The Colosseum, formally the Flavian Amphitheatre, was begun under the emperor Vespasian around 70 CE on the site of a lake that had been part of Nero's palace, and was completed under his sons Titus and Domitian. Built of travertine, tuff and concrete, it is an elliptical structure that could seat tens of thousands of spectators, who entered through numbered arches. It hosted gladiator combats, wild animal hunts and public spectacles, and the Roman emperors used it to gain popularity. After the fall of the western empire it was damaged by earthquakes and used as a source of building stone. Today it is among the best-known monuments of Rome and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Before and after
- 24 January 76 CEBirth of Hadrian
- 79 CEVesuvius buries Pompeii and Herculaneum
- 24 August 79 CEEruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79
- 80 CEThe Colosseum is inaugurated
- 81 CEConstruction of Colosseum
- 82 CEConstruction of Arch of Titus
- from 85 CE to 700 CEOrigins of Vindolanda
- 1st centuryOrigins of House of the Virgin Mary
- 1st centuryOrigins of Frankfurt
More in Civilizations & archaeology
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- from c. 753 BCE to 476 CEAncient Rome
- 7th century BCEConstruction of Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- from 312 BCE to 63 BCESeleucid Empire
- from 279 BCE to 1480Construction of Lighthouse of Alexandria
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 1st century.