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Introduction

Even today, in a world of skyscrapers, the Colosseum is hugely impressive. It stands as a glorious but troubling monument to Roman imperial power and cruelty. Inside it, behind those serried ranks of arches and columns, Romans for centuries cold-bloodedly killed literally thousands of people whom they saw as criminals, as well as professional fighters and animals.

Indeed, it was the amphitheatre's reputation as a sacred spot where Christian martyrs had met their fate that saved the Colosseum from further depredations by Roman popes and aristocrats - anxious to use its once glistening stone for their palaces and churches. The cathedrals of St Peter and St John Lateran, the Palazzo Venezia and the Tiber's river defences, for example, all exploited the Colosseum as a convenient quarry.

As a result of this plunder, and also because of fires and earthquakes, two thirds of the original have been destroyed, so that the present Colosseum is only a shadow of its former self, a noble ruin.

The Colosseum was started in the aftermath of Nero's extravagance and the rebellion by the Jews in Palestine against Roman rule. Nero, after the great fire at Rome in AD 64, had built a huge pleasure palace for himself (the Golden House) right in the centre of the city. In 68, faced with military uprisings, he committed suicide, and the empire was engulfed in civil wars.

The eventual winner Vespasian (emperor 69-79) decided to shore up his shaky regime by building an amphitheatre, or pleasure palace for the people, out of the booty from the Jewish War - on the site of the lake in the gardens of Nero's palace. The Colosseum was a grand political gesture. Suitably for that great city, it was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world, capable of holding some 50,000 spectators.

Eventually there were well over 250 amphitheatres in the Roman empire - so it is no surprise that the amphitheatre and its associated shows are the quintessential symbols of Roman culture.

Construction planning

The Colosseum was opened in AD 80 by Vespasian's son and successor, Titus. Given the scale of the enterprise it was built remarkably quickly. And given the site, in a valley where there was previously a lake, it had to be planned carefully.

For example, drains were built 8m (26ft) underneath the structure, to take away the streams that flow from the surrounding valleys and hills. Then foundations, roughly in the shape of a doughnut, made of concrete: under the outer walls and seating, they are 12-13m (39-42ft) deep, while under the inner ellipse of the arena, they are only 4m (13ft) deep, and designed in strips beneath each of the concentric walls. Even in this grand design, costs were carefully controlled.

I cite these figures to illustrate the scale of the enterprise and the forethought that went into the design. Over-engineered perhaps, but it has stood the test of time. The spoil from the huge hole dug for the foundations was used to raise the surrounding ground level by almost 7m (23ft), on top of the 4m (13ft) from the debris of Nero's fire, so that the new amphitheatre stood up higher in its valley site. The design advantage of looking up at, rather than down on, the amphitheatre is obvious.

The name of the architect is unknown, but by analogy with what we know from elsewhere in the ancient world, the design process would have involved floor plans drawn to scale, 3-dimensional scale models, perspective drawings, and for the artisans some full-size design sketches.

The basic point being emphasised here is that in this building of huge scale and complexity, much of the detail was worked out before the building started. Indeed the building was created according to a set of architectural principles, or a set of conventions developed in the construction of other amphitheatres.

Spectator experience

Spectators found their way to their seats through arches numbered I - LXXVI (1-76). The four grand entrances were not numbered. The best seats were on or just behind the podium, raised for safety's sake two metres above the arena; animals and gladiators were kept out by a further fence just inside the arena, which helped to ensure that the action was in everybody's view.

Inside the amphitheatre, but at its outer rim, there were, at the first three levels, grand circular promenades, though as you went upwards the dimensions became smaller and the decoration less grand. At the first level, the floors were of marble or Travertine (the stone from which the outside walls were made), while the walls were of polished marble slabs and the ceilings of painted stucco.

Their present grim decoration does not do them justice - and the exterior, pockmarked with holes made by medieval robbers looking for iron clamps, gives no real indication, either, of what the building looked like in antiquity.

Inside the auditorium, except for the front rows on the podium, spectators were packed like sardines in a tin. Evidence from other amphitheatres suggests an average of 40cm width per spectator and 70cm legroom, which makes an economy class airline seem generous.

