfortable.Ithad110drinkingfountainsandtwo
restroomslargeenoughtoaccommodateapackedhouse.The
Coliseumevenhadaretractableroof.Onhotdaysanawning
calledavelariumwasunfurledabovetheupperdecktoshade
spectatorsfromtheSun.Itwasoperatedbysailorsfromthe
RomanNavywhowerestationedaroundthetopofthe
Colosseum'sarcade.
P.08
Fig.15 Shows the audiences' seating of colosseum. source: Google Fig.16 Shows the nearest seating area in colosseum which was specific for noble class. source: Google

12. TheColosseum’smostdistinctivefeaturewasthearena
uponwhichgladiators,prisoners,convicts,andwild
animalsfoughtanddied.Itmeasured83metersinlength
by48meterswidth.Thearenafloorwasmadeofwood
panels,coveredwithalayerofsandwhichwasdrawn
fromthenearbyMonteMariohill.Thearenawallwas
madeofredandblackstoneblocks,markingastrong
contrastwiththerestofthebuildingwhichwasintensely
white,andmirroringwhattranspiredonthearenafloor.
The Arena
P.09
Fig.17 Shows the large arena space of colosseum . source: Google
Fig.18 PolliceVerso (Thumbs Down) by Jean-Léon
Gérôme, 1872. source: www.italyguides.it
Fig.19 Shows one of the arena entrance.
source: Google

13. Asidefromitssheersizeandpermanence,the
Colosseum'sarchitecturealsoboastedseveralnotable
engineeringfeatures.Onesuchfeaturewouldbethevela
(Latinfor"sails").Thevelawerecanvasawningsthat
coveredtheaudience,protectingthemfromtheheatof
thesunastheywatchedthegames.Thesevela,massivein
structurelikeeverythingelseintheColosseum,likely
requiredathousandmen,allsailorsfromtheRomannavy,
tocontrol.Whilethevelacappedofftheverytopofthe
Colosseum,thesubstructuresbeneaththeAmphitheatre
arealsointricateandfascinating.
The Sails
P.10
Fig.20 Shows the Colosseum from top. source: Google Fig.21 a rendering photo show the sails in the
Colosseum as they were before. source:
www.italyguides.it
Fig.22 Shows the sails in details. source: Google

14. *Thecolosseumwasallwhite,coveredinsplendidtravertinestoneslabs.
travertineblockswereusedforload-bearingpillars,andexternalwalls,
stairs,andradialwallswereconstructedfromblocksandbricksoftufa.
*Travertine:Thelimestonewhichwasusedinthemainpillarsandwalls
werestrongandbroughtfromTibur.Itwasgenerallywhiteoryellow.
*Tuff:Tuffissofterthantravertineanditbringselasticity.However;since
itwasnotresistanttothefire,thedamagewasbiggerincasesofbigfires
inColosseum.
*Concrete:ConcretewasinventedbytheRomans.Itwascheap,quickto
make,andeasytouse.Biglumpsofheavyrubblewereusedinthe
Colosseum’sfoundations.Smalllumpsoflightrubblewereusedinthe
upperwalls.
*Bricks:Bricksweremixedwithwater,sandandtiles.
*Iron/BronzeClamps:Inordertobindstonestogethertheseclampswere
used.
*Marble:Marbleisusedbothindecorationandtheentrancesofthecavea
inColosseum.Someofthecolumnsarealsomadeofmarble.Thefirst
threemarblerowswereforthenoblesandspecialguests.
*Lime:Limewasusedasbinderforthecementbyaddingwater.Itwas
madeoflimestonewhichisheated.
*Stone:StonewasusedontheoutsidewallsofColosseumandthe
sectionsofthebuildingthattookthemostweight.Bigliftingcranes
hoistedstoneblocksintotheair.Theywerepoweredbyromanslaves
walkingaroundandaroundatreadwheel.
Materials
P.11 Fig.23 Shows one of materials used in colosseum. source: colosseumrometickets

15. Thepicturesaboveshowthedifferentmaterialsthatwereusedinitsuseincoliseum
P.12
Fig.24,25,26,27 Show the brickwork and different materials used in colosseum. source: colosseumrometickets.com Fig.28 Shows holes in the columns due to
the extraction of iron from it. source:
colosseumrometickets.com

