Secrets of The Colosseum in Rome : A Wonder
It was a spectacle of design and engineering, the biggest
building they ever built. It spans nearly 2000 feet around and soon after it
opened in the 80’ it was decorated in glamming brown shields and 16 foots
statues of gods & heroes.
To this day the Colosseum stands as a powerful landmark on
the skyline of Rome. In the amphitheater
more than 50 thousand spectators during the blood shedding athletes continues
to hunt imagination. Gladiators fighting to the death, mass crucifixions,
animal hunt – over four century, the Colosseum was witnessed to an estimated
millions of human deaths and with 11 thousands animals killed in a season. Some
species like the Volcan Lion and a north African elephant was driven to an
extinction. Yet the Colosseum is much more than a spectacular slaughter house,
it was complexly designed and engineered construction.
Watching fighting on the regular basis for entertainment gave
the Romans sense of who they were and influenced them with the kind of military
thoughts. Ancient Roman author such as Marshal in his book of spectacles described
how the “Word Order” played out in the arena state. Because the emperor, the
master illusion, on his command numerous elephants, crocodile, rhinos magically
appeared to be dispatched by the hunters. A condemned criminal is dressed in
wings, incredibly across the arena according to the Greek myth. Fantastic sea
battles used to take place where thousands of war prisoners are either slaughtered
or drown. Can this astonish elaboration and extreme killing be true? Or hangs between the boundary of history and
myth and became blur? To find the answer… we must dive deep.
Most recently the Colosseum was brought back to life in the
film “Gladiator” where tigers comes out from nowhere but under earth. Parts of
the movie Gladiator are based on the events portrayed in ancient mosaic. They depict
gladiators locked in combat and wild beast mulling people. But no one knows how
these animals magically appeared. Some scholars suspect that the secret might
be hidden in the Colosseum basement.
The Hypogeum, Greek word for underground was made with corridors
and collapsed wall. Today arena floor has been partially rebuilt for the
tourists. The original was made with wood and covered in sands to absorb blood.
The floor and wooden support was long gone. But edged in the walls best defines
deep cuts and grouts. Even the floors are bearing series of brown holes of
concrete. These holes were used to hold capstan. Capstan is a large brown pool that can be used
to turn something. A ramp from the capstan goes to the arena. Support framing
from the floor of the hypogeum to the floor of the arena, half way up a
horizontal beam for worker to stand up. A capstan with pool for workers to turn
around and up. And finally a trap door that could be lower to become a ramp
leading to the arena floor. All these together creates an ancient lifting
system.
Throughout the hypogeum, best describes ancient backstage machineries,
a total of 28 lifts.
Why the Romans did built the Colosseum to stage this bloody
events. Part of the answer is hiding in plain sight.
For years a cast aside stone was used a place for the visitors to rest. This stone is very important
but was completely unnoticed. In the 18th hundred an encryption was
discovered on the surface of the stone which ended up standing in the Colosseum
museum where its once again remained largely unnoticed. But hidden beneath
these fifth century latters may be another much earlier encryption.
Mixed within the engraved latters, there are a series of strange
holes. These holes were nothing but bronze letter once fastened to the
stone.
“IMP.CAES.VESPASI AMPHITHEATRV EXMANVBIS”
Titus Flavian Vespatian become emperor in the year 69. The following year he
ordered construction of the colosssum to begin.
The stone is the prove of it’s dedication and the latter
spelled out how the colosseum was paid for, with boudi. But boudi from where?
Vespasian son left us a clew on the nearby archive Titus. On
it, depictions of Roman sacking the temple in Jerusalem. One of the panels
depicts the manor and sacred table carried by young romans. This is quintessential war boudi. The things
that melt the most to the people from whom they were seized.
Following his sons conquested Judaea in the year 70,
Vespasian was shining with gold and slaves, he can build anything he wants. So
why the colosseum?
Vespasian needs a building that makes a bold statement that
he, Vespasian Flavious is nothing like the emperor before him, the infamous
Nero.
Emperor Nero’s rules are marked by extravagance and much of
Rome burning. He confiscates land and built a pleasure palace with gardens and
a man-made lake. Nero is driven from the thrown, commit suicide and Rome
engulfed into civil war. After a ghastly year of civil war and suicide of Nero,
everything in his living power to ingratiate of himself, Vespasian, in the
senate and consolidate his personal power.
After fighting his way to the thrown, Vespasian cast himself as the
Anti-Nero. He buries Nero’s powers, fills in his lake and on top built the amphitheater, a public
building for blood sports. It was the largest and most expensive building in
the Rome, a building for popular entertainment. It celebrates military powers
and put it into a frightening, exciting chastening context. The Colosseum is a perfect symbol of how
Vespasian in Rome came to power.
The amphitheater constructed 20 years after the Colosseum. In
general, still the Romans believe that the Colosseum was built with the idea of
Greece but its not the true. It was definitely a Roman invention. “Am-phi” means
double in Greek and “Amphitheater” is translate as double theater. If a
Greek theater is just double , it will be round. But the Roman amphitheater is
a stretched circle, or an ovule. The ovule shape of the amphitheater may be a
direct result of the buildings functions. A place for gladiator combat. Most buildings
are rectangular and that’s a bad thing. If
a fighter get stuck in a corner, its much easier to be killed. The ovule shape
helps to long the action to the maximum entertainment. This shape has a dynamic
quality. No corners, everything is smooth, so gladiators can move around. It helps
to maintain the excitement. An amphitheater for gladiators combat is a uniquely
Roman and formed and
function. Exactly the symbol emperor Vespasian needs to project his power and
inspire Roman pride.
Today the Colosseum is a majestic ruin. Over the centuries,
everything of value was stolen from its wall. But coins maintain it hopefully. In
the coin, curving on tombs show how the Colosseum was likely decorated. On it,
there were 160 bronze statues, 16 feet tall, representing gods and heroes, the Romans used to believe. On its top layer, glinting brown disk symbolizing the
power, finally framing the arches were columns of various architectural orders.
Greek capital on the upper three layers but on the street level roman capitals.
Vespasian is giving the people the place Romans exactly what they want, Greek
orders, Greek statues but all with a Roman twist.
The Colosseum decoration amplify the message of the buildings
monumental spheres, “ We Roman love Greek art & culture but we have
surpassed them. Rome is the new super power”
As a final touch, there was a bronze chamber above the entry
of the north side where emperor could make his great entrance. But Vespasian
will never walk or neither. He died just months before the Colosseum is
completed. He does lives a lasting legacy tough. The largest building in Rome
and the imperial dynasty. For the first
time in Roman history, an emperor is directly succeeded by his natural sign. In
the year 80, Titus helms the game in honor of his father.
Roman author Marshal, in his “ the book of spectacles” describes
the inaugural games, a 100 days of crucifixion, wild beast shows, gladiator
combat and for the first time the acting out of Greek Myths with an elaborate scenery
and actual death. the criminals would forced to be dressed like the Greek Myths
and to be killed while acting in the Colosseum in front of 50 million audience
clapping.
“Maaks Sea Battle” were ships were sunk with hundreds of prisoners on board. What astonish with Marshal is not mass murder by drowning, but rather how it was pulled off. How could the Colosseum be flooded water for sea battles in the morning then draining quickly enough for gladiators combat in the afternoon.
[To be continued]
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