The entrances and staircase were arranged with the help of marble and iron dividers - to keep different classes of clientele separate. Indeed, the very top section of the Colosseum is separated from other spectators by a 5m- (16ft-) high wall.

Modern scholars often say that the hierarchy of seating mirrored the social hierarchies of Roman society. But we should be cautious. The five sections of the auditorium, from bottom to top, would have contained only about 50,000 predominantly adult males out of an adult male population in the city of Rome of close on 300,000.

The lower class population of Rome was seriously and systematically under-represented. And the two lowest (ie most prestigious) sections of the auditorium accommodated, respectively over 2,000 and almost 12,000 spectators, numbers which do not coincide with any known social groups, such as senators (600) or knights (perhaps 5,000).

Those in the top rows had shade, while nobles sweated in the sun; but those at the very top, which would have included women and the poor, were a good 100m from the centre of the arena. The myopic presumably just sat and heard the crowd roar.

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Even today, in a world of skyscrapers, the Colosseum is hugely impressive. It stands as a glorious but troubling monument to Roman imperial power and cruelty. Inside it, behind those serried ranks of arches and columns, Romans for centuries cold-bloodedly killed literally thousands of people whom they saw as criminals, as well as professional fighters and animals.

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A variety of books that revolve around Ancient Rome

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A variety of books that revolve around Ancient Rome

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History Books for Children - Best Kids History Books

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History books for children - reviews - Books on Celts, Roman History Books etc. Read reviews of the best children's history books.. kids books..

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Julius Caesar was a renowned general, politician and scholar in ancient Rome who conquered the vast region of Gaul and helped initiate the end of the Roman Republic when he became dictator of the Roman Empire. Despite his brilliant military prowess, his political skills and his popularity with Rome's lower- and middle-class, his rule was cut short when opponents - threatened by his rising power - brutally assassinated him.

Early Life of Gaius Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar was born on or around July 13, 100 B.C., to his father, also named Gaius Julius Caesar, and his mother Aurelia Cotta. He was also the nephew of the famous Roman general Gaius Marius.

Caesar traced his bloodline to the origins of Rome and claimed to be a descendant of the goddess Venus through the Trojan prince Aeneas and his son Iulus. Despite his allegedly noble heritage, however, Caesar's family was not wealthy or particularly influential in Roman politics.

Did you know? Unlike in the Shakespeare play, Caesar's last words were not "Et tu, Brute?" ("And you, Brutus?"). Instead they were reported as "You, too, my child?"

After his father died suddenly in 85 B.C., Caesar became head of his family at age 16 - right in the middle of a civil war between his uncle Marius and the Roman ruler Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In 84 B.C., he married Cornelia, the daughter of an ally of Marius. Caesar and Cornelia had one child, a daughter named Julia.

In 82 B.C., Sulla won the civil war and ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia. Caesar refused and went into hiding. His family intervened and convinced Sulla to spare Caesar's life; however, Sulla stripped Caesar of his inheritance.

Despite the reprieve, Caesar left Rome, joined the army and earned the prestigious Civic Crown for his courage at the Siege of Mytilene in 80 B.C. After Sulla's death in 78 B.C., Caesar returned to Rome and became a successful prosecutor widely known for his oratory skills.

Pirates Capture Caesar

In 75 B.C., as he crossed the Aegean Sea in route to Rhodes to study philosophy and oratory, murderous pirates captured Caesar. Reportedly, Caesar acted more like a domineering leader with the pirates than their captive.

After his ransom was paid, the pirates let him go. But Caesar hired a private fleet to hunt them down and had the pirates crucified for their crimes.

Political Rise

Caesar soon began his political career in earnest. He became military tribune and then quaestor of a Roman province in 69 B.C., the same year his wife Cornelia died. In 67 B.C., he married Pompeia, a granddaughter of Sulla and relative of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great), with whom he formed an important alliance.

In 65 B.C., Caesar became aedile - an important Roman magistrate - and produced lavish games in the Circus Maximus which endeared him to the public but threw him heavily into debt. Two years later, he was elected Pontifex Maximus.

