Discuss the Roman Colosseum OR the Roman Pantheon. Why was this structure built and who commissioned it? Describe the structure using the architectural terms that relate to it and define these terms. What are the most important and innovative features of the structure?
Among the most impressive buildings still standing in Rome, the Colosseum attracts thousands of visitors fascinating with its architecture and its bloody history. When it was created in 72-80 AD it was the largest amphitheater the world had ever seen and the first permanent such structure in the city of Rome (Ramage and Ramage 156). It was a building intended for the pleasure of the vast majority of Romans and an innovative architectural creation equal in magnificence and ambition to the Roman Empire.
The Colosseum was commissioned by Vespasian who became emperor after the catastrophic reign of Nero, the man who is credited among other things with the great fire that destroyed Rome. The location of the building was symbolic. It was the place where Nero had created the vast gardens of his Golden House (Ramage and Ramage 156). Vespasian was in this way returning to the Romans part of the land that was taken away from them by a much hated emperor and at the same time gave them the opportunity to watch a series of impressive and bloody events that included gladiator fights and animal hunts (Tansey and Kleiner 224).
The oval shape and the stepped design allowed great view for all 50 thousand spectators the Flavian Amphitheater –as it was known in antiquity- could hold. At the same time the 76 exits, the various passageways and stairways allowed the easy circulation and safe exit of everyone inside (Ramage and Ramage 156, 158). Furthermore, protective measures were taken for bad weather and the audience could be at least partially covered with a device called velarium which was supported by massive wooden poles (Tansey and Kleiner 225).
Technically the building could not have been created if the Romans had not invented concrete (Tansey and Kleiner 224). Its interior skeleton is made of concrete and is based on a series of arches and arched passageways which intersecting created groin vaults (Ramage and Ramege 158). This construction helped to sustain the massive weight of the building and enhance its deep foundations. Underneath the central arena was created a second equally impressive structure with cages for the lions and other wild animals, rooms for the gladiators and special equipment that could raise stage settings, animals and humans (Tansey and Kleiner 224). As in later times most of the limestone and marble from the Colosseum has been removed in order to be used in other buildings these features are now visible for modern visitors.
The exterior was created to please aesthetically the eye. It was made of a local limestone, called travertine, was divided into four horizontal bands which were decorated with Doric, Ionian and Corinthian columns. The fourth, highest band was decorated with Corinthian pilasters (Tansey and Kleiner 224).
Vespasian died in 79 AD and did not live to see the completion of the Colosseum. It was inaugurated by his successor Titus one year later with ceremonies and games –among which a real naval battle for which the arena was flooded- that lasted for one hundred days. Through an endless bloodshed the amphitheater aimed to entertain the Roman citizens and it succeeded for the rest of the Roman history. Today it remains a constant reminder of Roman architectural ingenuity and one of the places a person must visit during his/her lifetime.
Works cited
Ramage, Nancy H. and Andrew Ramage. Roman Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Inc, 2001.
Tansey, Richard G. and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1996.
