Coliseum, the Construction and history of

Construction of the Coliseum, or Flavian Amphitheater, was begun by Vespasiano c.72 A.D. and inaugurated by his son Titus in 80 A.D. Built on marshy land between the Esquiline and Caelian Hills, it was the first permanent amphitheater to be built in Rome. Its monumental size and grandeur as well as its practical and efficient organization for producing spectacles and controlling the large crowds make it one of the great architectural monuments achieved by …

…time. The Coliseum still manages to serve the same purpose it did when it was built, it entertains thousands, and with the ongoing restoration efforts will hopefully continue to do so for centuries to come. Works Cited Cichy, Bodo. The Great Ages of Architecture: From Ancient Greece to the <Tab/>Present Day. London: Oldbourne Press, 1964. Corbishley, Mike. Ancient Rome. NY: Facts on File, Inc., 1989. Wilkinson, Philip. Amazing Buildings. NY: Dorling Kindersley, 1993.