The name Colosseum arises because its site was once a lake in front of the Golden House of Nero (palace). At about that point on the shore stood a colossal (colossus) statue of Nero. Excavators in the 1980s found the remains of the foundation of the Colossus. A plot of grass and flowers marks the spot.
You’ll see pock marks, also, at the intersections of most stone blocks. Iron rods pinned the stones together. In the Dark Ages the art of making iron was lost. The iron rods here and elsewhere were scavenged and melted down to make tools, etc. As with most Roman monuments, one of the many powerful families took it over as a fortress and staffed it with their army. An 18th century earthquake destroyed the outer wall on the SE side.
A canvas awning, manipulated by a squadron of sailors from Ostia, covered the Colosseum on hot, sunny, days. The amphitheater was an engineering marvel, in that there were so many stairways and exits such that the entire arena could be emptied in perhaps 10 minutes. Some say its 80 exits (called vomitoria, another Latin source for an English word) served as many as 80,000 spectators. More thoughtful, modern sources, though, speculate it held perhaps 55,000
Wild animals, gladiators, and ships on water fought here. Most of the fighting (except with ships) occurred on the sand covered floor of the amphitheater. The Latin word for sand is arena. Therefore, we call places like the Colosseum arenas. A word easier to spell than amphitheaters. An amphitheater is a theater with seating that goes around all sides. About 15% of the floor of the Colosseum has now been covered, much to your advantage. You’ll gain a much better appreciation of what the structure looked like until it fell into disuse 1,500 years ago. Plays and concerts, though, are more likely to give entertainment than lions and gladiators.
To your south, right – as you face the Colosseum with your back to the Forum, you’ll see the Arch of Constantine. One of the many triumphal arches built to celebrate victories or other signal achievements, it comes relatively late in the Empire. While it looks grand to us, experts will tell you it demonstrates the decline of artistic skills at that time (315 AD). Much of the work of the arch is taken from other monuments, though it is first-rate work. The Arches of Septimus Severus (NE corner of Forum) and Titus (E end of Forum) are superior in workmanship, if not as well-proportioned and impressive. These arches are the inspiration for Napoleon’s Arc de Triomph (Triumphal Arch) in Paris.
You could continue your tour past Constantin’s Arch, past the east side of the Palatine Hill (note the arches of aqueducts) and turn right at the first corner to view the Circus Maximus, however it is better viewed from atop the Palatine.
