Old Buildings
Colosseum
Photo © Chris Davies
The Colosseum was built with 80 arched entrances so it made it easy
to fit 55,000 spectators. It held deadly animal fights and gladiatorial
combats. Many people since the Roman time, (when it had finished
being built) stole stone from the colosseum to build houses. Even
workers building Saint Peter's Cathedral stole stone to make the cathedral.
In 404 gladiatorial combats were banned and in 523 animal fights were
banned.
Photo © Carly Davies
Here is a picture of the base of the closseum. The top has not been
preserved because it was made of wood. This is where they kept the
animals, and when a gladiator came on to fight an animal they came from
there. When the battle had finished they carried the body off with
a stretcher and raked some sand over the blood ready for the next fight.
A badly wounded gladiator would surrender. The emperor would put
his thumbs up for him to live, if he fought good, or he would put his thumbs
down for him to die, if he fought bad.
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