Caesar divorced Pompeia in 62 B.C. after a politician incited a major scandal by disguising himself as a woman and making his way into a sacred women's festival hosted by Pompeia.

The First Triumvirate

One year later, Caesar became governor of Spain. A series of successful military and political maneuvers, along with the support of Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus (known as the richest man in Rome), helped Caesar get elected as senior Roman consul in 59 B.C.

Caesar, Crassus and Pompey soon formed an informal alliance (strengthened by the marriage of Caesar's daughter Julia to Pompey) known as the First Triumvirate. The union terrified the Roman Senate who knew that a partnership between three such powerful men would prove unstoppable. They were right, and the triumvirate soon controlled Rome.

Caesar in Gaul

Caesar was appointed governor of the vast region of Gaul (north-central Europe) in 58 B.C., where he commanded a large army. During the subsequent Gallic Wars, Caesar conducted a series of brilliant campaigns to conquer and stabilize the region, earning a reputation as a formidable and ruthless military leader.

Caesar built a bridge across the Rhine River into Germanic territories and crossed the English Channel into Britain. But his great successes in the region caused Pompey to resent him and complicated the already-strained relationship between Pompey and Crassus.

As Caesar conquered Gaul, the political situation in Rome became increasingly volatile, with Pompey its lone consul. After the deaths of Pompey's wife (and Caesar's daughter) Julia in 54 B.C. and Crassus in 53 B.C., Pompey aligned with Caesar's opponents and ordered him to give up his army and return to Rome.

Caesar refused and, in a bold and decisive maneuver, directed his army to cross the Rubicon River into Italy, triggering a civil war between his supporters and those of Pompey. Caesar and his armies pursued Pompey to Spain, Greece and, finally, Egypt.

Julius Caesar and Cleopatra

Hoping to prevent Caesar from invading Egypt, the child pharaoh Ptolemy VIII had Pompey killed on September 28, 48 B.C. When Caesar entered Egypt, Ptolemy gifted him Pompey's severed head.

Caesar soon found himself in the middle of a civil war between Ptolemy and his Egyptian co-regent Cleopatra. Caesar became her lover and partnered with her to overthrow Ptolemy and make her ruler of Egypt. The pair never married but their long-term affair produced a son, Ptolemy XV Caesar, known as Caesarion.

Dictatorship

Caesar spent the next few years wiping out his enemies and what remained of Pompey's supporters in the Middle East, Africa and Spain.

In 46 B.C. he was made dictator of Rome for ten years, outraging his political opponents and setting the stage for the eventual end of the Roman Republic. Caesar began making several drastic reforms to benefit Rome's lower- and middle-class, including:

regulating the distribution of subsidized grain

increasing the size of the Senate to represent more people

reducing government debt

supporting military veterans

granting Roman citizenship to people in Rome's far-flung territories

reforming the Roman tax codes

creating the Julian calendar

Julius Caesar Quotes

Many people still consider Caesar a great leader with keen insights into human nature. Over the centuries, many of his words have become famous quotes, such as:

"I came, I saw, I conquered."

"Caesar's wife must be above suspicion."

"The die has been cast."

"If I fail, it is only because I have too much pride and ambition."

"In the end, it is impossible to become what others believe you are."

"As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can."

"No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected."

"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."

"There are no tricks in plain and simple faith."

"Which death is preferable to every other? The unexpected."

Assassination

Caesar declared himself dictator for life in 44 B.C. However, his crusade for absolute power didn't go over well with many Roman politicians. Fearing he would become king, a group of senators conspired to end his life.

On the Ides of March (March 15, 44 B.C.), the senators, led by Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, stabbed Caesar 23 times, ending both his reign and his life as he fell bleeding onto the Senate floor at the feet of a statue of Pompey.

Caesar's assassination at age 55 made him a martyr and incited a cycle of civil wars resulting in the downfall of the Roman Republic and the rise to power of his grandnephew and heir Gaius Octavius (Octavian) - later known as Augustus Caesar - to emperor of the Roman Empire.

