COLOSSEUM, History

Hi, I'm Ed, your personal guide. Together with MyWoWo, I'd like to welcome you to one of the wonders of the world.

Today I'll accompany you through the Colosseum, which is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world!

You are standing in front of the Flavian Amphitheater, a symbol of the grandeur of imperial Rome that was called the "Colosseum" because of the thirty-meter tall colossal statue of Nero that stood in the square in front. While you decide whether or not to give in to the temptation to take a selfie with the "centurion" figures, let me tell you about its history. Did you know that it's about to have its 2,000 year birthday?

In fact, Emperor Vespasian began building in this area in 72 AD; before that there was an artificial lake here that Nero had had dug out and filled in front of his residence, the famous Domus Aurea, or Golden House. But Nero was not remembered fondly by the people, and in a gesture of reconciliation, Vespasian drained the pond and replaced it with the largest amphitheater that had been conceived thus far.

The inauguration took place in the year 80 under Emperor Titus, with gladiator battles, celebrations, and shows that lasted a hundred days in a row and included killing five thousand wild animals that had been brought in from Africa!...