{"id":3208,"date":"2020-10-26T04:40:24","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T04:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/colosseum.info\/?p=3208"},"modified":"2020-10-26T05:34:36","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T05:34:36","slug":"a-day-out-in-the-colosseum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/colosseum.info\/es\/a-day-out-in-the-colosseum\/","title":{"rendered":"A day out in the colosseum"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t

A day at the Games in the Ancient Colosseum.<\/b><\/p>\n

Where is the one place you absolutely have to go in Rome?\u00a0 To see the icon of ancient Rome and the most impressive Roman structure still standing – <\/span>The Colosseum<\/b>.\u00a0 Today visitors wander around the shell of Rome\u2019s largest amphitheatre trying to imagine where the seats were, how high did the building soar up to, how many people could fit in the stadium and what were the games like?<\/span><\/p>\n

A day out at the Colosseum<\/b> may well have been the highlight of your year if you were an ordinary Roman in ancient times.\u00a0 This was an elite affair for the top dogs of Rome \u2013 tickets were scarce because the Colosseum held much fewer spectators than the races at the <\/span>Circus Maximus<\/b> (AROME\/CMAXIMUS)<\/b> and there were fewer days of games because they were extremely costly to put on. If you were lucky enough to get in, you were in for a real treat.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not just a Show but an Experience<\/b><\/p>\n

Just imagine standing outside the crowded stadium clutching your ticket (made of wood, terracotta or bronze), looking for your numbered entrance; once inside you were led straight to your seat \u2013 hopefully you remembered your cushion!\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t just about the games, but the atmosphere, the people \u2013 who knows who you might meet in the crowd of 80,000 people.\u00a0 A day out at the games meant a full day of shows, but it was all an experience, the Flavian Amphitheatre was a building to behold, a masterpiece of engineering which was beautifully decorated inside and out.\u00a0 There was coloured plaster on the ceiling, decorations on the walls, fine marble and statues everywhere – for the ordinary Roman this was a slice of how the other half lived!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All of this was paid for by the emperor!\u00a0 On very special occasions bread, money or gifts were thrown into the crowd, on hot days rose-scented water was sprayed to keep spectators cool (and hide the smell of body odour).<\/span><\/p>\n

The show<\/b><\/p>\n

A day out at the colosseum was an all-day affair, it started early with the <\/span>venationes (BLOG VENATIONES)<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> animal hunts with trained animal fighters armed with spears and bows and arrows, sometimes on horseback.\u00a0 This was not just hack and slash it was a hunt made realistic with scenery like boulders, bushes and trees, even buildings were constructed on the arena as a backdrop to the hunt.\u00a0 Another element was seeing weird and wonderful creatures unlike anything had been seen before.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At lunchtime (the hottest part of the day) was the executions, again we should not think just heads rolling off without any display, this was more spectacular.\u00a0 Criminals played the parts of those who die; like in the story of Icarus\u2013 a young man who flew too close to the sun with wings made of feathers and wax and plummeted to his death.\u00a0 This was re-enacted in the colosseum; how did they achieve this?\u00a0 Perhaps they strapped wings on a criminal who was suspended above the crowd and then set fire to him?\u00a0 These executions were spectacles with costumes and a bit of glam.\u00a0 Between the various shows there would have been other performances like dancers and jugglers and announcements.<\/span><\/p>\n

The gladiatorial bouts in the afternoon was the highlight of the games, this is when the professional fighters came out, skin oiled and glowing, bristling with weapons, wearing polished armour with colourful plumed helmets.\u00a0 These were the stars of the show \u2013 the sportsmen and sex symbols of their day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spectator services<\/b><\/p>\n

With thousands of spectators crammed into the stadium all day, the Flavian amphitheatre had amenities for the crowd to keep them comfortable throughout the day – just like our modern stadiums.\u00a0 Although the Colosseum was an open building, many of the games were held in the winter – rain or shine the crowd was protected by a <\/span>retractable awning or canopy<\/b> called the <\/span>velarium<\/i><\/b>, operated by retired sailors way above the crowd (we can still see the holes at the top of the building where the poles to hold the awning were attached!).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What about food and drink? <\/span>Did the Colosseum have hotdog stands<\/b>? The sophisticated sewer system of the colosseum can perhaps answer that question; the remains of <\/span>chicken bones, shellfish, olives, nuts and fruits like peaches, cherries and grapes<\/b> have been found in the sewers.\u00a0 You could no doubt bring food with you and vendors set up food stalls outside and perhaps inside.\u00a0 Pottery and glassware remains suggest people were drinking wine in the crowd and evidence shows that the Colosseum had side towers with cisterns filled with water which feed drinking fountains (on the first three levels at least).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Did the ancient Colosseum have toilets?<\/b> Thousands of spectators crammed in all day eating and drinking, of course there were toilets!\u00a0 Let\u2019s not forget that the Romans were master engineers, particularly when it came to water.\u00a0 The structure got its water supply from the Aqua Claudia and lead and terra-cotta pipes were installed in the walls, overflow water from the fountains above washed the countless corner urinals on the higher levels and drains on the ground floor level suggest public latrines.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\"\"<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t