Play: 'The Tragedy of Julius Caesar'

In 1599, William Shakespeare wrote The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a play based on Caesar's life. Set in 44 B.C., it tells the story of a Roman politician named Brutus who plots with others to assassinate Caesar. It also portrays Caesar's brutal murder and the aftermath.

The play is thought to have made its debut in 1599 at the Globe Theater in London and continues to mesmerize audiences to this day, inspiring songs, novels, films, television shows and even comedy acts. It has also provided many well-known quotes - attributed to Shakespeare, not Caesar - including:

"Et tu, Brute?"

"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears."

"The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves."

"Beware the Ides of March."

"Death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."

Sources

A Timeline of the Life of Julius Caesar. San Joseʹ State University.
Julius Caesar. Ancient History Encyclopedia.
The Reader's Companion to Military History. Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Houghton Mifflin Books.
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Julius Caesar was a renowned general, politician and scholar in ancient Rome who conquered the vast region of Gaul and helped initiate the end of the Roman Republic when he became dictator of the Roman Empire.

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Ancient Rome for Kids and Teachers - Julius Caesar - Ancient Rome for Kids

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Julius Caesar was a famous and important leader in ancient Rome during the Roman Republic, shortly before Roman government was taken over by Roman emperors. A month in the calendar is named after him - July, for Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was an able administrator and a famou…

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Geography Maps Ancient Rome For Kids 2015 Sticky Photos

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Christianity from Judaism video for students

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Christianity from Judaism video for students

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Christianity from Judaism to Constantine: Crash Course World History #11

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Fall of The Roman Empire...in the 15th Century: Crash Course World History #12

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Learn about Ancient Rome for Kids in the seventh adventure which transports you back to Ancient Rome. You will learn about chariot racing, emperors, Roman bath houses & more.

Place the Ancient Rome sticker on the timeline and find modern-day Italy on the world map. Find a cosy place to read the illustrated time-travelling Ancient Rome story with the matching bookmark, then learn some Ancient Rome facts in the history booklet.

Learn about the mosaics that the Ancient Romans used, then decorate your own Mosaic coaster. Plus make your own Ancient Rome wreath. Colour in the three Ancient Rome-themed designs with the pencils provided, then treasure your very own Ancient Rome-inspired stickers and special gift.

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Ancient Rome for Kids | Ancient Rome Facts

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Learn about Ancient Rome for Kids in the seventh adventure which transports you back to Ancient Rome. You will learn about chariot racing, emperors, Roman bath houses & more. Place the Ancient Rome sticker on the timeline and find modern-day Italy on the world map.

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Explore Ancient Rome! by Carmella Van Vleet.

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Explore Ancient Rome! by Carmella Van Vleet.

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explore ancient rome!: 25 great projects

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children's interactive & activity books & packs

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juvenile nonfiction / people & places / general

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juvenile nonfiction / social science / customs

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juvenile nonfiction/activity books - general

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juvenile nonfiction/social science - customs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction / people & places / general

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction / social science / customs

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juvenile nonfiction/activity books - general

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction/social science - customs

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children's interactive & activity books & packs

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Explore Ancient Rome!: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiements (Explore Your World)

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Investigate the fascinating civilization of ancient Rome through 25 hands-on projects and activities for young readers ages 6-9. Kids learn about ancient Roman homes, food, playtime, clothing, conquests, gods, entertainment, and more. Activities range from creating an amphora and making a tu...

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History of Ancient Rome for Kids: Roman Food, Jobs, Daily Life

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Kids learn about the food, jobs, and daily Life of the Ancient Romans. What food they ate, the clothes they wore, and the jobs they worked.

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Ancient Rome for Kids Interactive Website

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Ancient Rome for Kids Interactive Website

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Anyone could apply to become a Roman citizen . Not everyone who applied was accepted, but many were. Would you have wanted to apply? You might have. Something was always going on. There were plays in open air theaters. There were festivals, both religious festivals and festivals put on by rich Romans. There were chariot races and gladiatorial contests. There were sports contests. And they were all free. Romans were also very social. They visited friends, relatives and neighbors. They met in the baths. They might hold a dinner party for friends and important people. If you were rich, you might stay up all night at a party, lit by oil lamps. The poor couldn't afford the oil for the lamps so they usually went to bed when it got dark.

