coloss

eum

Functional architecture

Paul Artus p.37

Workbooks p.38

Location: Rome
Architectural type: functional. Amphitheatre, largest of all.

Purposes:

Colosseum was built as a mass entertainment venue. It often

held gladiator fights & wild animal hunts.

There is a performance area and a seating area for spectators.

It provided excellent propaganda for the Emperor Vespasian.

(Vespasian wanted to restore popular support by returning

public land that had been taken by Nero).

Dates of construction: (Built between 70-80 AD )

Built by Emperors of the Flavian Dynasty. The building

had reached the top of the 2nd level when Vespasian died
in 79AD.

His son Titus added the 3rd and 4th levels and celebrated
the dedication of the enlardged stucture in AD80. Further
minor additions were made by Titus brother, Domitian.

History of the site: Vespasian built the colosseum in the

grounds of Neros Golden House.

This was a clever move because Nero had taken land

after the fire in Rome. He had built an artificial lake.

Now Vespasian was returning to the Roman people land

that Nero had taken for his own pleasure. Vespasian was
a humble man who sympathised with his subjects.

Origin of name and variations: The

colossuem was originally called the
Flavian
Amphitheatre
(Amphitheatreatrum Flavian), after
the Emperors who built it. It was not
called the colosseum until the
Medieval period, and was perhaps
named this because of the large
statue of Nero next to it. This statue
was later changed to represent the
sun god, Apollo.

Dimensions and attendance figures:

Arena 86x54m oval shape.

Ground floor arches were 7.05m high

the 2nd level 6.45m and 3rd 6.40m
high

Could take 50, 000 people

Excavated site

Drainage of the site had

to be arranged before
any construction could
begin
The natural flow of
water through the
excavated hollow was
useful for staging mock
sea battles in the arena
The structure goes
down 6.08 m to a brick
pavement. It has been
excavated to reveal the
remains of dens for wild
beasts & other features

construction

The workers had to drain the Stagnum which

Emperor Nero had flooded prior.

After the Stagnum was emptied, they had to

lay down the foundation.

From there they added many levels and built

an amazing system beneath the floor where
the warriors battle on.

Beneath it was a massive system of pulleys, levers,

ropes, bridge etc. Their Purpose was not only do the
warriors fight each other they were forced To fight
animals such as tigers and elephants.

The floor of the arena itself was made of wood, covered

with sand for gladitorial combats & wild beast fights

It is elliptical (86m x 54m)

For the spectators protection against the wild beast attacks, a fence
surrounded the fighting area
Behind this and on a platform about 4m above the arena was the podium
for distinguised spectators (usually city officials)
Above this was the cavea, where most of the seating was placed,
consisting of 2 main sections
one of 20 rows of marble seats
- One of 16 rows (the tall vaults behind supported the upper level

These sections were divided into wedges by steps and aisles that led
down from the internal passages
(vomitoria). A wall rose up 5m behind
the upper section and was pierced
by windows and doors that linked to
a corridor behind on this wall was
a colonnade with seats for women behind.

On the roof of this area was standing

room for 5,000 of the poorest classes.

The emperor had an arena which he entered through a

triple archway on the north side.
The consuls sat in a box directly opposite to which they
also gained access through a triple entrance way, on the
south side.
Women were only allowed in the top storey of the
amphitheatre. Exceptions to this rule were female
members of the ruling family and the vestal virgins who
sat by the ringside.

Terms:

Flavian emperors
Vespasian, Titus and
Domitian, (from the Flavian
Dynasty)
Cavea Auditorium the tierd
seating area
Vomitoria the passage ways
into the theatre
Travertine the type of marble
used for construction

One problem associated with the architecture was how

to build a structure capable of supporting its own weight
& 50,00 spectators.
The architect made extensive use of arch and vault:
To lighten the load
To spread the strain
And chose his building materials based on their strength
The stepped
seating was 37
degree angle
essential to lessen
the weight
Deep concrete
Foundations: 52m wide
12m deep

Length of external axis: 188m

Capacity: 50,000
Shape: elliptical
Function of columns: decorative
3 ways in which the structure was imperial propaganda:
1) Its huge size largest amphitheatre ever built
2) Returning land taken by Nero made Vespasian
more popular
3) Made the people feel better and more important with
grand-scale entertainment

In the picture you can see how

the Velarium looks when it is
Closed with just a hole in the
middle for sunlight.

What was the role of the Velarium (workbooks p.44)?

It was a huge canvas awning that could be rolled into place above
the seating area. It was put in to shield the harmful rays of the hot
Mediterranean sun. It was fastened to a series of poles that ran
around the exterior rim of the top storey. 100 sailors from
Misenum were employed to erect the awning and to maintain the
yards of rigging that was involved, to ensure it worked correctly.

What was done to ensure that there was ease of access

for spectators to their seats?
76 out of a total of 80 arches served as the chief
entrances and exits. Wooden barriers were set up to
funnel the spectators in an orderly manner. There was a
number engraved above each external arch. People had
wooden tickets with the number of the entrance they
were meant to go in.
There were 4 arches at each axis that were not
numbered. The two on the north and south were for the
imperial family

Materials used:
travertine pavement 17.05m wide. Travertine was also
used for the piers on the 1st 2 levels.
Above the 2nd floor concrete was used, with brick facing,
where there was more intense pressure
The fact that the structure exists today, underlines the
stability of the original design & materials.
The exterior is decorated with a faade of engaged
columns & pilasters that serve no structural purpose but
that display the use of the old Greek architectural orders
the half columns of the 1st 3 levels from the ground
floor up are:
Doric
Ionic
Corinthian
The top storey has
corinthian pilasters

 Statues stood originally in the arches of

the 2nd and 3rd levels- but have not

survived.

Colosseum at night