Lori and Tim in the UK: Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome

We took a tour of the ancient Rome ruins and the Colosseum. It was a little difficult to truly visualise what the ruins looked like other than the Colosseum which was still impressive.

The Colosseum is immense and was clad in marble and could accommodate 55,000 spectators who entered the building through over 80 entrances. Above the ground are four stories, the upper story contained seating for lower classes and women.

The lowest story was preserved for prominent citizens. The "ground" level was actually a wooden structure covered with sand. Below the ground were rooms with mechanical devices and cages containing wild animals. The cages could be hoisted, enabling the animals to appear in the middle of the arena.The southern side of the Colosseum was felled by an earthquake in 847. Parts of the building - including the marble cladding - were later used for the construction of other landmark buildings such as the St. Peter's Basilica and Palazzo Farnese. Games were held for a whole day or even several days in a row. They usually started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals and ended with fights to the death between animals and gladiators or between gladiators. These fighters were usually slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals.

Start of the tour outside of the Colosseum.

The guide told us that Roman dynasty lasted for 1000 years, 500 years of ascending to power, 300 years of power, and 200 years of decline.

The arch of Titus

The forum in its hey-day

The Forum today

The temple of Julius Caesar - this is where Marc Anthony had Caesar's body cremated after his death.

The stadium of Domitian's Palace

Back to the Colosseum - You're standing at ground level looking up at the stands. You can see the remains of the underground structures. The flooring was made of wood covered by sand. The Colosseum could also be flooded to recreate naval battles (and it also washed our the underground).