Page 28 - EffettoItaly Presentation

Antiquities

The Coliseum is the center of it all. Emperor Vespasian
ordered the amphitheater to be built on the site of
Nero's palace, to dissociate himself from the hated
tyrant. His aim was to gain popularity by staging deadly
combats of gladiators and wild animal fights for public
viewing. Massacre was on a huge scale: at inaugural
games in AD 80, over 9,000 wild animals were killed.
Gladiators were usually slaves, prisoners of war or
condemned criminals. Most were men, but there were
a few female gladiators. The combats were attended
by the poor, the rich, and frequently the emperor
himself. As gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses
were heard from the audience around the Roman
Coliseum. Immerse your self in the Antiquities !!!