The Colosseum History

The Colosseum is an amphitheatre in Rome that is also known as the Flavian Amphitheater. As a gift to the Roman people, it was built during the reign of the Flavian emperors during the reign of the Roman Empire.

Who Built The Colosseum?

Rome is one of the most magical and beautiful cities all over the world, not just in Italy. In this place, time becomes still and billions of lives, from different eras or different countries, mixed and still mixed together, creating a wonderful canvas full of colours and different shapes. Every time you walk on Rome’s streets, you are surrounded by countless memories unfolding in front of your eyes, holding so much meaning. But the most beautiful and memorable of all of them is the symbol of the city, the Great Colosseum. However, how this incredible masterpiece was built and why is it such an important monument for the Eternal City?

In order to do so, it is vital to learn the history and, most importantly, the origins of such a masterpiece. First of all, it must be known that its original name is Amphitheatrum Flavium, which in Latin means ‘The Flavian Amphitheatre. It is an oval Amphitheatre, located in the middle of the city centre, just nearby the Roman Forum. It’s one of the largest Amphitheatre up to this day, despite being built centuries ago, standing high and conquering all kinds of natural disasters and uncertainties in history. Not only it is considered one of the greatest symbols of the Ancient Roman Empire, but also of the city itself Rome: in fact, it has been listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, one of the most valuable titles in the world.

The construction of this building started in 72 A.D. under the order of Emperor Vespasian and it has been a long and difficult process that ended only years later, in the 80 A.D. with Emperor Titus. Only later on, with Emperor Domitian, even the last touches have ended and the Colosseum has been completed. Historians and archaeologists have decided to call it the Flavian Amphitheatre because of the three Emperors that have helped and demanded its construction since all of them were part of the Flavian Dynasty of rulers of the Empire. However, it has been speculated that, during the Roman Empire, the Colosseum has been called many unofficial names, such as Amphitheatrum Caesareum or, as we all know it by today, the Colosseum.

The origin of the ‘Colosseum name is a little bit uncertain, but historians have created a few theories about it, based on ancient artefacts and historic sources. The term itself is a Latin neuter noun, which means ‘gigantic’ and it is believed to refer to a colossal statue of Nero. It should resemble the more famous Colossus of Rhodes and it is believed to be a gigantic bronze statue of the elder Emperor Nero, portrayed as a solar deity. In the beginning, it was supposed to be located inside the Colosseum itself, but later on, by command of Emperor Hadrian, it was moved away, beside the building itself. During the centuries, the population started to refer to the building as the ‘Amphitheatre of the Colossus’, because of the statue nearby, which slowly turned into the actual name, the ‘Colosseum’.