Chapter 34: CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 33
— THE COLISEUM COULD HOLD — the priest began explaining — it is estimated between fifty thousand and eighty thousand spectators, with an average audience of about sixty-five thousand people. The building was used for gladiatorial combats and public spectacles, such as mock sea battles.
— Are you saying this here was completely flooded?
— Not only flooded, but there were sea battles, with boats and all, in a short period of time how the hypogeum was flooded through support mechanisms, wild animal hunts, executions of Christians, reenactments of famous battles and dramas based on in classical mythology.
— So this is where the apostle Peter was crucified upside down? — Greg asked.
— This is a very common mistake — Nicole interfered speaking as a historian —, the truth is that he was crucified in a circus maximus, in a place where the vatican is now located, and there is another problem for him not being crucified here, because the Coliseum in Peter's time did not even exist.
— Makes sense.
The priest continued the tour.
— The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the Middle Ages. It was later reused for various purposes, such as housing, workshops, the headquarters of a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.
— And in 2007 — Nicole added — the monument was informally elected as one of seven wonders of world modern.
— Although partially ruined because of earthquake damage and looting, the Colosseum is still a symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Italian capital and also has connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as every Good Friday, the Pope guides the Via Crucius that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
The priest took a coin from his pocket and showed it to Greg.
— The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five Euro cent coin.
Greg nodded.
— The original name of the Colosseum in Rome was Flavian or Flavian Amphitheater, in Latin, Amphitheater Flavium, having been built in the reign of the emperors of the Flavian Dynasty, after the rule of Emperor Nero.
— But it was Nero who had Peter crucified.
— This time you got Greg right.
The two laughed.
— Interestingly, this name was not exclusive to the Coliseum, since Vespasiano and Tito had built an amphitheater that bore the same name, in the city of Pozzuoli, in the province of Naples. The name Amphitheater Flavio is still used today, although it is more popularly known as the Coliseum of Rome, which began to spread from the 8th century onwards, which is believed to have been due to a large statue of Nero, which was located near the building, in the Golden House, popularly known as the Colossus in Nero. This fact may have been the reason why the amphitheater in Rome was named after the Coliseum.
— That statue was destroyed for recycling of its bronze — said Nicole — Only its base has survived to our days, and it can be seen between the amphitheater and the Temple of Venus and Roma.
— Construction began under order of Vespasian in an area that lay at the bottom of a valley between the hills of Caelius, Esquiline and Palatine. The place had been devastated by the Great Fire of Rome in the year 64, during the time of Emperor Nero's rule, and later it had been reurbanized for the personal pleasure of the emperor with the construction of a huge artificial lake, the Domus Aurea, located in a complex of a villa, and of a colossal statue of himself.
Greg was absorbed by the beauty of the place, at the same time wondering how many people had died there for the sheer fun of it.
It's a temple dedicated to death...
— Vespasian — continued the priest — founder of the Flavian dynasty, decided to boost the morale and self-esteem of Roman citizens and also to captivate them with a policy of bread and circuses, demolishing Nero's palace and building a permanent arena for gladiator shows, executions and other mass entertainment. Vespasian began his own remodeling of the site between the years 70 and 72, financed with the treasures obtained after the Roman victory in the Great Jewish Revolt, in the year 70. The lake was drained and the site was designated as the Coliseum. By reclaiming the land that Nero appropriated for his amphitheater, Vespasian achieved two objectives: On the one hand, he carried out a very popular gesture and, on the other hand, he placed a symbol of his power in the heart of the city.
— A gladiator school and other support buildings were later constructed within the former Golden House lands — Nicole added — most of which had been torn down.
— Vespasian died before the Coliseum was completed — continued the priest. The building had reached the third floor and Titus was able to finish construction of both the Coliseum and the adjacent public baths, which are known as the Baths of Titus, just a year after Vespasian's death. The grandeur of this monument truly testifies to the power and splendor of Rome in the time of the Flavians.
A tour guide passed with a committee of a dozen people and in a moment of distraction, one of them, passing behind them, pushed Greg and Nicole into the pit.
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