The Colosseum By Alex Hawkenbery
-The construction of the colosseum or the Flavian amphitheater began in 70 A.D. and was completed around 80 A.D. -The colosseum's construction began during the reign of Vespasian, and was finished shortly after his death during the reign of Titus. Emperor Vespasian Emperor Titus
-Vespasian and Titus built the colosseum for the entertainment of the Roman people -At the colosseum, gladiatorial combat was held, as well as the slaughter of criminals, and beast-fighting -Some think that sometimes the arena was flooded so that they could stage naval battles
-When Titus opened the colosseum to the public the emperor hosted games for more than a hundred days to celebrate the completion of the amphitheatre -Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed in the "inaugural games" -The colosseum was built in the very heart of Rome. -Vespasian's decision to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero's lake can also be seen as a populist gesture of returning to the people an area of the city which Nero had appropriated for his own use.
-The colosseum could hold over 50,000 people. -Underneath the floor of the arena is where the gladiators and wild animals were held. -Today the colosseum is a popular tourist attraction in the city of Rome.
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