When in Rome, you certainly have to visit the Colosseum. Originally named the Flavian Ampitheater, it took on the name of a nearby large statue of Nero commonly called Colossus (after the Colossus of Rhodes statue). That bronze statue was torn down, and the metal reused elsewhere, but the Colosseum still stands.
After the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64, which destroyed many structures in the Ancient Roman capital, Emperor Nero took the opportunity to seize some of the land around the capital city for his personal use. He built a lake and other structures for himself, which was one of many unpopular acts of Nero across the Empire. By the time of Vespasian's rule in AD 70, a series of actions were taken to counter the foul mood of the Senate and the people of Rome.
Across the Empire, Rome had been successful in incorporating the many peoples it had conquered. All it asked it return was for those people to worship the Roman Emperor as a god. Most of the conquered nations already worshiped pagan gods, and had no problem adding a Roman one to their religion. But one group of people gave Rome the hardest time with the requirement. Rome had conquered the Jewish nation of Israel, but the Jewish Religion worshiped only One God - and to Rome, the Jewish openly rebellious attitude against worshiping the Roman Emperor was a thorn in Rome's side. After Nero fell, Rome sought to focus on restoring Rome's influence, and launched a siege of Jerusalem in AD 70. By AD 72, the Roman Emperor Vespasian had seized all the bounty from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, and 100,000 Jewish prisoners were forced to bring the bounty to Rome and were used as a slave workforce to build a massive structure meant to entertain the people of Rome, this is how the Colosseum came to be. To right the perceived wrongs that Nero had inflicted on the people of Rome, the structure was built on the land Nero had claimed for his personal use after the fire of AD 64.
Began under Vespasian, the Jewish slave workforce completed the Colosseum in AD 82 under Emperor Titus. Originally, games pitting man vs beast, man vs man, and beast vs beast, were also joined by the ability to flood the substructure and conduct at-sea type battles in the Colosseum. But the gladiator battles where deemed more entertaining, and the substructure was modified below the floor level to allow for trap doors through which other gladiators and animals could be released during the action. Here you can see the tunnels and substructure beneath the floor level. None of the floor remains, but it was a wood floor, with sand placed on top of the flooring. The sand used on the Colosseum floor was called "harena" in Latin, meaning 'sand', and is where we get the word arena in use today
After Rome fell, much of the valuables brought from the Jerusalem Temple to the Colosseum was (like many of the valuables of Ancient Rome) taken to the Vatican for 'safe keeping'. Over the following millennia, stone robbers took the marble that covered the brick base structure, leaving behind a less glamorous, yet still sturdy structure. Here, we sit on one of the remaining stone pillars laying on its side, with the brick structure visible. These brick structures behind us would have been the work of the Jewish slave workforce brought from Jerusalem. I find it fascinating to see this work, knowing the history of the Israelite people from scripture, as the slave workforce used by Pharaohs to build the Egyptian pyramids and as the workforce enslaved to build the Colosseum here....two of the remaining wonders of the ancient world. I can't help but think that it isn't a coincidence that their work has been preserved to this day - as it seems God had intentions for His people of the Old Testament to be remembered in a variety of special ways.
The ornate tops of pillars, preserved within the Colosseum.
At the height of its use, the Colosseum seated over ~50,000 spectators.
The Colosseum continued in use until the 5th century, and was later used as a private possession, place of business and Holy Roman Empire possession. In 1349, a great earthquake damaged the structure, causing the south side to collapse (similarly, other structures around ancient Rome had damage on their south side - the side taking the brunt of direct sunlight for a thousand or more years). The damage was not repaired, and the Colosseum became a preserved relic of ancient Rome.
Outside the Colosseum sits other relics of ancient Rome. Here, the Arch of Constantine is seen through a portal of the Colosseum. It was built in 315 AD.
The Via Sacra (Sacred Road), as seen from inside the Colosseum, leading from the Colosseum through the Roman Forum, past Palatine Hill, to Capitoline Hill.
Another view of the Arch of Constantine.
The Temple of Venus and Roma, just off the Via Sacra. The base of the bronze statue of Nero is still visible between the Colosseum and this temple.
Via Sacra, leading under the Arch of Titus. The Arch of Titus was the blueprint used by Napoleon when he designed the Arc of Triumph we visited in Paris last week.
The Arch of Titus was also built by the Jewish people as prisoners brought to Rome after the Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Colosseum to the right of the Arch of Constantine.
View of the Colosseum from the Via Sacra.
Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, as seen from the Basilica of Aemilia.
Temple of Vesta.
A view of the Roman Forum.
The "Alter of Caesar". Julius Caesar was a great military leader of Rome, but in AD 49, he marched his 13th Legion across the Rubicon (it was illegal to bring a field army into Rome), stating "The die is cast", indicating there was no turning back. He seized power in Rome as Emperor, and relegated the Senate to a lower position in Rome, turning the Roman Republic into a dictatorship. Five years later, on the Ides of March (15 March) a mob made up mostly of Senate members, would corner Caesar near this location, stabbing him 23 times, and cremating his remains on this site. Shakespeare would later immortalize this moment by attributing the surprised words "Et tu, Brute?" (Even you, Brutus?") as Caesar's final words, as he saw his friend Brutus participating in the mob, convincing Caesar to stop resisting and allow the mob to finish the murderous deed.
The place where Julius Caesar's cremation took place is preserved.
Around the place of cremation, a small temple was built by Augustus, who deified Julius Caesar as a god, and took his name, Caesar, as a title rather than a name (starting the line of Caesars who ruled Rome as Emperors).
A Roman bath.
The large arches to the top right of this picture, are what's left of the Basilica of Constantine, which was the original Hall of Justice, later turned into a church under the Holy Roman Empire. The basilica was originally much larger, but was also severely damaged by the earthquake in 1349.
The Roman Forum, housing all the structures that were the center of government in ancient Rome.
Many courtyards adorn Palatine Hill, completing the remaining portions of the existing ancient Roman capitol.
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