. Roads were built in straight lines, or as straight as possible. Many had gutters. Along the side of the road, the Romans built road signs called milestones. Milestones did not give any information about other towns in the area. Milestones told how far it was back to Rome. Occasionally, milestones also listed who built that section of road and how much it cost! Each time a new city was conquered, a road was built from that city back to Rome Roman roads were built so well that some are still in use today. That's one reason historians call the ancient Romans the Great Builders. People walked or rode horseback or took their chariots out on the roads. Bandits were known to attack travelers, so people had to be careful. But still - the Roman roads made travel much easier. There were guard outposts and patrols to help keep people safe.

As Rome expanded, the Romans came in contact with people who worshiped other gods. If those people had fought extremely well, the Romans figured that their gods must be pretty good, so the Romans adopted those gods, gave them Roman names, and pretended they were Roman gods all along.

The Romans adopted nearly all the ancient Greek gods. They gave them Roman names, and changed their personalities and myths to better fit the Roman way of life. The ancient Romans were very different from the ancient Greeks. The ancient Romans were down-to-earth realists, not idealists. You can see this in their statues. The Greeks made statues of perfect people. The Romans created real life statues. A statue of one of the Roman emperors is a good example. His nose is huge! The ancient Greeks would never have done that. The ancient Greeks had roads, but they were not built nearly as well, and their roads did not connect in any particular order. Connect to what? Each Greek city-state was its own unit. In ancient Rome, Rome was the heart of the empire!

Unlike most ancient civilizations, many Romans could read and write. The Romans honored and encouraged literacy. We know a great deal about them thanks to the inscriptions they left behind. An inscription is usually a note created by hand that has been written, carved, or chiseled on an object. Quite frequently, the Romans stamped the name of the brick maker onto the bricks they used. They even had a law that said the makers of lead pipes that delivered water to buildings had to be stamped with the makers name. Pottery makers signed their work. Soldiers wrote letters home. Archeologists have found hundreds of thousands of Roman inscriptions and more are being found every year. All this information from people in all walks of ancient Roman life provides a wonderful window to the past. The more inscriptions archaeologists find, the easier it is for historians to put pieces of the past together.

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Anyone could apply to become a Roman citizen . Not everyone who applied was accepted, but many were. Would you have wanted to apply? You might have. Something was always going on. There were plays in open air theaters. There were festivals, both religious festivals and festivals put on by rich Romans.

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Stylus Productions invites you to view this short walking tour of the Forum in Rome, prepared by Dr. William J. Neidinger and narrated by TFAHR archaeologist Eulah Matthews. The tour highlights the familiar - and the more obscure - monuments of the Roman Forum.

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Great video about the Fall of the Roman Empire

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The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or...Which Was It?: Crash Course World History #10

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Great video about the journey of Christianity

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Christianity from Judaism to Constantine: Crash Course World History #11

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Book about Roman Engineering and Buildings 

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Book about Roman Engineering and Buildings 

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Great read for students to learn about the events of Ancient Rome

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Great read for students to better understand the places of Ancient Rome

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the roman colosseum: the story of the world's most famous stadium and its deadly games (wonders of the world book)

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buildings & construction (children's / teenage)

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children's / teenage general interest: buildings & construction

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The Roman Colosseum: The story of the world's most famous stadium and its deadly games (Wonders of the World Book)

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Now in paperback! The Roman Colosseum was the work of a brilliant and energetic civilization. The Roman Colosseum was the work of a cruel and brutal civilization. Both are true. The Roman Colosseum was one of the most extraordinary buildings in the ancient world, a work of engineering genius who...

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Interactive Website about people in Ancient Rome

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Interactive Website about people in Ancient Rome

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What did people in Rome do day to day?

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The Romans had a story about how their city began. According to legend, Rome was founded by twin brothers, and , who were the sons of the god Mars.

As babies, the boys were left to drown in the River Tiber by their evil uncle, but they were rescued by a wolf. When the boys were older, they took revenge on their uncle and killed him.

Afterwards, the twins decided to start a new city, but they squabbled about where to build it. Romulus wanted to build it on the Palatine Hill and Remus preferred the Aventine Hill.

