The Colosseum a.k.a. Coliseum a.k.a. Colosseo a.k.a. Flavius or Flavian Amphitheater is an elliptical structure built in 70-80 in the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and stone, it is the largest amphitheater in the world, and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. The Colosseum was constructed during the reign of three emperors known as the Flavian Dynasty, and was named in Latin for its association with their family name- Flavius. The name Colosseum (Coliseum) has been believed to be derived from the Colossus, a 130-foot (40 meters) high statue of Nero located near the amphitheater until the early Medieval Era.
The Colosseum, a bloody iconic symbol of Imperial Rome, could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, and was used for gladiatorial battles, animal hunts, and executions. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale; Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia in 107 with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators over the course of 123 days. Beneath the Colosseum, a network of subterranean passageways once used to transport wild animals and gladiators to the arena. The building stays partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone robberies.
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I just love the colliseum, and your photos definitely do it justice Alex! I like your sepia tone one the best!
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Love Rome and love the coliseum even more. I have been there twice now and every time I want to sing the Gladiator film tune. It is sad I know…
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Your pics are awesome and the Colosseum looks so amazing. I like to pretend to look at those of it and imagine what it was like to have those 50,000 spectators in it back in the day. Also I’m so enjoying the part of your photography where you leave it up to the reader to formulate their own caption and/or thoughts. Like what was going on with those gals that day? Good stuff, Memographer! :)
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Love these Memo. I can FEEL the history and culture, madness and mayhem, romance and ritual.
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The colosseum is one of my favorite buildings in Rome.
It’s incredible how after thousands of years it’s still there.
I was watching “la grande bellezza” yesterday, can you imagine living in an apartment just overlooking the colosseum?
Great pictures!!!
Pam :)
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I visited the Colosseum last September, It’s an amazing building. Your photos are stunning.
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The background information is really interesting, Alex. I didn’t know about those underground pasages, or the sheer number of animals and people that could be involved. I’m glad, though, that entertainment preferences have changed since those days!
Great detail in the photo series, and I like the surprise of seeing the three girls, and the person dressed up, while scrolling down.