AP Human Geography: The Colosseum

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Chloe Pope Jared Koldoff AP Human Geography 19 March 2024 The Colosseum The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world and is the main symbol of its hometown, Rome, Italy. This monument has over 6 million visitors annually and has thousands of years of history. The four story amphitheater measures 188 meters in length, 156 meters in width, and has 57 meters of height on it, equaling about the size of two football fields. The Colosseum consists mainly of concrete and has small amounts of marble and stone. It is located southeast of Vatican City as well as west of the Roman Forum. The Colosseum serves the population on a largely international scale. People from all over the world visit Rome just to see this structure. This can be proven …show more content…

The amphitheater was constructed as a tribute to the initial ruler of the Flavian dynasty, Vespasian. Vespasian believed it to be a courtesy to the people of Rome. In 72 AD the beginning of the construction began on this amphitheater. By the time 80 AD, the construction of the monument was finished and it opened with 100 days of inaugural games initiated under the order of Titus, a Roman Emperor and the son of Vespasian, in celebration of the completion of the memorial. These 100 days of games were free to the people of Rome and consisted of gladiatorial battles, wild animal fights, entertainment, executions, etc. In 110 AD, the first documented martyrdom occurred in the Colosseum of Rome. Several hundred years later in 400 AD, St. Telemachus, a monk who was taking his first visit to Rome, was horrified by the games being held in the monument and decided to walk out to try and stop the games but unfortunately, was stoned to his death by the crowd. The earthquake of 422 CE was very damaging to the amphitheater and caused major damage to its structure. The magnitude of the earthquake was 6.2 and killed almost 300 people with its …show more content…

In 523 AD the animal games came to a stop in the Colosseum. In the late 6th century, a chapel was attached to the building and the floor of the arena was a cemetery. The walls under the seats for the crowd were then transformed into houses and workshops. The huge bronze sculpture of Nero, commonly known as “The Colossus of Nero,” which stood at the main entrance of the Domus Aurea, caused the original title, the “Flavian Amphitheater,” to eventually be changed into “The Colosseum” in the year 1000. The Colosseum currently still serves many functions for humanity. It can be seen as a historical symbol representing ancient Rome's culture. This culture and history attracts many tourists to learn and understand the past events that have occurred in the area. The architecture of the Colosseum also attracts certain groups of people to observe the build of the amphitheater. It also serves purposes as to learn about the years of the gladiatorial games along with the lifestyle of the time it was built. Occasionally, the area holds major events such as concerts, mass, etc. The future generations of tourists and locals will continue to make preservations to hopefully appreciate and observe the culture of the structure. The

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