To find out who was right, they looked for a sign from the gods. However, they couldn't agree on that either and both thought the gods were favouring them.

One day, the twins got in a fight after Remus made fun of Romulus. Remus was killed and Romulus named the new city 'Roma' after himself!

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The Romans had a story about how their city began. According to legend, Rome was founded by twin brothers, and , who were the sons of the god Mars. As babies, the boys were left to drown in the River Tiber by their evil uncle, but they were rescued by a wolf.

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Video explaining what Ancient Rome did for us as Society

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Video explaining what Ancient Rome did for us as Society

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BBC Bitesize - KS2 History - What did the Romans do for us?

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Find out how many ways the Romans have had an effect on today's Britain.

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A fun video to show about the Fall of Rome

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Fall of The Roman Empire...in the 15th Century: Crash Course World History #12

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Crash Course World History is now available on DVD! Visit http://store.dftba.com/products/crashcourse-world-history-the-complete-series-dvd-set to buy a set for your home or classroom. You can directly support Crash Course at http://www.patreon.com/crashcourse Subscribe for as little as $0 to keep up with everything we're doing.

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Book about the life of Spartacus

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Book about the life of Julius Caesar

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Great video that shows students how Roman engineering impacted the City

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Two Roman men discuss how much evidence of the Romans can be found in the modern town of St Albans. A graphic diagram of a typical Roman town is shown, explaining that all Roman towns follow a similar pattern. The men then walk past the ruins of the Roman city of Rochester, looking at the forum and bath house. They then discuss the importance of its position close to Wales.

This could be used as a starter clip to introduce what the Romans built, where they built buildings and why they built buildings. The clip can be used to illustrate that the Romans left an incredible legacy, for example the aqueducts, heating, sanitary conditions. To extend this task, teachers could ask pupils to find out what happened after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Questions could be asked as to what happened to the aqueducts and did life progress after the Romans? Or was all the Roman knowledge and technology lost after the fall of the Roman Empire? After watching the clip, children could find the ruins of Rochester on maps and try to work out which parts of the city they are. They could also use modern day Roman towns and cities and try to identify which parts have been preserved from Roman town builders.

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How Roman cities were designed and built - KS2 History - BBC Bitesize

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Two Roman men discuss how much evidence of the Romans can be found in the modern town of St Albans. A graphic diagram of a typical Roman town is shown, explaining that all Roman towns follow a similar pattern. The men then walk past the ruins of the Roman city of Rochester, looking at the forum and bath house.

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Website to help students better understand the Military in Ancient Rome

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How did the Roman army fight?

At its largest, there might have been around half a million soldiers in the Roman army! To keep such a large number of men in order, it was divided up into groups called ' legions '. Each legion had between 4,000 and 6,000 soldiers.

A legion was further divided into groups of 80 men called ' centuries'. The man in charge of a century was known as a ' centurion '. He carried a short rod, to show his importance. He would also use it to beat any soldier who disobeyed him.

Some soldiers had special skills. They shot bows and arrows, flung stones from slingshots, or could swim rivers to surprise an enemy.

Roman soldiers usually lined up for battle in a tight formation. After a terrifying burst of arrows and artillery, the Roman soldiers marched at a slow steady pace towards the enemy. At the last minute, they hurled their javelins and drew their swords, before charging into the enemy. Then they used cavalry (soldiers riding horses) to chase anyone who tried to run away.

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At its largest, there might have been around half a million soldiers in the Roman army! To keep such a large number of men in order, it was divided up into groups called ' legions '. Each legion had between 4,000 and 6,000 soldiers.

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Family tree of Roman Empire

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The Roman Empire: in the First Century. Special. Augustan Family Tree | PBS

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Home |The Roman Empire |Special Features |The Series |Resources |For Educators Purchase | Pledge Now | Feedback | Site Map Privacy Policy | © 2006 Devillier Donegan Enterprises. All rights reserved

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Website with interactive maps of places in Ancient Rome

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Check out exclusive interactives from Ancient Rome on HISTORY. Browse the latest galleries and more on HISTORY.com