16. Theplanningbeganin70ADandconstructionin
72,onthesiteoftheartificiallakeNerohad
constructedaspartoftheDomusAurea.Mostof
thelaborfortheconstructionofthebuildingwas
providedbyJewishslaves,whohadbeentakenas
prisonersfollowingthefirstJewish-Romanwar.
Thebuildingwasoval-shapedandsetonanorth-
westtosouth-eastaxis,withitsmainaxis
measuring189metersanditsshorterone156
meters.Forreference,thatisalmosttwiceaslong
and1.5timesaswideasamodernfootballfield.
TheColosseumwasbuiltfromanestimated
100,000cubicmetersoftravertinestone,plusa
similarmeasureofRomancement,bricks,and
tuffblocks.Inadditiontothedifferenttypesof
stoneandcement,anestimated300tonesofiron
clampswereusedtobindthelargeblocks
together.Theseclampswerescavengedinlater
centurieswhentheColosseumfellintodisrepair,
leavinglargepockmarksinthebuilding’swalls
thatarestillrecognizabletoday.
The Construction
P.13 Fig.29,30 Show the different techniques used in colosseum construction. source: Google

17. Explanationofthe
importantelements
intheColosseum
P.14
Fig.31 Show the different techniques used in colosseum construction. Source: Google

18. TheColosseumwasconceivedasatestamentto
Rome’smight.Atthetimeofitscompletion,itwas
themostcomplexman-madestructureintheworld
andoneofthelargest.Thetravertinestoneusedas
theprimarymaterialinitsconstructionwaswhite,
andatnearly50metersinheight(atatimewhen
mostbuildingsweresingle-story)andwitha
footprintof6acresitwouldhavegleamedinthesun
andinspiredaweinanyonewholaideyesuponit.Its
effectonanancientRomanviewingitforthefirst
timewouldhavebeenthesameasstandingatthe
footoftheEmpireStatebuildingtoday.
Colosseum Style
P.15
Fig.32arenderingphotoshow
thetheColosseumaswasbefore.
source:www.italyguides.it

19. Allthreeofthemajorarchitecturalordersofthetimewererepresented:
-ThegroundfloorcolumnsweredoneintheTuscanstyle.
-ThesecondfloorfeaturedslightlymoreelaborateIoniccolumns.
-ThethirdflooremployedthemoreintricateanddecoratedCorinthianstyle.
Therefore,frombottomtotop,theColosseumwentfromlessertogreater
stylisticcomplexity.Eachhalf-columnwasthecenterpieceofanarch,of
whichtherewereatotalof80formingtheexternalperimeterofthebuilding
onthefirstthreefloors.Thesewerelargestonthegroundfloor,at4.2meters
wideand7.05meterstall.Onthetwoupperfloorstheywerethesamewidth
butslightlyshorter,6.45metertall.Unlikethefirstthree,thefourthfloorwall
wasnotmadeofarchesandcolumns,butratherofflatpanels,whichthanks
torecentcleaningeffortsweknowweredecoratedwithcarvingsandinsets
ofazuriteandbronze.TheColosseumhadtwomainentrances:the
northwesternPortaTriumphalis,whichasitsnamesuggestswasthegate
usedfortriumphalprocessionsandthroughwhichgladiatorsenteredthe
arena,andthesoutheasternPortaLibitinaria,namedfortheRomangoddess
offuneralsandburialLibitina.Thisgatewasusedtoremovedthebodiesof
thosewhoperishedonthesands.
Colosseum Columns
P.16
Fig.33 Shows columns in the Tuscan style. source: Google
Fig.34 Shows columns in the Ionic style. source: Google
Fig.35 Shows columns in the Corinthian style. source: Google
Fig.36 Shows the three different
columns in colosseum. source: Google

