THEColosseum
Here I am ... in the cheap seats
THE Flavian Amphitheatre
When you see the Colosseum with your own eyes it almost looks like a mirage. It seems too impossible to be true. For a monument that stood for so many awful aspects of humanity -- the brutalities and suffering of victims and animals, the raging populism and fanatical mob rule, horrific blood sport -- it's hard to reconcile these facts because the Colosseum is actually so elegant.
While it's easy to marvel at the character of the ancient Romans, the dignity and style of their ancient city with its fine roads and aqueducts and wonderful temples the Colosseum stands as a contrasting testament of a fascination of brutality. Certainly in our own times there are still examples of this lowliness ie. bullfighting, cockfighting, crazed wrestle-mania, and even modern sports as a franchise.
All that said, the Colosseum is clearly Romes' most romantic ruin.
Building began in 72AD and finished just eight years later. Known at that time as the Flavian Amphitheatre, it really was a pretty big statement of Vespasian's (and later his son Titus') as a significant turnaround from Nero's rule which was self-indulgent and unconnected to his people to that of Vespasian's which was the opposite. Nero was feared and despised and unpredictable, he isolated himself from Roman society by walling in his great Golden Palace and built a private lake for his own amusement, also walled off.
Upon Nero's death Vespasian wasted no time dismantling as much as possible of Nero's decadence . The man-made lake was drained and the walls torn down. In its place the Colosseum now stands. An area that was once cut off from the people became a dazzling public place.
Vespasian died one year before its completion.
I personally enjoy admiring the Colosseum from the outside rather than venturing inside. In my opinion, the challenges and hustle of exploring the interior may not justify the experience. However, I understand that it's an attraction everyone should visit at least once. Inside, there is a constant flow of movement, navigating circular pathways and traversing different levels, often amidst large crowds, all for the purpose of getting a glimpse of the central arena where countless events unfolded. It can be difficult to find a moment of stillness to truly contemplate the historical significance.
From the tranquility of outside, from so many vantage points you can admire the Colosseum as a whole and for free!
