#5 Колизей / The Colosseum

Описание

The Colosseum is the first thing that comes to the most
when it comes to Rome. The construction of the Colosseum - the Flavian Amphitheater (as it was known in ancient times) - was started by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD on the artificial lake nearby Neros Golden palace. One of the forced sponsors of the construction was Judea, conquered by the Roman Empire, with its trophies. A 35-meter colossus towered here, from where the Colosseum, or Colosseo, takes its name. The construction was completed by 80 AD and Titus (emperor at the moment) presented it as a gift to the people, announcing 100 days of daily performances.
In fact, behind all this generosity there was a smart plan: to give the people "bread and circuses" to suppress their interest in the political life of the empire.
Much of the history and customs of Colosseum life is covered with fog and it's not clear where the truth is and where the lie is. One such moment is the custom of determining the fate of a defeated gladiator with the thumb. Some argue that the finger went down, others - that in the side, and someone believes that the thumb up has nothing to do with these competitions and was a symbol of something completely different.
It can be said unambiguously that the Colosseum is an engineering miracle of its time, which answered even requests that did not exist at that time! Although according to some data, the amphitheater could accommodate about 70,000 spectators, it could fill up or, on the contrary, empty in some 15-20 minutes, due to the high organization of the spectators' movement.
Also of particular interest is the structure of his arena. During the performance, the arena could at first be an artificial lake, on which naval battles were fought, then the water descended, and in a matter of moments, a real tropical forest grew from under the stage, teeming with wild animals whose task was to survive (whether in a fight with other animals or people), after that the stage could turn into a desert, on which theatrical performances and gladiatorial fights were already staged. And all these thanks to the complex system of the mechanical lifting of heavy loads, which was skillfully integrated into the backstage of the colosseum located under its arena, the depth of which reached more than 10 meters!
The demand for games, and with it the Colosseum itself, had exhausted itself by the 7th century. Since then, this giant has been in desolation, becoming at first a cemetery, then a place of meeting needs, a barnyard, and eventually even a residential building.
The Colosseum has a "father" - Teatro Marcello - 1st century BC, according to the plan of which it was designed, as well as a "son" - the square Colosseum - which is one of the symbols of the modern history of Rome.
In 2007, the Colosseum was recognized as one of the 7 new wonders of the world.