20. WhiletheColosseum’smostdistinctivefeaturewasthearena,it’smostimportantwasthehypogeum,itsundergroundarea.Thehypogeumwasanetworkof
tunnelsandchambersdistributedintwolevelswheregladiatorsandanimalswerekeptbeforeappearinginthearenaabove.Itwasn’tpartoftheoriginal
designasconceivedbyVespasianandhissonTitus.Itwasaddedafterthebuildinghadalreadybeeninauguratedin80ADonordersoftheirsuccessor
EmperorDomitian.80verticalshaftsconnectedthehypogeumtothearenaabove.Gladiatorsandanimalscouldaccessthearenathroughtheseshafts.Some
oftheseshaftsincorporatedasystemoflargemovingplatforms,calledHegmata.Thesewereusedtomovelargebeastssuchaselephantsupanddown.The
hypogeumwasconnectedtotheoutsidethroughanetworkofundergroundtunnels,suchastothegladiators’barracksandtonearbystableswhereanimals
werekept.TheColosseumhadaprivateaccesstunnelfortheEmperor,sohecouldenterandexitthebuildingsafely,avoidingthelargecrowds.Withthe
constructionofthehypogeum,itbecameimpossibletofloodthearenaandthereforetoholdnaumachia(mocknavalbattles)intheColosseum.
Colosseum Underground
P.17
Fig.37 Shows the underground area of
colosseum. source: Google

21. Pictures showing the paths under the Colosseum in the hypogeum
P.18
Fig.38Variousentrances,
exitsandpathsinthe
hypogeumareaunderthe
Colosseum.
source:Google

22. HereisasectionalplanoftheColosseum,whichallowsto
seethedifferentexistingcorridors,aswellasthe4
occupationareasofthestands:Atthebottom,the
senators,above,thefreemen,inthe3rdsector,therestof
thepopulationandfinallyatthetopthewomenandthe
people.
Section
P.19
Fig.40 Shows section perspective of colosseum with details. source: Google
Fig.39 A section of colosseum.
source: wonders-of-the-world.net

23. P.20
Fig.41 Shows number of
sections in different parts of
colosseum. source: Google
AgroupofothersectorsindifferentpartsoftheColosseum
Theundergroundareaandbasement

24. Before
After
ThefollowingimagesshowtheColosseuminitscompleteformthousandsofyearsago,basedonthe
perceptionofarchaeologists
Colosseum Before and After
P.21
Fig.42 a rendering photo show the theColosseum as was before. source: www.italyguides.it
Fig.43 photo show the the Colosseum as it is nowadays. Source: www.italyguides.it

25. Modernstadiumsaremuchmorehumaneineverysense.Eventhoughthe
majorityofstadiumsprimarilycatertosportingevents,theyarealsousedfor
otherpurposes.Manymajormusicianswhotourplayinstadiumsbecauseofthe
numberofpeoplethestadiumscanhold.
TheRomanColosseumwasveryadvancedforitstimewhenitcameto
amenities.Anotherastonishingfeatureisthatitcouldbefilledwithwaterfor
eventssuchasthepreviouslymentionedmockseabattles.Incontrast,modern
stadiumscanbecoveredandhavetunnelstotransportpeoplearoundthe
stadiumoutoftheaudience'sview.Modernstadiumshaveseveralretractable
seatswhichallowsforpeopletoeasilywalkthroughrowsofseats.These
stadiumsarealsolargerthantheRomanColosseumandcanholdupto100,000
people,almosttwiceasmuchastheColosseum.
TheColosseumismadeofstonesandconcrete.Thisstructureisoneofthemost
famousexamplesofRomanarchitectureandisrecognizedworldwideforbeing
thelargestamphitheater,eventhoughitisfree-standingandnotbuiltona
hillsidelikemostamphitheaters.
Inconclusion,Asoneofthenewsevenwondersoftheworld,theRoman
Colosseumhasanarchitecturalimportanceandinfluenceunlikeanyother.
Modernstadiumsreflectthat.Modernstadiumswouldn'thaveadvancedthe
waytheyhavetodaywithouttheguidanceofsuchasupreme,historicalexample
tofollow.
The Colosseum and Modern Stadiums
P.22
Fig.44 a photo of modern stadium. source: Google
Fig.45 a rendering photo show the the Colosseum from the top. source:
www.italyguides.it

26. 1.https://www.italyguides.it/en/lazio/rome/ancient-rome/colosseum
2.https://romecolosseumtickets.tours/colosseum-arhitecture-rome/
3.http://omeka.wellesley.edu/piranesi-rome/exhibits/show/colosseum/architecture
4.https://colosseumrometickets.com/building-materials-of-the-colosseum/
5.https://www.thecolosseum.org/architecture/
6.https://www.wonders-of-the-world.net/Colosseum/Map-of-the-Colosseum.php
7.https://prezi.com/djq5-z3bhuhq/the-roman-colosseum-versus-modern-day-stadiums/
The Resources
P.23

27. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME